Genital Herpes

Genital herpes advice and treatment with Aciclovir 400mg & 800mg tablets available to buy online from our UK registered pharmacy.

Read medical information and answer medical questions to buy treatment online.

Medication available

Prices

All medicine supplied is UK licensed.

Aciclovir 400mg

Aciclovir 400mg

1-2 courses from £8.95
& 6-12 month suppression

Buy treatment
Aciclovir 800mg

Aciclovir 800mg

1-2 courses from £9.95

Buy treatment

Prices

Medication Quantity Cost
Aciclovir 400mg 15 tablets (1 course of treatment) £8.95
Aciclovir 400mg 30 tablets (2 courses of treatment) £13.95
Aciclovir 800mg 6 tablets (1 course of treatment) £9.95
Aciclovir 800mg 12 tablets (2 courses of treatment) £14.95
Aciclovir 400mg 168 tablets (3 months suppressive treatment) £29.20
Aciclovir 400mg 336 tablets (6 months suppressive treatment) £49.40

Price match guarantee
Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.

Compare prices: Dr Fox prices are 25%-50% lower cost than other online clinics.

Prescription fees

Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.

Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.

Order value Prescription fee
up to £10 £1.00
up to £20 £2.00
up to £40 £3.00
over £40 £4.00

If you have your own private or NHS paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).

Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.

Comparative costs of aciclovir genital herpes treatment from UK online clinics (06 September 2023) - qualifying notes
*Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in table above.
  1. The prices shown are listed by the online clinics named after a customer first enters consultation information and is offered prescriptions. It is possible these clinics may have special offers or lower prices for repeat supplies.
  2. Prices may change and are, to the best of our knowledge, accurate on the date stated. All products in stock and new condition.
  3. Dr Fox does NOT claim to provide a superior service to any of the online clinics listed. All the clinics listed, as far as we can tell, comply with all regulation and, as far as we can tell, operate to high ethical standards.
  4. Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in the table (between £1 and £4 depending on value of the order).
  5. To amend the information in this table please contact us
  6. The prices listed in the table do not identify the cost of prescription medicine as online clinics charge a single fee to cover services which includes advice, consultations, prescriptions and dispensing and supply of treatments.
  7. Where services include free delivery this is using the slowest delivery option available. Dr Fox uses Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Herpes antiviral medication Dr Fox* ASDA Superdrug Simple Online Pharmacy Lloyds Online Doctor The Independent Pharmacy
Aciclovir 400mg x 15 £8.95 £18.00 £20.00 £9.95 £20.00 £19.99
Aciclovir 400mg x 30 £13.95 £23.00 £25.00 £15.95 £25.00 £31.98
Aciclovir 400mg x 168 £29.20 £40.00 £49.00 £31.95 £45.00 £48.00
UK delivery £2.90 included included £3.20 included £2.95

Delivery charges

UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail Tracked 24 Signed For (1-2 working days with tracking).

Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.

Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.

Medical information

Written and reviewed by a team of doctors. Dr Fox is regulated by the CQC & GPhC.

If you have previously been diagnosed with genital herpes, and you are confident that you recognise the symptoms of repeat outbreaks, you can request treatment from Dr Fox pharmacy.

If you are aged under 18 please contact your GP or a local sexual health clinic for testing and treatment:

Diagnosis and check-up before treatment

Treatment with aciclovir

A course of aciclovir tablets will typically reduce the duration of genital herpes sores by one or two days. It also reduces severity of symptoms and infectiousness. If taken early enough, aciclovir may prevent sores from breaking open. A treatment course of aciclovir will not prevent future outbreaks. Aciclovir cream is not recommended for treatment of genital herpes.

Suppression with aciclovir

If genital herpes outbreaks are frequent (6 or more per year), guidelines recommend considering twice daily aciclovir 400mg tablets as a suppressive antiviral treatment.

If breakthrough genital herpes outbreaks occur during suppressive treatment please consult your GP or visit a sexual health clinic.

Genital herpes and partners

Genital herpes is considered to be very infectious. When herpes sores are open and active, the virus is more infectious, however if you have the virus it can be spread to others even when you don't have sores. Using condoms provides good protection from transmission, but this protection is not 100% effective. Spread can still take place.

