Cold sores

[Bellamaphone]

any fantastic home remedies for cold sores out there? Particular in dealing with the pain of them?

I currently have...... a grand total of FIVE cold sores that all developed over night. My immune system must be sad....

Thanks Ladies!

[Barbie64g]

If you havent had them before, you have contracted the Herpes Simplex Type 1, my dear. And the reason for there severity might be that your immune system is great and working double time to fight the virus.

My poor little 2 year old JUST got over this last week, and MAN, it was a DOOZY! Apparently the initial case when you first catch it is worse then any other "outbreaK" after that, although some people are more suseptible to them, and have to deal with them much more then others. Be on the lookout for swollen gums in the next day or so. If that happens, mix a tea spoon of maylox with a teaspon of benydryl and swoosh that around in your mouth. It acts as a topical anesthetic and soothes the pain. For the sores themselves, I have heard abreva works WONDERS. But you have to go get it now. its pricey, but I hear it cuts the time of the sores in half. OTher then that, be very careful when around little ones. If they contract it when they are young, like my poor baby did, it might be AWFUL, like it was for mine. He couldnt eat, hard to drink, just cuz his gums were sooooo swollen and bleeding! Also, his Ped perscribed Valtrex (Yes, its the stuff you see commercials for genital herpes) and I really think it would have lasted longer and he would have had even more sores if we hadnt used it. It took about a week.

Good Luck, and God speed!

[frontierpsych]

L-Lysine helps with healing and preventing them. As far as pain goes, I take the most unnatural route possible. Orajel and Darvocet.

[nataliachick7]

I take L Lysine suppelement all year. i take a lot more in winter cause thats when i get cold sores. Also, melissa herb i heard was great, i just ordered it online.
Abreva never did much for me.
I got a script for zovyrax cream. I heard valtrex was great too.
For pain, just ibprofen!

[missbuns]

when it comes to cold sores i haven't found anything natural that really worked.

i get acylovir cream and tablets from my doctor and always have a couple boxes around. if i feel any tingling or nerve sensations i take 400 every 4-5 hours. it usually prevents the sores from developing. if they have already started i will take more, 600 or even 800 every 6 hours for a day or so. then they do not develop. it kills the virus.

not everybody wants to take meds, but if i don't i get terrible outbreaks that take 2 weeks to fully recover, cracked crusty yellow bloody sores and i risk transmitting it to kids. it took me 10 years and lots of lysine, etc to figure this out.

[Frootloop]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

If you havent had them before, you have contracted the Herpes Simplex Type 1, my dear.

I just had to correct one thing there... (I hate correcting people with a passion, but I have to when it comes to HSV).

While it's most common to have Herpes Simplex Type 1 orally, unless you've had the sores cultured and typed and/or labwork to show you only carry one virus, one has no idea if your outbreak is that of HSV1 or HSV2 since either virus can appear pretty much anywhere on your body. Lucky me, I've never gotten them on my mouth, I get them in and on my nose. Nice, huh?
HSV1 just typically prefers the oral region and HSV2 typically prefers the genital, but it can happen in reverse (and like I said before, it can appear pretty much anywhere in that nerve pathway).

Abreva can help a little if you catch your outbreak at the very first tingle or sign of redness, but unfortunately won't do much, if anything at all, once blisters have appeared. After the blisters are there, your best bet is to keep the area clean and dry so that the blisters will crust over.
A remedy that I've used for a few years now is hydrogen peroxide, it helps dry them out. I dab it on with a Qtip a few times a day and allow it to dry there completely. Along with that.. a few times a day, I put ice on them, which helps the swelling and throbbing, as will taking ibuprofen.

IF I can catch it early enough, I take Acyclovir (generic for Zovirax), which is way cheaper than Valtrex and works just as well. I don't know what the actual mg are or even what the usual recommended dosage is, but my doctor always has me take a "megadose".. which is 2 tablets 3 times a day for 3 days. If I do catch the OB in the redness stage, this dosage usually aborts it completely. Once it erupted, it seems to shorten the OB by a few days.

The last outbreak that I had was without question the worst I'd ever dealt with in the last 16 years. I didn't catch it in time for oral meds to abort it.. I felt no tingle or anything the day prior. I just woke up with the outbreak from hell. I stopped counting at over 10 blisters from my outer inner right nostril and extending into the area between my nostril and even up to the very tip of my nose. It was beyond horrible and actually left scars. Since I felt really ill a few days after the outbreak erupted, I assume the reason it was so bad was that my body was trying to fight off a virus.

I hope you get to feeling better soon. I know your pain!!

[Bellamaphone]

Thanks for the tips ladies.

I have unfortunately had the pleasure (pain) of having on average one a month since I was five years old!

As the story goes (I have very vague memories) The very first time I got one it multiplied into many and covered the inside of my mouth and throat and left me near hospitalization due to being unable to eat.

I have tried unbelievable things to try to eliminate these things at the tingly moment such as bleach, nail polish remover and hydrogen peroxide. As well as many prescription and over the counter medications.

Now in my more natural life I hesitate to use anything so harsh, but F@#$% these things hurt! I would do almost anything to never get one again and pray that my daughter and husband never catch them from me!

[littlecindy]

i have a prescription for valtrex from my derm and it takes the out in a couple days. if you're open to that, go ask a derm! it's the only thing that works for me.