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Chickenpox - lesions on the chest
Chickenpox - lesions on the chest
Chickenpox - lesion on the leg
Chickenpox - lesion on the leg
Chicken pox
Chicken pox
Overview

Chickenpox treatment

Information:

Question:
Can chickenpox be treated?

Answer:
Yes. A prescription drug called acyclovir has been approved by the FDA for use in treating the symptoms of chickenpox in people older than 2 years. The drug should help reduce the severity of chickenpox symptoms, especially in older children and teenagers, if taken within 24 hours of the rash's first appearance.

This drug is generally only used in severe cases of chickenpox and in patients who are immunosuppressed (such as cancer patients, transplant recipients, etc.).



Review Date: 5/21/2003
Reviewed By: Elizabeth Hait, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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