Acyclovir Stella Special Precautions

Effects on ability to drive and use machines: There have been no studies to investigate the effect of aciclovir on driving performance or the ability to operate machinery. Further, a detrimental effect on such activities cannot be predicted from the pharmacology of the active substance, but the adverse event profile should be borne in mind.
Use in Elderly and patients with renal impairment: Aciclovir is eliminated by renal clearance, therefore the dose must be adjusted in patients with renal impairment.
Elderly patients are likely to have reduced renal function and therefore the need for dose adjustment must be considered in this group of patients. Both elderly patients and patients with renal impairment are at increased risk of developing neurological side effects and should be closely monitored for evidence of these effects. In the reported cases, these reactions were generally reversible on discontinuation of treatment.
Prolonged or repeated courses of aciclovir in severely immune-compromised individuals may result in the selection of virus strains with reduced sensitivity, which may not respond to continued aciclovir treatment.
Hydration status: Care should be taken to maintain adequate hydration in patients receiving high oral doses of aciclovir.
The risk of renal impairment is increased by use with other nephrotoxic drugs.
The data currently available from clinical studies is not sufficient to conclude that treatment with aciclovir reduces the incidence of chickenpox-associated complications in immunocompetent patients.
Use in Children: Oral aciclovir should be used in paediatric population mainly for the treatment of non-severe skin and mucosa HSV infections. For the treatment of neonatal HSV and severe HSV infections in immunocompromised children IV aciclovir should be used.