As Denavir is an antiviral medication, some patients have used it to treat another virus-infected disease of an almost similar nature, which are genital or venereal warts. To examine whether Denavir is effective in treating genital warts, one needs to first develop an understanding about the two diseases including their symptoms and complications before arriving at any conclusion.

Like herpes, genital or venereal warts is a contagious disease that can be transmitted during sexual intercourse. They are both sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and unfortunately cannot be cured.

There are distinct differences between venereal warts and herpes. For one, genital warts are caused by a different virus known as human papillomavirus (HPV) instead of herpes simplex virus which is the virus responsible for herpes.

Another major difference between herpes and HPV lies in their outward symptoms, symptom locations and conditions. Symptoms of genital herpes are the appearances of blisters or sores on the genitals, buttocks and anal area, whereas symptoms of oral herpes are blisters and sores around the lips and face. Blisters and sores caused by herpes are often itchy, swollen and sometimes, painful and they often break out when the patient’s immune system is affected such as during stressful situations or when the body is weakened due to lack of sleep or illness.

HPV on the other hand does not often produce any outward symptoms and if they do, they are known as genital warts which are hard or soft flesh cauliflower-shaped lumps around the genital areas. Due to its general lack of symptoms, patients with HPV sometimes do not realize they are infected.

Can Denavir treat Genital Warts?
Genital warts can be either removed surgically or treated with antiviral cream application. There are currently several antiviral cream products in the market that can be used for herpes as well as genital warps.

So far Denavir has not been proven to treat genital warts. It is an antiviral cream which is manufactured for external application on cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus; there has not been any claim by its manufacturer that it can treat HPV. Secondly, it is also specifically recommended only for external application on the lips and on the face, and not to be applied inside the mouth, the nose, near the eyes or on genital areas. The latter could cause skin irritation or other side effects.

By following its recommended dosage, Denavir can reduce and contain the outbreak of swollen painful sores caused by herpes simplex virus within a matter of days. However, it can only contain and limit the outbreak of sores but cannot cure or prevent the transmission of the virus. Similarly, Denavir is unlikely to treat or prevent the transmission of HPV virus. Furthermore, genital warts caused by HPV are normally not painful but only cause discomfort and itch. In some cases, they often go away on its own even though no treatment is applied.

Therefore, one should seek medical advice before using Denavir on genital warts as the medication is not meant to fight HPV virus in the first place. However, there may be instances when symptoms are similar and it is essential to receive the right diagnosis in order to receive the right treatment.

Pathology: What’s a Wart?

A wart is a typically benign tumor that appears as the result of contracting a virus known as the Human Papilloma Virus or HPV. HPV is normally transmitted through open cuts or scabs on the skin, and once inside, begins to produce the tumors. In most cases, HPV is simply a cosmetic annoyance. But in rarer cases, HPV can cause certain types of cancer. In order to reduce the risk of contracting a severe case, doctors usually remove the warts with liquid nitrogen or lasers. Not only that, but there has recently been a vaccine that reduces the risk of contracting HPV.

In the case of genital warts, someone who has contracted HPV has sexual intercourse with a non afflicted partner. If unprotected, skin contact with a wart can result in the Human Papilloma Virus spreading to the genital areas. The result is warts in or near the anus, perineum, and the sexual organs.

How Does Condylox Work?

Condylox is a prescription gel-lotion that contains roughly .5% podofilox, a chemical found in rhizome tubers. Seeing that warts are simply cells reproducing at a rapid rate, the goal of the gel is to prevent the cells from dividing. The anti-mitotic agent in Condylox is podofilox, which when applied on the wart, prevents the cells from multiplying, causing them to die.

Note: Condylox is prescribed only for use on genital and perennial warts. Condylox also simply acts as a treatment for when warts appear; it is not a cure.

Benefits

Using Condylox offers a plethora of benefits. These include:

Non-invasive treatment: Instead of removing warts via freezing, electricity, or burning, all of which can be very painful, especially in the sensitive genital areas, Condylox is a simple topical gel that offers the same treatment with little pain. Not only that, but Condylox does not require one to return to their doctor to remove every wart. They must only obtain a prescription from them and visit for check-ups.

Immune Strengthening Method: Condylox appears as a simple topical cream, but when applied, the anti-mitotic chemical podofilox alerts the immune system that there are cells appearing to divide rapidly. This extra “heads up” allows the body to remove the warts quickly and reduces the amount of outbreaks one has.

Side Effects

Although Condylox appears to be the best method for treatment of genital warts, it should be noted that the medication does not work for everyone. Several side effects have known to occur from people using Condylox. These include:

-Itching
-Redness
-Burning sensations at site of application
-Headaches
-Stinging pain
-Inflammation

Fortunately these side effects are relatively mild and are usually caused by an over-application of the gel.

In rarer cases, people who are allergic to Condylox can experience more severe side effects which include:

-Rash
-Hives
-Wheezing/Difficulty breathing
-Tightness in chest
-Swollen face, throat, lips, and tongue
-Severe bleeding and irritation at application site
-Extreme burning sensation found at the application site

Note that these are very rare side effects that occur only if patient is allergic.

Results have shown that ifmiquimod helps to get rid of warts in about half the people who use it for four months. But one study found it didn’t help people who had HIV.

