Had Shingles, Upper Respiratory InfectionIs. Is The Medication Acyclovir 800mg Good For Cold?

Hello dear,

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Acyclovir is an anti-viral medication, which is used for management of shingles.

The cold can be managed by:
1. Gargle with warm salt water.
2. Antihistamine preparations to provide symptomatic relief.
3. Antibiotics can also be used to protect from secondary infections.

Meanwhile...avoid taking cold food & drinks, maintain adequate hydration & take soft, non-spicy foods.
Wish you good health & a speedy recovery.
Take care.

Hello,

Thanks for posting on HCM,

Well I do not know of which website you are referring to, but I hope it is not healthcaremagic.com as this site ever since I joined as a participating doctor, has been nothing but producing good feedback from patients all over the world. The website functions in two phases i.e the free public forum and the premium paid questions. You can choose to ask question in either but if you desire a premium (quick and detailed) answer, you may then choose to pay for it. Now, I am replying to your publicly asked question and hope you will see my answer helpful.
The medication acyclovir is an antiviral used to treat most viral infections (except infections caused by retrovirus) but it will be useless using for a viral cold infection given that it has no place. Common cold often clears off on its own (as our system is built to fight such simple infections). I do not recommend use of acyclovir for cold treatment but you can take antipyretic such as acetaminophen (and also for headache) combined to antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine etc.
In the other hand, acyclovir can be effective against shingles (even though in some cases, is not required). If you are taking acyclovir it is mainly for the shingles and not for the common cold.
If still in doubt, please feel free to see a doctor (as it is always the first hand recommended method of getting a good medical care).

Hope this helps