Great remedies for cold sores?

[snickelfritz]

One of my dd's has trouble with cold sores. As much as we all drink after each other, she's the only one of us that gets them. But, they appear almost instantaneously. I noticed extra dry lips yesterday morning and had her just put some lip balm on. By afternoon, it had turned into a full-blown, bad looking, cold sore. But, we were at the zoo and I didn't have anything to put on it.

 

Last night, I was able to get Abreva on it. She says it burns? I don't know. I've never had them, but she can be dramatic and I wonder if it's more tickling when I apply it. Or maybe it really does burn. But, I haven't noticed great results with it. Maybe it helps and I don't know how bad it would be without it?

 

Has anyone found anything that works wonderfully well?

[4kids4me]

Nothing works wonderful. I think if you get Zovirax (prescription) on it when it first tingles it comes out smaller (but then it's hard for a kid to know that feeling, and you have to have the Zovirax with you). When mine and dh's comes out, we swab on some Camphor Spirit (can burn) and then Zovirax. We keep doing this until it's full-blown, and then it just has to run its course.

 

Drag for your dd. My youngest started getting cold sores after he had chicken pox (same thing happened to me). :grouphug:

[clementine]

Cold sores stink!!! I've gotten them since I was in middle school, much more frequently back then. Now, in my 40's, I get about 4 per year.

 

Abreva will work for me, but only if I catch it when it's way under the surface, before you can see anything. Just a slight tenderness deep in the lip - no blister yet. If one begins in my sleep & I wake up with it a bit swollen, it won't respond well to treatment. Abreva has never burned for me.

 

I avoid all citrus foods & juices and tomato sauces & juice. I also put sunblock chapstick on every day. Some people use Lysine (an amino acid, I think). I used to take it, but I didn't see a decrease in outbreaks.

 

You can ice a cold sore to reduce swelling too, but it doesn't seem to shorten it's duration for me.

 

Hope that helps :)

[KS_]

I don't get cold sores, but I know that lysine is supposed to work against them. You'd have to Google the dosage and how to supplement with it.

[snickelfritz]

Well, she woke up and it looks flat out awful.

 

I might even try giving her some ibuprofin, along with an ice pack, to bring the swelling down. It looks bee-stung, and scabby.

 

Does anyone notice a correlation between getting a bout of really chapped lips and a cold sore coming on....as in, from the trauma of the chapped lips? She does also have problems with her lips getting very chapped.

 

I talked to her a little about whether her lips felt funny before she got the sore and she didn't really know what I meant. I guess that will come with time. I'll check out the lysine and the other medication, too.

Edited November 9, 2010 by snickelfritz

[kwickimom]

My whole family gets them and we have tried everything. What works best for us...when we do nothing but keep it dry. All the "meds" for it like Abreva kept them wet and they lasted forever and scarred.

 

If I feel that I must put somethign on it...plain colgate toothpaste overnight has helped on a few occassions to dry it out quicker.

 

My doc has offered to put me on Valtrex, but I refused.

Edited November 9, 2010 by kwickimom
typo

[kwickimom]

about the chapped lips..yes!!! Thats when mine are the worst. I use a tube of vitamin E from walmart. it is in the form of chapstick but helps tremendously.

[plansrme]

One of my daughters broke out in what I thought were cold sores and treated accordingly (Abreva and lysine), but they just got bigger and were accompanied by a rash on her face. After a week, I took her to the dr. who diagnosed a staph infection. Even he wasn't sure that is what it was, but oral antibiotics cleared up 80% of it within 24 hours. Possibly it was a cold store that led to a staph infection, but the fact that the cold sore and the rash on her face appeared almost simultaneously makes me think it was never more than a staph infection.

 

This kid is prone to staph infections and skin ailments of all kinds but had never had a cold sore before.

 

We also have taken steps to disinfect her stuff--we sterilized her toothbrush, Lysoled the stuffed animals that sleep on her face, threw out her lip balms and bleached her sheets, towels and pillowcases, etc., in hopes of stopping this cycle.

 

Terri

[merry gardens]

At the first sign of a cold sore coming on, I rinse with hydrogen peroxide. They don't seem to get big when I've rinsed and I think they heal faster too. It can be mixed with equal parts water or used full strength. (edit: don't swallow)

[Beth in OH]

Does anyone notice a correlation between getting a bout of really chapped lips and a cold sore coming on....as in, from the trauma of the chapped lips

 

It's my understanding that since the virus that causes cold sores lives in your body, anything that affects the immune system could give it a chance to present itself. Google for a list of foods that often trigger cold sores. For me, being run down or under stress can really bring them on. I think it's possible that your dd's chapped lips could be a contributor for her.

