Reduction of Postherpetic Neuralgia in Herpes Zoster

Exclusion Criteria

• •Sexually-active women of childbearing potential, including postmenopausal women less than 1 year since last menses, not employing adequate contraception (approved oral contraceptive, intrauterine device, barrier methods or total abstinence).
• •Pregnant females and nursing mothers.
• •Patients with immune dysfunction including congenital immune deficiency, active malignancy of any type, collagen vascular diseases, organ or bone marrow transplantations, known infection with HIV or severe atopic dermatitis.
• •Patients who have received cytotoxic drugs or immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., chronic systemic corticosteroids) within the previous 3 months.
• •Patients with evidence of cutaneous or visceral dissemination of herpes zoster infection (cutaneous dissemination is defined as \> 20 discrete lesions outside adjacent dermatomes).
• •Patients who have received systemic anti-VZV medications or immunomodulatory medications (including interferon) within the previous 4 weeks.
• •Patients currently receiving probenecid.
• •Patients with impaired renal function: calculated creatinine clearance of \<30 mL/min using Cockcroft and Gault formula.
• •Patients with abnormal liver function (alanine transaminase (ALT) or aspartate;transaminase (AST) levels greater than five times the upper limit of the normal range).
• •Patients with a history of intolerance or hypersensitivity to acyclovir, penciclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir or gabapentin.
• •Patients currently receiving therapy with gabapentin or tricyclic antidepressants.
• •Patients with clinical evidence of ocular involvement of herpes zoster. Patients with herpes zoster of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve without evidence of ocular involvement will be included.