Comparison of the effects of acyclovir and penciclovir on the symptomatic therapy of recurrent herpes labialis

Recurrent herpes labialis is the most common herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection. Recurrent herpes labialis, especially during stressful periods and weakened immune system; lesion at the site of pain, itching, burning, swelling causes such disorders. Topical antiviral drugs are usually used in the symptomatic treatment of recurrent herpes labialis. This study was carried out to compare the efficacy of two different topical drugs, acyclovir and penciclovir, on symptomatic treatment of recurrent herpes labialis. 70 patients were included in the study and the patients were divided into two groups in equal numbers. Topical acyclovir treatment was applied to the patients in one group and topical penciclovir treatment was applied to the other group. Crusting and crust loss of the lesions were recorded. Symptoms such as pain, itching and burning were monitored on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th days of the patients and the data were evaluated statistically. In addition, depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) were used to evaluate the patient's mood. There was no statistically significant difference between the two drugs related to the crusting and crusting time of the lesions. Considering the research drug used, there was no significant difference in itching, burning symptoms in the control sessions. On day 1, there was no significant difference between pain scores and on day 3, there was significantly less pain in the acyclovir group. According to the results of the DASS-21 scale, 62.8% of the patients had depression, 34.2% in terms of anxiety, and 39.9% in terms of stress showed moderate to severe symptoms. Key Words: Recurrent Herpes Labialis, Herpes Simplex, HSV, Acyclovir, Penciclovir