Cold sore PLEASE HELP!!!-updated w/ new question

[cathie1327]

***update 6/23/09***
So I called the doctor yesterday and she prescribed me Zovirax, and told me to apply it every three hours.

Anyone had lots of luck with this??? Hoping it works!!!!
Thanks again for all the advice!


Hi all,

So I get cold sores pretty regularly. I hate the darn things! Usually, they'll pop up, and I'll use abreeva to get rid of them. While I know that they'll never go away, the abreeva seems to help them go away a bit faster.

However, I had one pop up this morning, and it is a hum-dinger. Wouldn't be that big of a deal...except...

I am in my best friend's wedding on Saturday!!! I am absolutely terrified to take pictures with this awful thing.

Does anyone have any tips to get this god awful thing to go away quicker????

Thanks!

 

[DawnCt1]

Call your doctor. Get a prescription for an oral antiviral. After 24 hours, apply hydrocortisone, 1% to the cold sore. That is your best bet. In the future, when you get that tingly sensation that one gets before it actually erupts, apply an ice cube to the site for at least 30 minutes. You will short circuit it.

 

[BigMama]

I get them all the time to. The only thing I know is abreeva, that works the fastest for me.

 

[JVL1018]

L-Lysine pills-they're in the vitamin section.
I have gotten cold sores all my life, tried CamphoPhenique, Zovirax(rx), Abreeva, Carmex...
L-Lysine blows everything else away.
If I feel that tingle, I start popping L Lysine and the cold sore never comes out-if I don't catch in quite in time, I still take the L Lysine and the cold sore never gets worse-I use Abreeva and then a ton of Carmex and it just goes away. I take a pill or two every few hours and it really truly works.
It's the best treatment I have found.

 

[Michelle67]

Edited because my reading skills stink this morning. Haha...

Other than keeping the Abreva on it and trying the L-Lysine, the only thing I can think of to help it heal faster would be something like Neosporin.

 

[java]

Valtrax is the one that works for me.

I take 2 pills as soon as I feel the tingling- then 12 hours later 2 more. _ No more cold sores for me.

Go get a presciption you'll feel better.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I have suffered for cold sores since I was a kid. The ONLY thing that works is VALTREX. It has to be prescribed by your doctor. It is a large pill which I cannot swallow, so I crush it.

I PROMISE YOU......this drug actually works.

Unfortunately, I have tried everything the other posters mentioned, and they didn't work at all.

This is truly a miracle drug. It will go away within 24 hours.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I second abreeva, and start using it as soon as you feel that first little tingle.

 

[chyam]

L-Lysine pills-they're in the vitamin section.
I have gotten cold sores all my life, tried CamphoPhenique, Zovirax(rx), Abreeva, Carmex...
L-Lysine blows everything else away.
If I feel that tingle, I start popping L Lysine and the cold sore never comes out-if I don't catch in quite in time, I still take the L Lysine and the cold sore never gets worse-I use Abreeva and then a ton of Carmex and it just goes away. I take a pill or two every few hours and it really truly works.
It's the best treatment I have found.

People I know that get them regularly take the Lysine on a daily basis, and it curbs the outbreaks greatly!

 

[momrek06]

L-Lysine pills-they're in the vitamin section.

ABSOLUTELY

My DS takes this vitamin for canka sores and it works wonderful. He takes one a day...500mg and IF he feels a sore coming on he UP's his dose to 2 a day. He says this vitamin is amazing.

Call your MD like Dawn said and see if you can get something for THIS weekend and then start on the L-Lysine.

 

[suejai]

L-Lysine pills-they're in the vitamin section.
I have gotten cold sores all my life, tried CamphoPhenique, Zovirax(rx), Abreeva, Carmex...
L-Lysine blows everything else away.
If I feel that tingle, I start popping L Lysine and the cold sore never comes out-if I don't catch in quite in time, I still take the L Lysine and the cold sore never gets worse-I use Abreeva and then a ton of Carmex and it just goes away. I take a pill or two every few hours and it really truly works.
It's the best treatment I have found.

DS suffers from cold sores and we started giving him the L-Lysine. It works very well, we also use the topical lysine in conjunction. Our dentist said that if you can get into him when it first starts tingling he treats it with a laser and it will close down that pathway. We managed that once and DS hasn't had one in that spot since.

 

[Dalton5]

I have suffered for cold sores since I was a kid. The ONLY thing that works is VALTREX. It has to be prescribed by your doctor. It is a large pill which I cannot swallow, so I crush it.

I PROMISE YOU......this drug actually works.

Unfortunately, I have tried everything the other posters mentioned, and they didn't work at all.

This is truly a miracle drug. It will go away within 24 hours.

I could have written this post... I love the Valtrex. I just got another script from my Dr. It works great!! I have also been known to bombard the cold sore with Abreeva and Camphophenic (the kind for scab relief)

a little aside: when I got my first prescription for it, I was embarrassed to take it to the pharmacy..The commerical on TV talks about it being for the other type of Herpes. I was actually happy that I had a big old cold sore on my lip to show otherwise

 

[esbrick]

In our house we swear by Valtrex AND RELEEVE! RELEEVE is wonderful. It is expensive but IMHO think that it works better then Abreva. Definately try it if you can get it. It's about $20 but soooo worth it.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

I have suffered for cold sores since I was a kid. The ONLY thing that works is VALTREX. It has to be prescribed by your doctor. It is a large pill which I cannot swallow, so I crush it.

I PROMISE YOU......this drug actually works.

Unfortunately, I have tried everything the other posters mentioned, and they didn't work at all.

This is truly a miracle drug. It will go away within 24 hours.

This is what I take. Once I feel that tingle, I'll take one. Twelve hours later I'll talk another.

I'm goint to look into Lysine though. I hate cold sores with a passion!

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

I could have written this post... I love the Valtrex. I just got another script from my Dr. It works great!! I have also been known to bombard the cold sore with Abreeva and Camphophenic (the kind for scab relief)

a little aside: when I got my first prescription for it, I was embarrassed to take it to the pharmacy..The commerical on TV talks about it being for the other type of Herpes. I was actually happy that I had a big old cold sore on my lip to show otherwise

I know exactly what you mean. I'm embarrassed to even have cold sores at all! Remember when Jay Leno made jokes about skanky, loose people he would always show them with cold sores. Uhm excuse me but I've had cold sores since I was seven and I don't appreciate associating people with cold sores as having STDS.

 

[trip]

I'm another believer in the "apply ice at first sign of tingling". Remember no kissing! You don't want to spread the virus!!!

 

[KitKat_Tink]

I get cold sores all the time and my doctor decided its becasue I have to much yeast in my system or something. I put mupirocin ointment right where the cold sore is and it stops them from getting any bigger.

 

[cathie1327]

Wow!!! I am so grateful for all of the responses!!!!!

I am going to call the doctor and see what he can get me for this weekend, and then try the Lysine (sp?) because it seems that so many really really like it, and if that doesn't work as well, I'll try Valtrex.

Thank you so much everyone for all of your advice!

 

[kacaju]

valtrex!! I love the stuff!!

 

[krcit]

Another Valtrex user. I also used to use a cream perscription of Zovirex I think it's called. Take Valtrex asap!!! good luck