Zevin Dosage/Direction for Use

Recommended Dose: Adult: Genital Herpes simplex: Immunocompetent patients: Treatment, initial episode: Oral 400 mg 3 times daily or 200 mg 5 times daily for 7 to 10 days, extend duration if lesions have not healed completely after 10 days.
Recurrent episode: Oral 400 mg 3 times daily for 5 days or 800 mg twice daily for 5 days or 800 mg 3 times daily for 2 days.
Immunocompromised patients (including HIV-infected): Treatment initial or recurrent episode: Oral 400 mg 3 times daily for 5 to 10 days; extend treatment duration if lesions have not healed completely after 10 days.
Herpes simplex, prophylaxis in the immunocompromised: Oral 200-400 mg 4 times a day.
Oralabial Herpes simplex: Initiate therapy at earliest symptom. Immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients (including HIV-infected): Treatment, initial or recurrent episode: Oral 400 mg 3 times daily for 5 to 10 days and until complete lesion resolution.
Herpes zoster: Immunocompetent patients: Oral 800 mg 5 times daily for 7 days. Initiate at earliest sign or symptom; treatment is most effective when initiated ≤72 hours after rash onset.
Immunocompromised patients: Oral 800 mg 5 times daily for 7 to 10 days; consider longer duration if lesions resolve slowly.
Varicella (chickenpox): Ideally initiate therapy within 24 hours of symptom onset: Immunocompetent patients: Oral 800 mg 5 times daily for ≥5 to 7 days and until all lesions have crusted.
Uncomplicated infection: Oral 800 mg 5 times daily for 5 to 7 days, extending the course until all lesions have crusted.
Paediatric: Oralabial Herpes simplex: A dosage of 15 mg/kg (up to 200 mg) 5 times daily for 7 days in immunocompetent children age 1-6 years of age.
Genital Herpes simplex: In immunocompetent, 12 years and older recommended dose is 1000 to 1200 mg/day in 3 to 5 divided doses for 7 to 10 days.
Younger than 12 years recommended dose is 40 to 80 mg/kg/day divided into 3 to 4 doses for 5 to 10 days.
Herpes Zoster: In immunocompetent children 12 years of age or older, the recommended oral dosage of aciclovir is 800 mg every 4 hours 5 times daily for 5-10 days. Initiated within 48 hours of rash onset.
Varicella-Zoster: Children weigh more than 40 kg receive 800 mg orally 4 times daily for 5 days, 2 years of age and older weighing 40 kg or less receive 20 mg/kg 4 times daily (maximum daily dosage 80 mg/kg) for 5 days.
Elderly: Refer to adult dosing; use with caution.
Renal impairment: See table.

Click on icon to see table/diagram/image

Mode of Administration: Aciclovir is an oral administration.
Food does not appear to affect oral absorption of aciclovir, and the drug may be administered without regard to meals.