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	Search Quick Order Form» Departments Vitamins Minerals Supplements Herbs Home & Grocery Diet & Fitness Body & Bath More Ways to Shop Brands A-Z Natural Remedies Children & Infants Women's Health Men's Health Seniors Free Catalog MotherNature.com's Catalog Is Here! Click Here to Get Your Free Copy Today. Newsletter Sign Up Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!		Library Home > Safetychecker by Drug Name > Acyclovir Oral ACYCLOVIR ORAL Introduction Safetychecker summary Vitamin interactions Herb interactions References Visit The Healthy Living Bookshelf: 21 Online Health Books From Rodale Acyclovir is an antiviral drug used to treat shingles, genital herpes, and chickenpox. Safetychecker Summary for Acyclovir Oral (for details about the summarized interactions, read the full article) May be Beneficial: Supportive interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication work better. Citrus root bark* Flavonoids* Geum japonicum* Rhus javanica* Syzygium aromaticum* Terminalia chebula* Tripterygium wilfordii* Depletion or interference None known Side effect reduction/prevention None known Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability None known Adverse interaction None known Interactions with Dietary Supplements Flavonoids The flavonoids quercetin, quercitrin, and apigenin enhanced the antiviral activity of acyclovir in test tube studies.1 Controlled research is needed to determine whether taking quercetin or other flavonoid supplements would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans. Interactions with Herbs Citrus species The alkaloid citrusinine-1 from the root bark of citrus plants has been shown to enhance the antiviral activity of acyclovir.2 Further research is needed to determine whether taking citrus root bark would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans. Tripterygium wilfordii Test tube studies show that triptofordin C-2 increases the antiviral activity of acyclovir against the herpes virus.3 Controlled human research is needed to determine whether taking tripterygium would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans. Other Herbs Animal studies have shown that other herbs, including Geum japonicum, Rhus javanica, Syzygium aromaticum, and Terminalia chebula enhance the antiviral activity of acyclovir.4 Controlled human studies are needed to determine whether taking these herbs would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans. References: 1. Mucsi I, Gyulai Z, Beladi I. Combined effects of flavonoids and acyclovir against herpesviruses in cell cultures. Acta Microbiol Hung 1992;39:137–47. 2. Yamamoto N, Furukawa H, Ito Y et al. Anti-herpesvirus activity of citrusinine-I, a new acridone alkaloid, and related compounds. Antiviral Res 1989;12:21–36. 3. Hayashi K, Hayashi T, Ujita K, Takaishi Y. Characterization of antiviral activity of a sesquiterpene, triptofordin C-2. J Antimicrob Chemother 1996;37:759–68. 4. Kurokawa M, Nagasaka K, Hirabayashi T et al. Efficacy of traditional herbal medicines in combination with acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 1995;27:19–37. Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc.  All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com Please read the disclaimer about the limitations of the information provided here. Do NOT rely solely on the information in this article. Learn more about Healthnotes, the company. Learn more about the authors of Safetychecker. The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2003.

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