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Valacyclovir Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of valacyclovir include fatigue, nausea, and diarrhoea, based on 29,209 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.5% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Valacyclovir side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for valacyclovir.

1
Fatigue5.7%1,665
2
Nausea4.8%1,399
3
Diarrhoea4.1%1,185
4
Off Label Use4.0%1,160
5
Headache3.6%1,060
6
Drug Ineffective3.5%1,023
7
Pain3.5%1,015
8
Drug Ineffective3.3%951
9
Pyrexia3.0%886
10
Pneumonia2.7%800
11
Dyspnoea2.7%787
12
Dizziness2.6%768
13
Rash2.5%720
14
Vomiting2.4%715
15
Nausea2.3%665

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that valacyclovir caused these reactions.

Report severity

64.0%Serious18,685 reports
33.6%Hospitalizations9,820 reports
6.9%Fatal2,007 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Valacyclovir drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside valacyclovir. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Lenalidomide10.9%3,191
2
Sodium-oxybate4.1%1,195
3
Dexamethasone3.4%981
4
Pomalidomide3.2%929
5
Rituximab2.6%762
6
Bortezomib2.4%693
7
Venetoclax2.3%681
8
Cyclophosphamide2.0%594
9
Ibrutinib2.0%584
10
Adalimumab1.8%535
11
Acyclovir1.6%479
12
Prednisone1.6%468
13
Ethinyl-estradiol1.5%446
14
Methotrexate1.4%395
15
Drospirenone1.3%372

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen17.3%5,052
2
Aspirin15.1%4,400
3
Ergocalciferol14.6%4,278
4
Dexamethasone10.4%3,024
5
Levothyroxine-sodium10.3%3,018
6
Omeprazole10.3%3,018
7
Ondansetron10.3%3,008
8
Gabapentin9.9%2,894
9
Prednisone8.9%2,594
10
Pantoprazole-sodium8.7%2,529
11
Sulfamethoxazole8.3%2,423
12
Albuterol8.2%2,399
13
Trimethoprim8.1%2,366
14
Amlodipine8.1%2,366
15
Fluticasone7.6%2,210

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports valacyclovir side effects

60.6% of valacyclovir adverse event reports involve female patients and 32.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 60%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female60.6%
Male32.1%
Unknown7.3%

Age group

< 20.3%
2–110.3%
12–170.7%
18–6460.0%
65+38.7%

What is valacyclovir used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking valacyclovir when the adverse event was reported.

Acquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeActinic CheilitisAcute LeukaemiaAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAcute Zonal Occult Outer RetinopathyAdjuvant TherapyAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAdverse ReactionAnaemiaAnal UlcerAngina Bullosa HaemorrhagicaAnogenital WartsAnti-infective Therapy

Showing 15 of 439 indications

Valacyclovir brand names and reporting trend

Valacyclovir is sold under the brand name Valtrex.

Brand names

Valtrex64

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking valacyclovir with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.