Lovire is aciclovir, an antiviral for herpes infections — cold sores, genital herpes, shingles and chickenpox. It comes as 200 mg and 400 mg effervescent tablets and as a cream. It is not an HIV medicine, despite the category it sits in.
What is Lovire?
The South African Medicine Price Registry lists Lovire in three forms:
| Product | Schedule | Form | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovire | S4 | Effervescent tablet | Aciclovir 200 mg |
| Lovire | S4 | Effervescent tablet | Aciclovir 400 mg |
| Lovire | S1 | Cream | Aciclovir |
(A search of the register for this name also returns Glovireg, which is pregabalin — an entirely different medicine for nerve pain. The names are similar enough to be worth double-checking on your pack.)
Aciclovir works with unusual precision. It is inactive as supplied, and is only converted into its active form by an enzyme that herpes viruses produce and human cells do not. Once activated, it blocks the viral enzyme that copies viral DNA. Because activation happens almost entirely inside infected cells, the medicine concentrates where it is needed — which is why a drug that attacks a virus is so remarkably well tolerated.
The effervescent form dissolves in water rather than being swallowed whole. That is genuinely useful here: aciclovir is taken four or five times a day, and the infections it treats often make the mouth and throat sore.
The cream is for cold sores on the lips and face, applied directly. It is a much smaller treatment than the tablets — useful for a mild cold sore caught early, and not a substitute for tablets in shingles, chickenpox or genital herpes.
What is Lovire commonly used for?
- Cold sores (herpes simplex on the lips and face) — cream for mild outbreaks, tablets for frequent or severe ones.
- Genital herpes — treating an outbreak, and suppressing recurrences with regular lower-dose use.
- Shingles (herpes zoster). Started within 72 hours of the rash appearing, it shortens the illness and may reduce the chance of lasting nerve pain.
- Chickenpox, particularly in adults, teenagers and anyone with weakened immunity, where the illness tends to be more severe.
- Herpes infections in people with reduced immunity, including advanced HIV, transplant recipients and people on chemotherapy.
- Preventing outbreaks during periods of immune suppression.
It does not cure herpes. These viruses stay in nerve tissue permanently after the first infection. Aciclovir controls and suppresses outbreaks; nothing available eradicates the virus.
It has no effect on HIV. Aciclovir sits in the antiviral category because it is an antiviral, and it is frequently prescribed to people living with HIV — herpes outbreaks are more frequent and more severe when immunity is reduced. It is not an antiretroviral and is never part of HIV treatment.
Timing matters more than with most medicines. Start at the very first sign — the tingling, itching or burning before a blister appears — and within 72 hours of a shingles rash. Started late, the benefit shrinks considerably.
How Lovire fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Herpes antivirals | Aciclovir (Lovire), valaciclovir, famciclovir | Herpes simplex, varicella zoster |
| Antiretrovirals | Dolutegravir combinations (Acriptega) | HIV |
| Hepatitis antivirals | Tenofovir-containing products (Hetemcit) | Hepatitis B and C |
| Topical antivirals | Aciclovir cream | Cold sores, applied to the lesion |
| Antibiotics | Penicillins, macrolides | Bacteria — no effect on viruses |
Aciclovir and the antiretrovirals share a category and nothing else. See the HIV and antiviral medicines hub.
What to check before using Lovire
Drink plenty of water while taking the tablets. Aciclovir is cleared by the kidneys and, at higher doses or when you are dehydrated, can crystallise in them. Good fluid intake largely prevents this.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you:
- Have kidney disease or reduced kidney function. This is the main check — the dose usually needs reducing, and most problems with aciclovir trace back to it.
- Are elderly. Kidney function declines with age even without a diagnosis, and older people are more prone to confusion and drowsiness if levels build up.
- Have a weakened immune system.
- Take medicines affecting the kidneys, including regular anti-inflammatories, or probenecid.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding. Aciclovir has a long record of use in pregnancy, but the decision should be your clinician’s.
- Are treating a child, where dosing is by weight and age.
Using it:
- Dissolve the effervescent tablet fully in water, drink it, then rinse the glass and drink that too.
- Start as early as possible in an outbreak.
- Space doses evenly through waking hours — aciclovir is often taken four or five times daily, which is demanding and easy to get wrong.
- Complete the course, even once the rash begins to settle.
- For the cream, apply with a clean fingertip or cotton bud, wash your hands afterwards, and do not share it.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Aciclovir is generally very well tolerated. The commonest effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness and tiredness. The cream can cause stinging or dryness where applied.
Seek medical advice promptly if you notice:
- Reduced urine output, swollen ankles or unusual tiredness — possible kidney effects.
- Confusion, hallucinations, agitation, tremor or unsteadiness. Uncommon, mainly with reduced kidney function or in older people, and reversible when recognised.
- Unusual bruising or bleeding.
Get emergency help for swelling of the face, lips or tongue, difficulty breathing, or a widespread blistering rash.
Contact your doctor if:
- Shingles affects your face, especially near an eye. This needs urgent assessment — eye involvement can threaten sight.
- The rash is spreading, very painful, or not improving after several days.
- You develop fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, confusion or drowsiness.
- The skin around the rash becomes red, hot, swollen or oozing — bacterial infection on top.
- Outbreaks recur frequently — suppressive treatment often works better than treating each episode.
- Pain persists after shingles has healed. Post-herpetic neuralgia is common and treatable.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What are Lovire tablets used for? Herpes infections — cold sores, genital herpes, shingles and chickenpox. It contains aciclovir.
What is Lovire 200 mg used for? The same conditions. The 200 mg tablet is generally used for lower-dose regimens and suppression; 400 mg for higher-dose use.
What is Lovire 400 used for? Higher-dose treatment of herpes outbreaks, and suppressive treatment where prescribed.
Is Lovire an HIV medicine? No. It is a herpes antiviral with no effect on HIV, though it is often prescribed to people living with HIV for herpes outbreaks.
Does it cure herpes? No. It controls and suppresses outbreaks; the virus remains in the body for life.
When should I start taking it? At the first tingling or burning, and within 72 hours of a shingles rash appearing.
Cream or tablets? Cream suits a mild cold sore caught early. Shingles, chickenpox and genital herpes need tablets.
Why so many doses a day? Aciclovir does not stay in the body long, so evenly spaced doses are needed to keep levels high enough to work.