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Short answer Using the acyclovir buccal tablet Common questions Related questions SourcesAcyclovir buccal is a single-dose antiviral tablet you press onto your upper gum to treat recurrent cold sores on the lip and face in adults with a healthy immune system.
It works best when you use it within one hour of the first tingling, itching, or burning and before a blister forms. One 50 mg tablet is the whole course: it sticks to the gum and releases acyclovir locally as it slowly dissolves, so there is no second dose for that outbreak. It shortens the episode but does not clear herpes simplex virus from your body or prevent future cold sores. It is not the right product for genital herpes, shingles, or chickenpox, which are treated with acyclovir taken by mouth or given by vein. If you get frequent outbreaks, have a weakened immune system, or the sore spreads toward your eye, talk with a clinician instead of self-treating.
Using the acyclovir buccal tablet
Common questions
What is Acyclovir Buccal used for?
Acyclovir buccal tablets treat recurrent cold sores (herpes labialis) on the lip and face in adults with a normal immune system. You place one 50 mg tablet on your upper gum, just above an incisor on the same side as your symptoms, within one hour of the first tingling, itching, or burning and before a blister appears. The tablet sticks in place and releases acyclovir locally as it dissolves over several hours, so you take only one dose per outbreak. It does not cure herpes simplex or stop outbreaks from returning, and it is not used for genital herpes, shingles, or chickenpox.