cold sores

Zovirax cream www.boots.com/en/Zovirax-Cold-Sore-Cream-2g-Tube_15644/
But you have to put it on when you feel the cold sore developing, so might be better to get some in and keep handy for the next time.

I get them when I am very tired, or if I get any slight damage to my lip, always in the same place.They began when a dentist pinched a bit of lip in a clamp he was putting round a molar to hold it while it was filled. I believe the virus stays dormant in the skin until it is disturbed again.

When I feel one coming on (one side of lip starting to feel puffy and very sensitive) I dab it several times a day with witch hazel on a bit of cottonwool. That seems to slow down the swelling and dry the incipient blister. If it is broken and weepy, the witch hazel dries it too. Don't use lip balm on that area until the cold sore has healed, or the skin will stay soft and easily infected.

I am sorry for those of you who have this problem as the pesky things keep coming back.

Thanks for the replies so far. Off to the pharmacy tomorrow, if they're open (Pentecost here tomorrow.) Or order online from Boots.
I was very tired too, and too much in the sun.

Many sympathies! Blistex does it for me. There's a new version which you are supposed to use from the first symptom, then there is the old kind which is what I've used in the past.

I actually carry a tube of acicolvir in my handbag al the time so I can put it on straight away. After a couple of days I sometimes put on Colsor lotion as well, which stings like hell but is very effective. Doesn't toothpaste helpas well if you don't have Zovirax handy [or is that for spots?]. And why do cold sore always erupt when there's some sort of special event on the horizon where you don't want to turn up looking like The Elephant Man ?

Tooth paste containing triclosan for spots Tegan

Elegran cold sores are caused by a reactivation in your body of the herpes simplex virus. The stress of going to the dentist, plus trauma to your lip, might have caused the reactivation, but not the primary infection

Boots have an own brand acyclovir cream too, which is cheaper than Zovirax, and although I usually buy OTC medicines from our local chemist, i find that Boots' own acyclovir works better than any other kind. This may be psychological, but at least it's been consistent over many years!

I find that the posters announcing the next visit of the blood donors' van is one of the things that brings on the dreaded itch. Now that is definitely psychological

Suffering from one now!! Zovirax or Boots own, any one with acyclovir. Definitely stress-related. Have been expecting one over the last week or so and it has duly appeared. The most important thing in my opinion is to contain the virus. My 3 DC'S grew up free of it and I'm now protecting the DGC'S by keeping my cups and cutlery away from them, washing everything on the intensive programme on the dishwasher and explaining that they mustn't use my towels in the bathroom. Currently they're using white and I'm using purple!
You'll never be rid of the damn thing but you can avoid passing it on!!

Apparently sunshine can be another trigger.

DH has been a life long sufferer and only Zovirax works, the cold virus and sunlight are triggers for him. Thankfully, neither DC or I have ever been infected and we are very careful with GC too.

If you hold an ice cube on the affected area AS SOON s it starts to tingle you stop the virus proliferating in its tracks as it tracks down the nerve from the nerve root where it lies dormant until stimulated- keep holding it for as long you can bear it and keep doing it until the tingllng stops.

I've been using Herstat Cold Sore Treatment, it's been really good so far.

You can't buy it in the shops just yet but can get it from their website - www.herstat.com

I hope this helps

MorisMajor

I had three of these in my nose following having swine flu. They spread to my cheek and needed pills to get rid of them. Very painful and looked horrid. Never had on my lips and Never wish to have them again.

I get very strange blood blisters inside my mouth sometimes; when they start it fels just like the start of a cold sore..like a very sharp pinprick. Could that be caused by the same virus? Had blood tests done the first time it happened cause it was quite scary but nothing showed up.

Cold sores seem to be very common, and thanks for all the ideas. I got some cream from the pharmacy called Erazaban which contains docosanol but I should have started to use it earlier.

Docosanol is alcohol and may dry up the sore but it is not proven to stop the virus in the way Aciclovir does.

I've tried a few of the other home remedies - toothpaste, ice cubes, tea bags etc... none of them worked for me.

I found an ice cube at first tickle helped but "cured" (she says with crossed fingers) by homeopathic remedy Rhus Tox - no reappearance for quite a few years anyway. Could, of course, just be old age!

Dabbing aftershave on the pesky things works better than Zovirax for mine. I get them very rarely, thank goodness, perhaps one every five or six years. Oddly enough never when I'm particularly stressed and would expect to get one.

The stuff I use (Herstat) has Propolis in it.

Which is apparently an antimicrobial so helps to fight any infections that might be taking place within the cold sore.

My granddaughter also told me that Hippocrates (Ancient Grecian Physician) wrote about the properties of Propolis during his time, she learnt about him in her History classes

Interesting stuff :D

I don't doubt the antimicrobial properties of Propolis but cold sores are caused by the herpes virus and need to be arrested before the sore appears. Repeated treatment with an anti-viral reduces the severity of the reactivation. DH had frequent sores and it made life miserable but since Aciclovir was put on the market he has not had one which reached the blister stage.

I went to the doctor's this morning and he's given me Aciclovir, so hope it works, but maybe too late.
The blister is still horrible.

Have to treat at the first sign of a tingle Tricia. DH has suffered for 65 years but now they are manageable.