There is currently no genital herpes vaccine.

The following steps will help to reduce infection:

  • Using male condoms for all sexual contact, including oral and anal sex.
  • Avoid all sexual contact if you or your partner have blisters or sores, or other signs that a herpes sore is developing.
  • Avoid contact with blisters and sores - wash thoroughly if this occurs.
  • Avoid sharing sex toys and use them with a condom.
  • Managing stress - a common trigger for an outbreak.
  • Be open about discussing the risk with your partner.
  • Suppressive aciclovir treatment reduces frequency of outbreaks and also reduces viral shedding between outbreaks. It is often recommended by sexual health clinics if you have genital herpes and your regular partner does not.

Dose of aciclovir

Treatment of a repeat genital herpes outbreak

Start treatment early, preferably at the tingling stage, before the sores develop. There are two options for treatment courses:

  1. Take one 400mg tablet 3 times daily 8 hours apart for 5 days (15 tablets is one course of treatment).
  2. Take one 800mg tablet 3 times daily 8 hours apart for 2 days (6 tablets is one course of treatment).

Suppression of genital herpes

Take one 400mg tablet twice a day 12 hours apart for a minimum of 6 months. Can be taken for up to 12 months, then a trial of stopping suppressive treatment is advised to reassess the overall frequency of outbreaks. There may be an outbreak 4-5 days after stopping long-term treatment. This is not a sign that there will be regular repeated outbreaks. However if you have 2 or more outbreaks, and outbreaks continue again frequently, the suppression can be re-started for another few months. Research has shown that aciclovir can be safely continued for many years if necessary.

Keep hydrated

Swallow tablets whole with plenty of fluids, or dissolve in water. Can be taken with or without food. Seek medical advice if treatment is not effective or there are new symptoms or side effects. It is important to drink plenty of water whilst taking aciclovir.

Medicine pack instructions

The dose instruction in the patient information leaflet supplied with the tablets is different from the instruction on the packet - follow the prescription instruction label on the box. Tablets may be supplied in blank boxes of 6, 12, 15 or 30 tablets, except for suppressive treatment which is supplied in original medicine boxes of 56 tablets.

The dosage for cold sore treatment is different to genital herpes treatment.

Can anyone take aciclovir?

There are a few conditions where someone may not be advised to take aciclovir. Checks are carried out during the online consultation. Dr Fox pharmacy only supplies medicine to adults (over 18 years old) so if you are aged under 18 please contact your GP or a local sexual health clinic for testing and treatment.

You are recommended to check with your regular doctor before taking aciclovir if any of the following apply:

  • Over 65.
  • Reduced immunity e.g after a bone marrow transplant, low white blood cell count, HIV.
  • Neurological illness.
  • Long-standing low oxygen levels from any cause.
  • Abnormal liver function tests.
  • Blood chemistry abnormalities.
  • Kidney disease.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Breastfeeding.

If you experience an outbreak of genital herpes during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, consult your doctor to discuss treatment options.

Aciclovir does not affect contraception.

Aciclovir tablets and other medication

People taking the following medications should consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking aciclovir:

  • Mycophenolate mofetil (used to stop your body rejecting transplanted organs).
  • Theophylline (used in asthma and other breathing problems).
  • Any medication which mentions urine or kidney problems as side effects in the patient information leaflet.

Side effects of aciclovir

Like all medicines, aciclovir can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

If you have an allergic reaction (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) stop taking aciclovir tablets and see a doctor straight away.

Common side effects include headache, feeling dizzy or sick, diarrhoea, stomach pains, rash, skin reaction after exposure to light (photosensitivity), fatigue, and fever.

See the patient information leaflet for further details.

Buy treatment

Dr Fox supplies genital herpes medication on prescription - you are required to answer a short medical questionnaire before your order can be completed. Treatment for genital herpes can be obtained free of charge from an NHS provider such as your GP or a sexual health clinic following a consultation with them.

Dr Tony Steele

Authored 26 February 2020 by Dr Tony Steele
MB ChB Sheffield University 1983. Former hospital doctor and GP. GMC no. 2825328

Reviewed by Dr A. Wood, Dr C. Pugh, Dr B. Babor
Last reviewed 06 September 2023
Last updated 18 March 2024
Editorial policy

References

  1. Medical questions
  2. Choose treatment
  3. Complete order

Answer medical questions to order(genital herpes)

Honest & accurate responses are necessary for safe medical assessment

Have you read the medical information on aciclovir for genital herpes?

