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Are there any prescription treatments for chicken pox?

Chickenpox (varicella) is a highly contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It occurs most often in children and usually causes mild illness. Symptoms include low fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and an itching rash with dot-like sores or bumps that appear anywhere on the body. Chickenpox sores usually heal on their own within 20 days.

Acyclovir (brand name Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and famciclovir (Famvir) are prescription antiviral medicines that helps kill the varicella virus. Although most people recover from chickenpox without treatment, acyclovir can help fight severe infections by decreasing the number of chickenpox sores, reducing the duration of illness, and easing nausea, vomiting, and fever. Doctors usually only prescribe acyclovir for adults and teenagers with chicken pox, as children rarely have severe symptoms.

In otherwise healthy children with chickenpox, only the symptoms are treated. Non drug treatments and over-the-counter products can help reduce the itching, fever, and discomfort. Never give aspirin to a child with chickenpox or any viral infection. It can cause a rare but potentially fatal complication called Reye's Syndrome.

Sources:
Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2007.
Habif, Thomas. Clinical Dermatology. Mosby-Year Book Inc., 1996.
Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. American Pharmaceutical Association, 2000.
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, Inc., 2007.
Viral Infections, "Chickenpox." http://www.merck.com/mmhe. The Merck Manual of Medical Information, 2nd Home Edition, online version. Last accessed 11/13/2006.

This answer prepared 7/13/2001.
This information updated 1/23/2007.