Frikkn COLD SORES!

[Guest jstlooknthx]

Okay, not a sexy topic! Just figured I may get needed information from this esteemed panel of experts on this site. ; ) I am a lucky one I guess. Only get an outbreak once every 8-10 yrs. This infrequency also keeps my out of the loop on current treatments. Just woke up this morning with that extreme tingling on my lower lip and chin. Here it comes! I have a 10 or more year old tube of Zovirax until I can call the doctor tomorrow.

I'm guessing I'm not the only guy on this site who has cold sore/herpes1 outbreaks on his lips once in a while. Any info on current treatments or what to do RIGHT NOW to stop it's progress?

[Guest]

Topical ointments (i.e. acyclovir or penciclovir, which is OTC now) are rarely used since they really only decrease total symptoms time by about 8 hours or so (7 days instead of 7 1/2 days). Oral medications cut the time by about 2 days (to 5 days+), but they really need to be started right when symptoms start, certainly within the first 48 hours, to have any effect. Therefore you need to have some on hand when the outbreak starts. By the time you go to the doctor tomorrow it will be too late. Your outbreak will end next week-end in any case. If your outbreaks don't pop up but every 8 years, I'm not sure it's even worth getting the Rx for the next outbreak, since the medication will have "expired" by then.

[leigh.bess.toad]

I completely agree with the unicorn. If you've got a doc-in-a-box nearby, you might want to consider that. the Zovirax is certainly expired. Of course expired and ineffective are two entirely different things, but at best it's a better than nothing. But if you can't get to a doc-in-a-box (just don't go to an ER please, although people do all the time for a lot milder things than that ("Doctor my teeth itch") get on the phone with the doc first thing in the AM and get it filled ASAP.

[gp0560]

I have had excellent results with Abreva, which is probably the brand name for one of the drugs listed above. It works best if applied as soon as the tingle starts. But even later in the outbreak, it always seems to shorten the overall length of the problem, so you could try even today. It's quite expensive, but don't let that stop you from applying enough of it to work.

[Guest greatness]

Never had cold sores in my life but whenever I feel I'm coming down with something I change my diet and life style immediately. I rarely use medicine unless it's necessary.

[Boink]

One treatment that works amazingly fast for me is to take a gel capsule of Vitamin E, prick it open and rub it over the cold sore area. As with the medicines already mentioned, if you do it early enough (first tingle), it seems to prevent an outbreak altogether. If you do it after the sore appears, it does seem to considerably speed along the healing process.

[JT Brooklyn]

Topical ointments (i.e. acyclovir or penciclovir, which is OTC now) are rarely used since they really only decrease total symptoms time by about 8 hours or so (7 days instead of 7 1/2 days). Oral medications cut the time by about 2 days (to 5 days+), but they really need to be started right when symptoms start, certainly within the first 48 hours, to have any effect. Therefore you need to have some on hand when the outbreak starts. By the time you go to the doctor tomorrow it will be too late. Your outbreak will end next week-end in any case. If your outbreaks don't pop up but every 8 years, I'm not sure it's even worth getting the Rx for the next outbreak, since the medication will have "expired" by then.

 

Totally Agree..In most cases if treated as soon as noticed "Cold Sores" will just run their course anyways.

[raulgmanzo]

You might want to try Tea Tree oil.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11338678

 

And I highly recommend Turmeric.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18191976?dopt=Abstract

 

While you can buy curcurmin (the active ingredient in Turmeric) I would recommend buying a chunk of Turmeric root at the grocery store and applying it topically and ingesting a couple of chunks. It looks like ginger but is bright orange inside. Actually it is related to Ginger and not surprising that Ginger seems also to have some action against herpes simplex. many people swear that the length of their outbreaks are halved or that if taken immediately can eliminate outbreaks.

 

But in any case it adds nice flavor and color to foods so why not?

I chew some turmeric and apply topically if I feel a sore throat, boil or infection coming on. Of course it is not a controlled study but it sure seems to be effective.

[Luv2play]

whenever I feel I'm coming down with something I change my diet and life style immediately.

 

Reading this, one would think you do not follow a healthy lifestyle until you get sick. IMO, this is not the way to avoid illness. Just the opposite, in fact.

[Guest greatness]

lol

 

I don't mean that you should not follow a healthy lifestyle. Usually I get sick if I don't eat well or don't get enough sleep or too stressed. I immediately think about what I have been doing and change it. That is what I have meant.

 

Reading this, one would think you do not follow a healthy lifestyle until you get sick. IMO, this is not the way to avoid illness. Just the opposite, in fact.

[MscleLovr]

My advice is Don't Shave. Cold sores are very easily spread by just the smallest nick while shaving, and this will prolong the outbreak.

[cany10011]

Rinsing with Maalox and Benadryl mixture

 

(a 50:50 mixture) every 2 hours (and then spitting it out) has been known to work according to some dentist friends of mine.

 

My advice is Don't Shave. Cold sores are very easily spread by just the smallest nick while shaving, and this will prolong the outbreak.