Imiquimod can also help to reduce the chance of the warts coming back two to four months after you stop using it. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you use imiquimod once, twice or three times a day. It’s just as likely to work however often you use it.

Imiquimod cream can make your skin red, swollen and itchy. Using it twice a day causes more side effects than using it less often.

You shouldn’t use imiquimod if you’re pregnant.

Detailed Overview

Getting adequate treatment to take care of genital & venereal warts is very important. One of the products you will find out there is called Aldara. It is a type of topical cream that you will have to apply to the area for several days. Keep in mind that there is no cure for genital or venereal warts. Instead, you have to find a treatment that works well for you. Here is one that you may have heard of. Before you consider it though, get the facts.

Pros

There are many benefits to using Aldara to treat genital & venereal warts. This type of infection can be very itchy and painful. With the use of this medication, the itching and pain can be reduced. It can take action quickly and offer you relief. This particular medication is offered as a topical cream.

For those that take medications for various health concerns, that is important. They don’t want to risk the medication they take to treat genital & venereal warts to interfere with medications they take for other needs. This topical product is affordable too which is important. Not everyone has health insurance or has the money to pay for expensive prescriptions.

The use of Aldara can help to boost your immune system. This means that you are less likely to suffer from future outbreaks of genital and venereal warts. This is definitely a benefit because such breakouts can be very stressful as well as embarrassing.

There have been numerous studies with the use of Aldara. The findings are that it does work to help clear up genital and venereal warts for most individuals. These studies also so that there is very little risk involved with the use of this particular type of medication.

Cons- SIDE EFFECTS

Some individuals experience irritation in the genital area after they have used Aldara. For about 11% of users, there will be the development of some type of fungal infection. If you do experience that, you need to discontinue the use of Aldara right away. Make sure you consult with your doctor so that other forms of treatment can be considered. You will also need treatment to destroy the fungal infection.

Approximately 5% of people that use Aldara will develop symptoms that are very similar to the flu. However, most of the time they don’t make the connection. The symptoms should go away within a couple of days. If they don’t it is a good idea to consult with your doctor about alternative forms of treatment.

It is important to note that the use of Aldara is only to be for external warts. Don’t use it for anything that has developed inside of the body. It shouldn’t be used for anyone under the age of 12. You should only use it for the number of days your doctor tells you to. Applying too much or using it for too long can increase your chances of developing a very serious skin reaction.

It can take up to 16 weeks of use though to get the warts to clear up from a single outbreak. It can also be difficult to remember when to apply it since it should only be applied three times per week.

Consult with your Doctor

Never use Aldara for genital or venereal warts without first talking to your doctor. It isn’t a good idea to use a prescription medication given to someone else. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about the situation and the use of this medication. Understanding the pros and cons of Aldara can help you to decide if it is a type of medication you are willing to try or not.

Two RCTs found that cryotherapy worked about as well as treatment with acid. After six weeks of either treatment, about two-thirds of people had gotten rid of their warts.22 Warts came back in about one-third of people two months later, whichever treatment they had.

It isn’t clear whether cryosurgery works better than using an electrical current (electrosurgery) to get rid of the warts.

Cryotherapy can sometimes cause an infection, but this is rare.

It is safe to have cryotherapy if you’re pregnant.

One study found that, after six months, warts had cleared up in 8 in 10 people who had electrosurgery.

It isn’t clear whether electrosurgery works better than freezing the warts off (cryotherapy).

Electrosurgery can cause scarring, swelling, pain generally and pain during sex.

It’s safe to have electrosurgery if you’re pregnant.

Eight RCTs found that using podofilox for four months helped to get rid of genital warts. But up to a third of people got their warts back.

Continuing to use podofilox after it has gotten rid of your genital warts probably won’t stop them from coming back.

Six studies have also compared podofilox with podophyllin. Most of these studies found that the two treatments worked equally as well for clearing up warts and keeping them from coming back.

Podofilox can irritate and burn your skin, causing pain and itching.6 It can occasionally make the foreskin and head of the penis inflamed in men who aren’t circumcised.

You should not use podofilox if you’re pregnant.

The bad news is that there’s no known cure for HPV, but the good news is that there are certain products that have been proven to help reduce the breakout/symptoms of genital warts and help aid in spacing the time between attacks. Since it is currently impossible to completely cure the HPV virus that causes genital warts, most doctors aim at treating the symptoms of genital warts instead of chasing the pot of gold that is a permanent solution.

However, there are homeopathic genital warts treatments that can ease the symptoms of Genital Warts. Wartrol is a homeopathic herbal treatment that many people are responding positively to. Approved by the FDA as safe for use, Wartrol users have found that although it can take 3 to 6 months to cure a breakout, users have gone for significant amounts of time without a new breakout of genital warts.

Therefore, many people think that the Wartrol products are successfull in easing their suffering. Only time will be able to tell if people stay breakout free, but even 6-9 months between breakouts is equal to and higher than some medical treatment options. Thus making the choice to use Wartrol for genital warts fairly tempting and obvious.

One thing that is for sure, is that although Wartrol may not cure the HPV virus from your system, its constant use makes it one of the best products available to treat them in terms of breakout to breakout. The very worst part of genital warts is not the actual virus, even if that is why you breakout, but actually the breakout itself. Genital wart breakouts burn, itch, and are hideous to look at especially since they are in your genital areas.