Acute Renal Failure and Coma after a High Dose of Oral Acyclovir

Abstract

Cutaneous herpes zoster infection is a problem frequently encountered in clinical practice. Therapy with a high dose of oral acyclovir (800 mg five times per day for 10 days) has been reported to shorten the duration of viral shedding, decrease the formation of new vesicles, and reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, without serious adverse effects.¹ We present a case of reversible coma and acute renal failure associated with this oral regimen.