 

These things hurt! For days! If it were my dd and she got several cold sores a year, I would absolutely get a prescription for Zovirax. I use a topical ointment, and if I'm going to be gone over night, I always take it with me. Even if your dd can't tell you when her lip starts to hurt/tingle, the zovirax will improve her symptoms if you can catch it at the "bubble" stage. If nothing else, it should reduce the pain.

 

I've never had Lysine or Abreva do anything for my cold sores. And Abreva can sting the first few times you put it on a cold sore (Zovirax, too). I think the area is so inflamed that any active ingredient stings until it heals a bit.

[fairfarmhand]

my dh gets them if he drinks acidic stuff (soft drinks esp. but I have to get low acid OJ for him too) and eating yogurt helps amazingly. Stress can trigger them too.

[snickelfritz]

It's funny you mention the staph. This dd is prone to staph breakouts on her chin. We have a prescription antibiotic ointment the doctor gave us. Might as well try that on it, too.

 

My other dd does not get the cold sores or the staph spots OR the extremely chapped lips.

[LauraGB]

I didn't notice how old she is but you can buy lysine (amino acid) in pill form and she could take one or two of those a day (check with pharmacist on dosage) when she gets a cold sore, until it goes away. Or you can buy lysine in an ointment form (which doesn't seem to burn me as bad as Abreva). Try to keep those in your purse and as soon as she starts to feel one coming on (her lip will start to itch and burn) and apply as soon as she gets it. That way they will go away faster and not get as big. I also apply ice to mine if it gets really swollen.

 

Anyways, I hope some of this helps. :grouphug: to your daughter. I know how embarrassing and annoying cold sores can be.

 

:iagree:We use a lysine ointment, take the caps and we also each have a lysine lip balm (the tube kind). The balm is used asap when lips get dry just as a preventative, and the capsules are taken at the first sign of tingling - no matter what. This combination has dramatically altered the amount of outbreaks.

 

Also, another pp mentioned a staph infection. With kids, it's really easy to mistake one for the other. Dd kept getting what I thought were cold sores on her chin, just below her lip, when she was about 4 years old. As soon as we'd get it cleared up, they'd come back, bigger and worse than before. Finally I took her to the dr, and it was a staph inf. Poor kid. Dr just rx'd a cream, if I remember correctly. Definitely look into having it tested with your dd if it starts spreading past her lips - it could save her some scarring (and pain) if you catch it in time.

[snickelfritz]

Thanks to all that chime in about them hurting. It helps me be a little more understanding.

 

Do you think Orajel would at least help the pain, without hampering anything else we use?

[mytwomonkeys]

lysine definitely works best for me. i get canker sores, and lysine is the only thing that helps me. i take pills, but a pp said it comes in a gel too. maybe that works just as well?

[mommaduck]

Due to parents that had this virus and our family being more than willing to share drinks growing up, I get them also...generally when my immune system is low (so increase vit C during this time!). I get them inside my mouth and the only thing that works is swishing salt water. It is such a relief, though it burns at first, within a few seconds it's actually soothing.

[Guest]

We've always used Tanac in our family. Abreva did nothing for us. We always have gotten it at Walgreen's or similar pharmacy. I've been using Tanac since I was pretty young...

[jplain]

Are you supplementing vitamin D?

 

I used to get about 2 cold sores per winter, and they stopped after I began supplementing vitamin D. *knock on wood!* Anecdotally, I've heard people claim that theirs became much less frequent after they started calcium supplementation. That makes me wonder if it was really the vitamin D in the calcium supplement that made the difference.

 

Dosage wise: I follow the Vitamin D Council suggestion of 1,000 IU per 25 pounds body weight for children. In practice, I'm giving both my 37 pounder and my 50 pounder 2,000 IU per day, in gelatin capsule form. They chomp on the capsule without complaint, and either swallow it or spit the gelatin out. (Chewables and gummies aren't absorbed as readily.) They recommend 5,000 IU per day per adult.

 

source

Edited November 9, 2010 by jplain

[plansrme]

It's funny you mention the staph. This dd is prone to staph breakouts on her chin. We have a prescription antibiotic ointment the doctor gave us. Might as well try that on it, too.

 

My other dd does not get the cold sores or the staph spots OR the extremely chapped lips.

 

Same here. This daughter is Chinese and has beautiful golden skin--she all but glistens in the sun. But boy, is that skin high maintenance! Eczema, staph infections (2 in the last month, hence my Lysol and bleach campaign), extreme reactions to mosquito bites, allergic reactions to shampoos, hives for no reason. You name it, she's had it happen to her skin. Based on recommendations on this board, I also have started using tea tree oil on any break in her skin. I am hopeful that that will at least help thwart future staph infections.

 

Good luck with your daughter.

 

Terri

[MariannNOVA]

Really out there answer -- dd11 will get a 'cold sore' OR a rash on one side of her face right around her nose.

