Antiviral

Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections, rather than bacterial ones. Most antivirals are used for a specific type of virus, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wider range of viruses. Although there are a number of broad-spectrum antibiotics, there are very few broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, and the few in existence are generally only effective against a specific family of viruses.

Tenofovir and lamivudine are antiviral drugs which are designed for HIV, but may be effective against other retroviruses. Valacyclovir is often used for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) I and II, as well as for Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), another herpesvirus. Valganciclovir is used for a broader spectrum of herpesviruses, including HSV I and II, VZV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and is somewhat effective against Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV6). Ribavirin is the only antiviral drug effective against RNA viruses, although it is rarely used due to its toxic side-effects.

Studies

 * 2006, Use of valganciclovir in patients with elevated antibody titers against Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) who were experiencing central nervous system dysfunction including long-standing fatigue. (Abstract)
 * 2012, Response to valganciclovir in chronic fatigue syndrome patients with human herpesvirus 6 and Epstein-Barr virus IgG antibody titers (Abstract)
 * 2017, A famciclovir + celecoxib combination treatment is safe and efficacious in the treatment of fibromyalgia. (Full text)
 * 2018, Migraine Headache Treated with Famciclovir and Celecoxib: A Case Report. (Full text)