I have a flipping cold sore!

[Passionate*Mama]

So I'm sitting around, 42 weeks today trying to think of magic ways to make my cold sore disappear. It started showing up yesterday and is a nice little cluster today. So now, hopefully anytime my baby will come, but I can't even kiss the little guy. It's just another list of things to add to my discomfort. And I'm really nervous around my two year old and sad about not being able to kiss the new one when he comes out if this doesn't go away quickly. My DD and I always share drinks, spoons, forks, kisses and I'm terrified I'm going to give it to her. I've been packing abreva on it all day but that never seems to do much. Thankfully it's not an itchy one but still annoying.

Anyone have any tricks to get rid of a cold sore fast?

[Bluebird9]

I highly recommend the amino acid Lysine, it's available in caplet form at most health food stores, and probably is with all the vitamins at a regular grocery store. Also, eating foods high in lysine is good. It's been studied and many people, myself included, find that it helps clear up cold sores which are caused by the herpes virus (herpes 1 is usually associated with oral cold sores). I've taken it while pregnant, and I've seen posts of lots of women who take it to prevent/treat outbreaks during pregnancy. Also, avoid foods containing arginine, another amino acid which for many people can bring on sores, you can find lists online but it's especially concentrated in things like nuts and chocolate. A huge portion of the world population has the herpes virus that causes cold sores, just not everyone gets them even when they carry the virus (lucky huh), so your daughter may pick it up some day, and may never have a cold sore. It's really only a big deal with infants, because it can cause really severe health problems. Hope this helps, good luck!

[Eliseatthebeach]

I second the Lysine, but also put a call into your care provider asap and get a script for Valtrex. If you take it soon it will help to get rid of it fast. I always go on it for the last 4 weeks of my pg's so there aren't any outbreaks. s It is really really bad for a newborn to be exposed to the Herpes virus. If it's still there when you deliver you will just need to be super careful with exposure.

[Carhootel]

Lysine! I take it in both a tincture and at health food stores you can find it in a chapstick form too. Last time I got a cold sore I drank some sauerkraut juice and that helped a lot too. Of course, tons of water - no sugars, caffeine, etc... Those things just feeeeeed it!

I'm so sorry you have one, I know what a pain they are as I get them pretty frequently myself.

[Seie]

I know this sounds silly - but toothpaste (on the blister before it breaks) works very well for me. As in VERY well - I cant use aciclovir-type products - they just seem to make it worse. But toothpaste has literally stopped my last two oncoming sores before the blisters broke.
I know it sounds impossible, but after I tried it and found it to work so well I did some research and found that studies on mice have proven sodium lauryl sulfate (a lot of that stuff in toothpaste) to fight HSV (herpes simplex virus) very well - so that could be why.

I also started taking daily supplements of the amino-acid l-lysine and that seems to have an effect too.

What terrible timing for a cold sore

[Passionate*Mama]

Great...ever since V-Day I've been having extra sweets and chocolate. maybe thats why I get them so often because of my sweet tooth!

I have been taking lysine but and calling the midwife to see if we can get a script for valtrex because I want this gone asap!

Thanks for all the help. Hopefully I can get rid of it in a day or two since it doesn't look like he's in a huge hurry to show up anyway!

[firefly mama]

I just got one too. It started showing up on Thursday and I just had my baby this morning. Not the best timing. This is the first one I've had since my original primary infection (which was a HEINOUS, full-body experience complete with 30+ blisters on just my bottom lip). It is almost gone already. I used Abreva, Lysine (caps and balm), Carmex, Neosporin LT, probiotics, vit C, astragalus (or is it astralagus...I always misspell it). And lots of positive thinking.