Zovirax in pregnancy

Definition / introduction

Zovirax® is the trade name for the drug acyclovir. This is a drug from the group of antivirals. Antivirals are used to treat and fight infections caused by certain viruses. These viruses come from the herpes virus family, which cause a large number of different infectious diseases that require therapy. Zovirax® is available in different forms of administration. It can be used as an ointment for cold sores and for other herpes infections it is often administered in tablet form and, especially in hospitals, as an infusion into the vein for very severe infections. The Zovirax® eye ointment is a product for a herpes infection in the eyes.

Mode of action

Zovirax® or. Acyclovir resembles nucleic acid in chemical structure Guanosine. This is an important part of building the DNA. In order for Zovirax® to develop its effectiveness, it must first be converted into the active form. This is usually done by a specific one contained in the virus enzyme, of the Thymidine kinase. Since the active ingredient in Zovirax® looks so structurally similar to guanosine, a is built into the DNA of the virus instead of it. Due to the small difference in structure, the installation of Zovirax® ultimately leads to the fact that the DNA can no longer be completely and correctly built up. This process causes the viruses to prevented from duplicating their DNAto be able to share afterwards. This prevents the virus from multiplying.

Use in pregnancy

Many women develop different types of herpes during pregnancy. The question that often arises for the pregnant woman is which medication she can take without endangering her unborn child.

As a general rule, any medication intake during pregnancy should be discussed with the attending gynecologist. The doctor can then weigh the benefits and risks of taking the drug against each other and order the drug accordingly, or better not. There are similar concerns about the drug acyclovir. If a typical cold sore occurs during pregnancy, this can be safely treated with Zovirax® ointment / cream. Usually only a small percentage of the active ingredient is contained in the ointments. In addition, acyclovir has a local effect on cold sores and is distributed throughout the body, if only in very small quantities. This means that there is no risk of harm to the unborn child. If the patient is unsure, she can seek advice from her gynecologist.

The use of acyclovir tablets should also be discussed with your doctor if you are pregnant. If the patient suspects she is pregnant, the existence of a pregnancy should first be clarified and then the doctor should be informed of the situation. Here, too, the doctor must weigh the benefits of the drug. If the mother has a severe herpes infection during pregnancy, the infection can also become dangerous for the fetus. Accordingly, treatment of the infection comes first. It may be necessary to administer acyclovir in tablet form or as an infusion.

Since acyclovir can be built into the DNA, it represents a so-called chromosomal mutagen. Mutagens cause a change in the DNA, which is why one speaks of a gene mutation or chromosome aberration. Thus, taking Zovirax® also carries the risk that not only the virus cells but also other regular cells are disturbed in their DNA structure. This presents a potential risk of damage to the fetus during its development. This effect on DNA is known as teratogenic and carcinogenic.

So far, studies of these damaging effects have not yet been proven. However, due to the possibility that malformations can be triggered, the administration should be carefully considered by the attending physician.

Use during breastfeeding

It turns out that a certain part of the im Zovirax® contained active ingredient Acyclovir in the Breast milk transforms. Thereby it can also be passed on to the newborn while breastfeeding. The child should not ingest antivirals because it is too Intolerance reaction, stomach-, Intestines- complaints and other complications can arise. If it is necessary to take Zovirax® despite breastfeeding, the mother has the option to wean beforehand or one Breastfeeding break to insert. That way she doesn't endanger her child.