FAMVIR^® (famciclovir) is an antiviral medication that may cause faster healing of shingles lesions (almost 30% faster in a clinical study compared with placebo).

For many people age 50 or older, prescription oral FAMVIR may significantly shorten the duration of PHN, reducing the number of days you have pain. The people who took FAMVIR started taking the medication within 72 hours (3 days) after the shingles rash appeared. FAMVIR is available in easy-to-swallow tablets.

In patients with shingles, the recommended dose of FAMVIR is 500 mg, 3 times a day, for 7 days. If you have kidney problems, your doctor will determine if FAMVIR is appropriate and if so, what the right dose is for you. FAMVIR is a prescription oral medication that is available in easy-to-swallow tablets.

How FAMVIR Works

When you take FAMVIR, it is absorbed into your bloodstream, and then converted into another drug called penciclovir. A virus attacks your body by multiplying over and over again, making new viruses. Penciclovir helps stop the varicella zoster virus (which causes shingles) from multiplying.