 

We do use Lysine and Abreva -- BUT what got rid of all of it in a matter of hours was switching to a non-fluoride toothpaste. Turns out she is sensitive to fluoride as is ds 10 we have learned.

 

Hope this helps.

[rafiki]

.

[Snowfall]

Lemon balm has been shown to be active against herpes virus, when applied topically. There are lemon balm creams you can buy for cold sores.

 

I tried Zovirax and Valtrex when I first started getting them in my 20's. And here's a weird story for you - I get one on my upper chest near my shoulder and one on my shin :001_huh:, which would seem like no big deal, but they just kept coming back over and over and over and over and the other symptoms (exhaustion, back pain) were practically debilitating. WEIRD! Anyway, both Zovirax and Valtrex made me horribly constipated. Apparently it's not an uncommon side effect. I just wanted to mention that, because if you do decide to try meds, you might want to be on the lookout for that. Your dd might not connect the two things or might not even tell you about being constipated, kwim?

[blessedx5]

don't have a good answer for you but I truly sympathize with anyone that has this problem. I am just getting over a BAD bought with them...I have had THREE on my top lip.... talk about MISERY :(

 

Sun and Stress are my triggers..... at least from what I can tell...

 

I get NO warning either... they normally pop up over night.... and get quite large... Abreva helps shorten the time but that is about it.... PEROXYL is a peroxide mouthwash and I think it helps heal it as well... and it's great for cleaning the area.

[Tammyla]

They do hurt, burn, throb. Pain reliever helps as does avoiding chapped lips. Abreva burns and seems to double the breakouts for me.

 

Vaseline helps keep the lips moist as does a good chap stick. Poor kiddo.

[jenn-]

If I can get it on at the tingle prescription Zovirax cream works to keep it little. It does a good job drying it out even if I don't catch it quickly. I had a massive breakout (seriously I had 3 pop up while on the way home from vacation and of course the medicine was at home) this past week that I would have to say was directly related to wind blown/chapped lips. Unfortunately, I find that in my case at least, the virus has dormant phases and active ones. When it is active it takes forever for them to stop popping up.

[LarlaB]

Stress & compromised immune system are my triggers. If I catch it riiiiiiiight at the beginning, Abreva is great (topical Zovirax was great too).

 

But, usually, I don't catch them early enough. So I do the 'drying out' method. If possible, I pop the bubbles w/ a sterilized pin. Then apply an alcohol soaked cotton ball (yes, it stings/burns at that point) and repeat thru-out the day to dry it up and use Abreva.

 

Once it is under control, I use a tea tree oil/Vitamin E combo to promote healing. That greatly reduces the duration- although w/ cold/dry weather like this, the sores are painful and taking forever to heal.

[HeathenMom]

I don't get cold sores, but I know that lysine is supposed to work against them. You'd have to Google the dosage and how to supplement with it.

 

they make a Lysine ointment just for cold sores. my husband swears by it.

[mamapjama]

We use oregano oil here. It really seems to stop them in their tracks if you apply early on and remember to do so repeatedly.

 

Lots of other helpful benefits as well.

[RanchGirl]

Lysine capsules and abreva have helped me the most. Like pps have mentioned, they are extremely painful, not to mention incredibly embarassing!!!

 

If you have this virus, it is always present in the body. It flares up when

 

- the immune system is low and/or

- there is trauma to the lips... dry, chapped, sunburned, or even physical trauma like really bumping the lip hard.

 

If I take lysine caps daily, it prevents any outbreaks. But I don't like to take them daily, so I try to take them 2-3 times a week. Usually this prevents them as long as I don't forget for awhile.

[RanchGirl]

Due to parents that had this virus and our family being more than willing to share drinks growing up, I get them also...generally when my immune system is low (so increase vit C during this time!). I get them inside my mouth and the only thing that works is swishing salt water. It is such a relief, though it burns at first, within a few seconds it's actually soothing.

 

I think, though I may be wrong, that sores inside your mouth are actually cankar sores, which are not contagious and not caused by the same virus as cold sores. I'm not a doctor though! :)

[DaffodilDreams]

Does anyone notice a correlation between getting a bout of really chapped lips and a cold sore coming on....as in, from the trauma of the chapped lips? She does also have problems with her lips getting very chapped.

 

 

 

Dh and my MIL are both allergic to an ingredient used in lip balms/chapstick. They both end up with cold sores soon after coming in contact with the stuff - NEVER fails. I learned to quit wearing the stuff when we were dating. :001_smile: They are also prone to cold sores coming on due to stress or excitement, but I did think the chapstick connection might be helpful to you in this case. Maybe your dd also reacts to something in the balm?

 

Zovirax is what they use to combat the cold sores. Works really well for both of them.

[justamouse]

I used to get them at least twice a year (season changes) or when I got exhausted- that's when I knew I had pushed myself too far. But since I started taking vit D daily I haven't gotten any. Now the stress show is a little bubble sty that I just scrape off my eyelid.

