cold sores

V

VickyWI

Cathlete
I have another cold sore, yuck! I always get them when I am stressed and tired. I have a cold and haven't been sleeping well because of the cold and work. Does anyone have any recommendations on how NOT to get them and how to get rid of them?

I am using abreva, I usually do but they still last for a week and leave a scar. Maybe I am using it wrong. I also know I need to sleep. I am thinking of going to the natural food store here and getting some B-complex. Someone said it will help me relax and get some sleep. Does that sound right?
 
I have recently read that supplementing amino acid lysine will help shorten the duration and severity of coldsores. It has something to do with lysine preventing the virus from replicating. While foods rich in amino acid arginine should be avoided because the herpes simplex virus feeds on arginine(nuts, wheat, oats, chocolate, and peas among others but you might want to search some further info on exactly which foods). I hope you get better soon!
 
How come I can answer "yes" to all of today's ailments???

Anyhoo, yes, I got them all the time. Started when I went back to college about 15 years ago and was stressed a lot. Seems I was getting at least three or four a year--when I was stressed, if I had a fever, if I was sick, and sometimes right after I started my period. I even thought it might have been a side effect of the Pill, since I'd just gone back on it, but my gyno said that if anything, most Pills help prevent them. (I thought maybe it was some new form of birth contral that caused cold sores, rendering you so unattractive that no one would want to have sex with you, thus preventing pregnancy!!!}( )

I finally went to my Dr. and he gave me a perscription for Valtrex (it's in pill form). I try to keep some around all the time, because if you take it right when you feel like you're getting one, it really takes care of it. And, now that I think about it, I don't get them as often at all since I started using it. Hmmm.

I have used Abreva, and it's okay, but not as good as the Valtrex.

Good luck.
 
I'm just finishing up yet another cold sore. I also get them when I'm stressed. I don't know how to avoid stress, it just happens in my life. I have a demanding job and aging parents, so there you go. In any event, I use Abreva, but I also have a prescription for Valtrex. You've probably seen the ads for it to treat herpes, but cold sores are a type of herpes, so you can use it for that, too. I take it for 3 days and put the abreva on topically. That really does shorten the duration and keep them smaller than they would be otherwise.

My dad swears by flaxseed. He sprinkles it on his morning cereal and he says he doesn't get cold sores any more. He says he hasn't had one in years. You could look into that, too.

Good luck.

anne
 
I get them too when I am stressed or when my immune system is low...I have tried about everything topical and also the Lysine and none of it worked for me. I use a prescription called Famvir, which stops the cold sore right away as long as you take the meds when you first feel the cold sore coming on. I did try Valtrex once and it did nothing for me... How to avoid them? Don't get stressed! I know, easy to say...:)
 
I never had a cold sore until I had surgery, 5 years ago, at age 43. I have been told by several doc's that the virus was probably dormant in my body since I was a child and that the stress of the surgery and subsequent lowering of my immune system, activated it. (Lucky me :( )
Ever since, if I was under a great deal of stress, or my immune system was down, I would get a cold sore. Abreva not only didn't help, in my experience, it made my cold sores worse, with scars. I also got a secondary staph infection a couple of years ago, not good. My Dermatologist wrote me a precription for Valtrex and it worked like a charm. I renew the prescription every year and never travel without it. Since I got my prescription, 2 years ago, I have only had one full-blown outbreak and that was very brief. I never had very much sympathy for people who suffered with cold sores, but that was before I had them; they are horrible.
 
I also take Valtrex, as nothing over the counter works for me. I just have a constant supply of it when I feel one coming on.

I have found that when I feel on coming on, icing my lip helps. I get very swollen along with the sore. My lip swells up to the size of a golf ball. In the absence of Valtrex in the past, it's actually staved off a sore, but I had to keep the area on constant ice for about 2 hours. It's basically about preventing the virus from entering the nerve endings where it manifests.
 
It has been proven in Pubmed that rosemary oil will get rid of it. I tried it on me when I recently got a cold sore, and it was gone in just 2 days. It should go away on average from 1-3 days. As soon as you feel one coming on, put this on your lips as often as you like. Your lips will get dried, but it does get rid of it. Other oils to consider is thyme and sage.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible

http://www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey
 
When I get them, in addition to the Abreeva I also use Vicks or spirits of Camphor to dry them up. Also there is an over the counter supp called Lactinex that has always helped me speed the healing. Ask your pharmacist. It usually has to be refrigerated and I think it's a "little" pricey. Hate them right along with you!! Good luck.

