Comments on: How to Avoid Getting Cold Sores

on 2/6/2006 I've had to deal with this my whole life, I've tried everything. It wasn't until Valtrex came out that anything ever worked. I take one a day, and went from having an outbreak every month to never.

on 2/6/2006 Abreva has never worked for me, but the prescription Denivir works perfectly. I've gotten rid of a cold sore in less than 24 hours, if I start using it right away.

You can also take one Lysine pill daily as a preventative. It's drastically reduced the frequency of my cold sores.

on 2/6/2006 Buy a bottle of Vitamin E in capsule form. Break them apart and apply it to your lips. For girls it looks like lip gloss! It soothes and prevents the cold sore from spreading!

on 2/6/2006 At the first feeling of getting a sore (itching, tingling, stinging) start taking Valtrex. Moderate outbreak to just a couple of days instead of a whole week.

on 2/6/2006 Go to your doctor and tell him you're tired of cold sores. I was prescribed Valtrex for cutting the sore off at the pass. So if I feel like one might be coming (you know, that slight tingling) I take a Valtrex for a day or 3 until I'm sure it's not going to show up. If one does manage to make it through and create a sore, I have Zoverax ointment to put on it. This reduces swelling and will make the sore smaller and less icky.

I've tried all the home remedy tricks, and none of them worked half as well as the actual medication did.

on 2/6/2006 It sound like there is a slight discrepancy in what a cold sore actually is. Most of the additional tips sound more like a treatment for canker sores than cold sores.

A canker sore is a shallow, painful sore in your mouth, usually red or may have a white coating over them. You can get them inside your lips, sides of cheeks, base of your gums or under your tongue. Canker sores are not contagious.

on 2/6/2006 I hate the idea of getting a cold sore so much that I pro actively apply Abreva every night and every morning. Works like a charm. I don't care what the cost. It's money well spent!

on 2/6/2006 When you suspect a cold sore is about to occur, take 500 mg of Lysine (found in any store where supplements are sold) twice a day. This treatment reduces the length of time of the outbreak considerably.

on 2/6/2006 I have found this to be very effective: 2 L-Lysine supplement and 1 or 2 Aleve at least once a day. If you take these right when you feel the cold sore starting, you can usually avoid getting one, or at least minimize how long you have one and how bad it gets.

on 2/6/2006 Foods that are heavy with a-lysine can be triggers and certainly aggravate an outbreak. Citric acid usually aggravates -- citrus fruits especially for most folks, but everyone is different. Tomatoes are another a-lysine food that can aggravate. Also avoid coffee and chocolate and get lots of sleep. I find that avoiding these foods and using Abreva helps reduce the duration. In addition to lysine, bioflavinoids (often found in vitamin C supplements) help.

on 2/6/2006 When you feel the first tingle of a cold sore, hold an ice cube on it till you can stand it no more.

Immediately take Aclovyr (prescription from your doctor). Take it every 3 hours. It will nip a cold sore in the bud.

on 2/6/2006 Some toothpaste brands, like Crest and Colgate, contain an ingredient called Sodium Laurel Sulphate. I have read that this often triggers the outbreak of cold sores. Once I changed my toothpaste, I noticed a dramatic decline in outbreaks. I recommend Rembrandt Canker Sore Toothpaste. Although it doesn't stop it completely, it definitely reduces it.

on 2/6/2006 I have been getting fever blisters since I was 3, and I have tried everything! Prescription and over the counter. I have found that the little yellow tubes of Campho-Phenique are pure gold. They get rid of that itchy, tingly feeling, and dry those suckers up faster than anything else I have found. Also, keeping the lip area moist and covered helps. I use Burt's Bees constantly.

on 2/6/2006 This pill-form amino acid (produced by the body) can substantially limit the size, duration, occurrence, severity of a cold sore breakout. At onset I will take 4 times the daily allowance twice or three times a day (this could be overkill) and cold sores never fully develop, or break open as is common. Be careful to get a high quality pill. Pills with too much cellulose can cause intestinal upset. It also fights warts, believe it or not.

on 2/6/2006 When I got a huge (5 cluster) cold sore on the lower lip 5 days before we left for a vacation in Mexico, my esthetician suggested tea tree oil (applied as often as necessary with a Q-tip), until the cold sore starts to dry out; then use tea tree cream to soften the skin until it all but disappears. I also use a tea tree lip defense lip balm whenever I have a tingly feeling or dryness to my lips. On another note, I just got over a severe case of Shingles, and my doctor had me apply tea tree oil (again with a Q-tip) to the blisters to dry them up and stop the severe burning. I would be lost without my Tea Tree products now.