[lailasmum]

My close friend suffers from these (same person as I just posted about on canker sore thread). She follows a low arginine high lysine diet. Taking lysine tablets and trying not to get run down.She's been doing this for the last yr and has gone from 1 or 2 cold sores a month to having had about 2 or 3 in the last year. The 2 or 3 have happened after she has slipped from her diet or got extremely stressed.

 

Another thing that works well when she gets them is St johns wort oil dabbed on as soon as you feel it coming, (works really well on shingles too). I read something recently that said that taking magnesium/using a magnesium (chloride I think) spray oil can help too.

[Liz CA]

Thanks to all that chime in about them hurting. It helps me be a little more understanding.

 

Do you think Orajel would at least help the pain, without hampering anything else we use?

 

You could also try Colloidal Silver or Silver Shield (a brand with colloidal silver).

You should be able to get it at a Natural Food Store/Pharmacy.

 

If it becomes a real problem, there is Valtrex (prescription) but I don't know if it is being given to children.

I noticed that since I am boosting my immune system, I rarely get them anymore. That could be another angle to try.

[jplain]

I used to get them at least twice a year (season changes) or when I got exhausted- that's when I knew I had pushed myself too far. But since I started taking vit D daily I haven't gotten any. Now the stress show is a little bubble sty that I just scrape off my eyelid.

 

:hurray: Yay for D!

 

Your cold sore outbreaks sound much like mine, and my response to vitamin D was the same as yours. I hope everyone on this thread who suffers from cold sores will re-assess their vitamin D supplementation immediately!

 

The Vitamin D Council recommends 5,000 IU per day for adults, and 1000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight for children.

 

Vitamin D should always be taken in gelatin capsule (oil based) form. If you're taking it as part of a hard pill or chewable or gummy, you probably aren't absorbing much , if any, of it. It can take a while to bring your D levels up, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't seem to make a difference immediately.

[mommaduck]

I think, though I may be wrong, that sores inside your mouth are actually cankar sores, which are not contagious and not caused by the same virus as cold sores. I'm not a doctor though! :)

It's part of my medical records. Dr has verified that they are cold sores caused by a type of herpes virus. It is contagious when there is a breakout. ;) Just good to know and to encourage your children not to drink after their friends. You really have no idea who has it and who doesn't.

[jplain]

I think, though I may be wrong, that sores inside your mouth are actually cankar sores, which are not contagious and not caused by the same virus as cold sores. I'm not a doctor though! :)

While it is true that canker sores always occur inside the mouth, you can have oral herpes sores in lots of places, including the inside of the mouth. I had a roommate who got cold sores on her tonsils. Now THOSE were miserable. She couldn't bear eating when she had them.

[snickelfritz]

The pediatrician's phones weren't working, so I took her to a close clinic. It worked out, since we got a doctor who gets cold sores.

 

He said her extremely chapped lips absolutely made it worse. He re-iterated, over, and over, and over (ok...he made me feel guilty) about keeping stuff on her lips to keep them from getting chapped.

 

He gave us a prescription for Denavir. He said that Abreva doesn't work for him.

 

GREAT PUTRID CHEESE PUFFS! (ok...been wanting to use that from our current read-aloud:D) It is a $120 prescription for 1.5 grams. In case you don't know....that's a tiny, tiny tube. We didn't have to pay all of that, because of insurance. But yowzers.

 

And, I bought about 10 tubes of different lip things. Some with Lysine, some with lemon balm, some with sunscreen, some with...who knows what. We're going to keep them everywhere and we told dd that we'll start making that part of after-tooth-brushing routine to keep her lips protected.

[MyLittleWonders]

I second the connection between l-arginine and l-lysine. If it is caused by herpes, then consuming foods high in l-arginine (chocolate for one) will cause more frequent outbreaks. Keeping l-lysine in the body regularly (through supplementation or nutrition - black beans, for one, are high in l-lysine) will help keep breakouts to a minimum.

 

I've had cold sores since I was a little kid. In the midst of an outbreak, lysine doesn't seem to do much to help or hinder. They seem to need to run their course (and yes, they are insanely painful). But, if I keep a balance of lysine in my system, I can keep outbreaks way down. Like others, stress and sun are sure to help bring on an outbreak.

 

Interestingly enough, I went dairy free this summer for unrelated issues and I'm wondering if dairy intolerance kept my immune system suppressed just enough to allow more frequent outbreaks because my lips have been fine since going DF. Just wanted to throw that one out there in case there may be a food intolerance suspected.

[snickelfritz]

If it is caused by herpes, then consuming foods high in l-arginine (chocolate for one) will cause more frequent outbreaks.

 

This is interesting. With Halloween, dd has definitely had more chocolate than usual.