Lorrie

www.picturetrail.com/lsass



 
Oh, don't even mention these bad boys! I'm SOOOOOOO prone to them, and I get them so badly that it would keep me up at night, ALL NIGHT, because the pain was just so bad. I've been suffering from these things for about 13 years. I've tried EVERY topical ointment out there and NONE of them worked for me. I've tried home remedies, and none of that worked either. I just resigned myself to bearing with a cold sore for 10 days...that was UNTIL about a year ago, when I got 1 cold sore and just as that one was about gone, I got a second and BIGGER (and more painful) one right after it. FINALLY, I took myself off my self-induced medication-free lifestly (I don't take meds at all...precription or OTC) and went to the Doc and actually ASKED for a prescription. I was given Valtrex (I then filled the scrip with the generic version) and I haven't had one since. KNOCK ON WOOD VERY HARD! I felt the tingling 3 times since then, but not once did it turn into a cold sore because I started popping those meds. I will NEVER go back to waiting out a cold sore.

Hope that helps.

Gayle
 
I just read this thread yesterday, and thought, "Wow, I haven't had one in almost a year!" This morning look what pops up on my lip.... x(

I get them all the time during the winter it seems like, maybe 2-3 a year. Nothing works for me, and believe me I've tried everything. x(
 
I am still laughing about the birth control from cold sores. Too funny.

I went to the whole foods store here and got some lysine. I didn't want to go to the dr for a cold sore. I will see how this works and if it doesn't I will go in next time. I got the cream and the pills. Does anyone know if you take the pills everyday or just when you feel the cold sore coming?

Thanks for all your answers. At least I am not the only one who goes through this.
 
My GF kept getting cold sores. Her doctor told her to try pure essential Rose oil. He said that Rose oil will get rid of the existing sore and they won't come back. She tried it last year and so far no more sores. ???:)
 
Where do you buy Rosemary Oil. I get a prescription (can't remember what it is) but it's expensive, especially if you're not sure if it's a cold sore or just a small pimple starting to form. I hate taking the meds if it really isn't a cold sore and waste the prescription and the $$$.
 
OK, this is probably not helpful information, but it's a weird thing. I haven't had a cold sore since getting married almost 9 years ago. On the other hand, my husband never got them until dating me and now he gets them all the time--almost like I transferred all mine to him (which he really appreciates, of course). Maybe it's just that getting married lowered my stress and raised his. Hmm.

Now I'm afraid that after saying that, I'm sure to get a cold sore now.

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://fitnessfig.blogspot.com/ http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif

If you want to give God a good laugh, tell Her your plans.[/font]
 
>Where do you buy Rosemary Oil. I get a prescription (can't
>remember what it is) but it's expensive, especially if you're
>not sure if it's a cold sore or just a small pimple starting
>to form. I hate taking the meds if it really isn't a cold
>sore and waste the prescription and the $$$.
Not Rosemary....but Rose. ;-) Rose is expensive but the cheapest place (probably) to get the real oil would be www.anandaapothecary.com You could check the web for essential rose oil, but make sure it is 100% therapeutic grade with absolutely no other added ingredients. The extra things added takes away from the medicinal properties. I trust this company as I do Young Living oils but YL is very expensive.
HTH
 
>>Where do you buy Rosemary Oil. I get a prescription (can't
>>remember what it is) but it's expensive, especially if
>you're
>>not sure if it's a cold sore or just a small pimple starting
>>to form. I hate taking the meds if it really isn't a cold
>>sore and waste the prescription and the $$$.
> Not Rosemary....but Rose. ;-) Rose is expensive but the
>cheapest place (probably) to get the real oil would be
>www.anandaapothecary.com You could check the web for essential
>rose oil, but make sure it is 100% therapeutic grade with
>absolutely no other added ingredients. The extra things added
>takes away from the medicinal properties. I trust this company
>as I do Young Living oils but YL is very expensive.
>HTH
>

Patricia, sorry I thought you were talking to me about rose. I didn't read Janie's comment about rosemary. ;( You can find rosemary at the same sites I mentioned above. A healthfood store might be another alternative. I would be sure that it is pure therapeutic grade though. Again, sorry for the confusion.
 
I was getting them like twice a year until about a year ago I started taking L-Lysine (otc dietary supplement). I haven't had one on 13 months (knock wood).
 
>I was getting them like twice a year until about a year ago I
>started taking L-Lysine (otc dietary supplement). I haven't
>had one on 13 months (knock wood).
>
>
Buffy, do you take it daily and what dosage? I hate cold sores and would love to never get another! TIA!

Jonahnah
Chocolate IS the answer, regardless of the question.
 
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