Read the medical information.

Have you been diagnosed with genital herpes?

  • People with genital sores and other symptoms of sexually transmitted disease must have had a full medical assessment before obtaining treatment online.
  • New and changing symptoms need investigation.
  • Aciclovir only treats herpes virus infections, NOT other sexually transmitted diseases.

Have you been diagnosed with significant kidney disease?

Includes any condition which could reduce kidney function - does not include occasional urinary infections.

  • Please check with your doctor, if you are not sure
  • Renal impairment can be part of the ageing process and people over 65 should check with their GP.

Have you been diagnosed with any of the following?

  • Reduced immunity e.g after a bone marrow transplant, low white blood cell count, HIV.
  • Neurological illness.
  • Long-standing low oxygen levels.
  • Abnormal liver blood tests.
  • Blood chemistry abnormalities.

Are you taking any of the following?

The following medicines may interact with aciclovir:

  • Mycophenolate mofetil (used to stop your body rejecting a transplanted organ).
  • Theophylline (used in asthma and other breathing problems).
  • Any medication which mentions urine or kidney problems as side effects in the medicine's patient information leaflet.

Are you pregnant or breastfeeding or likely to be at the time of taking aciclovir?

Are you aware that aciclovir works best to treat an outbreak of genital herpes when taken as soon as symptoms start?

  • It is best to start treatment in the first 24-48 hours - it is reasonable to keep supplies at home in reserve.
  • The first symptoms are usually pain and tingling at the site of the sore.
  • Herpes sores always break-out in the same places - sores in new places should be checked by a doctor or at a sexual health clinic, as not all genital sores are caused by herpes.

Are you aware genital herpes can be passed on to partners, particularly when sores are active and open?

Male condoms provide significant protection from infection, but not 100% protection.

Are you aware of the dose regime of aciclovir for genital herpes?

Treatment of a repeat genital herpes outbreak

  • Take one 400mg tablet 3 times daily 8 hours apart for 5 days (15 tablets is one course of treatment),
    OR
  • Take one 800mg tablet 3 times daily 8 hours apart for 2 days (6 tablets is one course of treatment).

Suppression of genital herpes

Take one 400mg tablet twice a day 12 hours apart for 6-12 months. After 12 months a trial of stopping suppressive treatment is advised to reassess the overall frequency of outbreaks.

Medicine pack instructions

The prescribed dose is written on the label affixed to the packet, and differs from the patient information leaflet supplied with the tablets. Please follow the instruction on the label affixed to the packet supplied.

Have you had an outbreak when taking suppressive treatment?

If this is your first time ordering OR if you are ordering a treatment dose, answer 'No'.

Do you have any further medical information or questions?

Is there anything you do not understand or do you need further help?

Do the following apply to you?

  • The medication is for my own use and I will not share with anyone else
  • I will read the patient information leaflet supplied with the medication
  • I am over 18 and I agree to identity verification checks
  • I have completed this questionnaire myself and fully understand all the information
  • My responses are honest and accurate, and I understand that this is necessary for a safe medical assessment
  • I agree to the terms & conditions, privacy policy, data sharing policy & consent to cookies

The order process

Choose medication, register, and pay

Dr Fox issues prescription online

Pharmacy team post medication direct


Recent reviews

“First class service Thankyou”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Easy online ordering and swift delivery.”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Good to go! Fast, efficient, discrete - a great online experience”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Excellent service”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Excellent service all round”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Fast service and very easy to contact with any issues faced”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Amazing online pharmacy with unbelievably quick delivery times. Usually if I place an order early in the morning it's normally delivered some time the following day.”12 March 2024 – Brian S.

“Quick and efficient service. No hassle.”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“prompt delivery,professional people”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Easy repeat order & was with me very shortly after, fabulous service !!”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Was really good quick delivery and product with good quality and effective.”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

“Excellent people to deal with and fast delivery”12 March 2024 – Anonymous

Trusted Shops logo Read all reviews

Independent reviews from Trusted Shops