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Compare Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, warnings, and more.

  • Mupirocin
    Acyclovir (Zovirax)
  • Mupirocin
    Acyclovir (Zovirax)

  • Summary of Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

    Summary for Antibiotic
    Prescription only

    Mupirocin is a topical antibiotic that's used to treat small areas of bacterial skin infections such as impetigo or a "Staph" infection on the skin. It comes as a cream and an ointment that are applied onto the skin a few times a day for 10 days. This medication can be used on adults or children (over the age of 2 months for the ointment, and over the age of 3 months for the cream). Although mupirocin has very few side effects, some people can experience headache, nausea, or burning at the application site.

    Summary for Antiviral
    Prescription only

    Acyclovir (Zovirax) is an antiviral medication used for the treatment of shingles, chickenpox, and herpes simplex virus infections (e.g., cold sores, genital herpes). It comes in many different forms, including oral pills that are usually taken 4 to 5 times a day, as well as topical cream or ointment that are typically applied 5 to 6 times a day. Some of the most common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (for oral forms), and skin irritation (for topical forms). Acyclovir (Zovirax) is prescription only and not available over the counter.

  • Indications of Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

    Indications for
    •Impetigo - ointment
    •Bacterial skin infection that happens after skin gets damaged (e.g., from a cut or other wound) - cream
    Indications for
    •

    Oral capsule, tablet, and suspension:

    •Genital herpes
    •Shingles (herpes zoster)
    •Chickenpox (varicella) in people 2 years and older
    •

    Buccal tablet (Sitavig):

    •Cold sores (herpes labialis) that keep coming back in adults
    •

    Ointment:

    •Genital herpes in adults
    •HSV infections in adults with a weakened immune system
    •

    Cream

    •Cold sores (herpes labialis) that keep coming back in people 12 years and older

  • Pros and Cons of Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

    Pros and Const for Antibiotic
    Pros
    •Can use for children as young as 2 months old (ointment) or 3 months old (cream)
    •Can easily apply directly where the skin infection is
    •Generally well-tolerated; few people experience side effects
    •Available as a lower-cost generic
    Cons
    •Only available by prescription
    •Need to remember to use three times a day
    •Ointment might not be a good option for people with kidney problems because of risk of harm
    Pros and Const for Antiviral
    Pros
    •Comes in many different formulations
    •Can lower your risk of spreading the virus to others
    •Oral capsules, tablets, and suspension can be taken by children as young as 2 years old for chickenpox
    •Can shorten how long outbreaks last
    •Not many interactions with other medications
    Cons
    •Needs to be taken or applied many times a day for treatment
    •Doesn't cure HSV and VZV infections, only controls the outbreak
    •Oral forms can cause unpleasant stomach side effects, like nausea and diarrhea
    •Doesn't completely prevent spreading the virus to others
    •Not available over the counter

  • Common Side Effects of Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

    Common Side Effects for
    •Headache (2%)
    •Burning, stinging, or pain at the application site (up to 2%; more common with ointment)
    •Rash (1%)
    •Nausea (1%)
    Common Side Effects for

    Oral capsules, tablets, and suspension

    •Feeling unwell (up to 12%)
    •Nausea and/or vomiting (up to 5%)
    •Diarrhea (up to 3%)
    •Headache (up to 2%)

    Buccal tablet (Sitavig)

    •Headache (3%)
    •Dizziness (1%)
    •Low energy (1%)
    •Pain at application site (1%)
    •Irritation at application site (1%)
    •Redness (1%)
    •Rash (1%)

    Cream

    •Application site reaction (5%)

    Ointment

    •Burning and stinging at application site (30%)

  • Warnings of Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

    Common Side Effects for
    •Severe allergic reaction
    •Diarrhea from Clostridioides difficile infection
    •Development of hard-to-treat infections
    •Caution use in people with kidney problems (ointment only)
    Common Side Effects for
    •Blood disorders
    •Kidney problems

  • Prices with our coupons for Mupirocin vs. Acyclovir

    Learn more about Mupirocin
    Learn more about Acyclovir

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