cold sores
 

AHHHHHH! How do you get rid of them! I googled and got a lot of useless info, but no treatments. AAAHHHGGGG!

take the amino acid Vicadin(sp), it also comes in a cream.

theres a cream called zovirax. not sure if you get it where you live, but for me it reduces the time i have them by half. i even carry a tube on me all the time and has prevented me getting one on many occasions. as soon as you feel a tingle i put some on... works for me! :)

got the link for ya:
http://www.gsk.com/products/zovirax_uk.htm

thanks perth I'll have to get a tube of that..... I always dreed that tingle :(

Zovirax is prescription in the US. If you are in the US, try Abreva, which is not. Use it in the same manner, if you don't start applying it as soon as you feel that tingle, it won't be as effective.

I too get them. I HATE them. I can never get the Abreva on fast enough. I haven't noticed any increased healing time with the Abreva.

Zovirax is prescription in Canada as well, but it definitely works.

ok I consider myself an expert on this subject. I have had coldsores all my life, usually I will get 1 during times of stress, such as the start of a school year.

You will never 'get rid' of them - they are the result of the Herpes Simplex virus that you received from your mommy while in the womb. Consider it your very first birthday gift ;)

you CAN treat them symptomatically though, and I believe I have found the perfect way to do so!!!!

You need 3 things: isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), lipactin (or some other product that forms a film-like seal over the sore), and polysporin (or any antibiotic ointment).

As soon as you feel the tingling sensation and you think you might be getting a cold sore, grab that bottle of rubbing alcohol. cover the opening with a finger, turn bottle over, and dab the finger over the spot. DO NOT RUB, just dab it in one spot. Let it dry for 10 seconds or so, then apply more alcohol. Do this like 5-10 times. Then, put the lipactin on. Let it stay for an hour or so. try not to smile or the seal will break and the stuff will peel off. ;)

After an hour, go to a mirror and peel the lipactin off, and do the rubbing alcohol thing again. Put more lipactin on. Keep repeating until the cold sore is 'dead'... that means no more 'bubbles' and no more tingling. At this point, put polysporin over the sore. Looks silly, so good to do this over night. If you roll in your sleep alot, cover the polysporin with a bandaid so it doesn't rub off.

Here is the timeline I have my coldsore removal down to:

first day, afternoon maybe: Noticing tingling sensation, start doing rubbing alcohol and lipactin.

next day, morning: sore may be 'dead' already so start with polysporin to speed healing, otherwise, keep at it with rubbing alcohol.

nighttime: cold sore is definately and always dead by this time, sleep with a big wad of polysporin over it.

Next morning: sore is barely noticable... keep doing polysporin inconspicuously until it's completely healed.

NOte: if you do the polysporin while sore is still 'alive', it will spread through the area the ointment is covering. This is bad.

I have this down to a science now. Whereas once I had to walk around with those big ugly sores for several days (was hell as a kid in grade school), now I have them barely noticeable in the first place, from the alcohol stopping growth, and then healing very very fast from the polysporin.

Hope this helps ;)

That is realy interesting seizei I will have to try that. Maybe you could help me with a question I have as well.

My girlfriend does not get them and i don't want to give them to her but still its a fucker not being able to kiss until its gone. Are they contagious from the minute you get the tingle until all evidence of them has gone or just when the blister kinda bursts?

Nobody ive asked so far seems to know the answer to that.

They are contagious from just BEFORE the tingling starts until a scab forms.

More bad news- asymptomatic viral shedding can also occur- some people can shed the virus without having a cold sore:(

these scabs are a bitch...fuking disgusting

I too had problems with cold sores. The virus is stimulated by stress. Chemical stress, physical stress and mental stress. See a Chiropractor regularly (once a month) and get your nerve system on your side instead of against you. You will rest better and greatly reduce the chance of a flair up. A good daily vitamin and plenty of pure water will go a long way too. Drugs treat symptoms, quit fooling around and go straight to the cause.

Zovirax works great for me. Anytime I have a big race or if I am traveling I always start taking them once or twice a day for prevention. However, this drug does not work for everyone and works best if you start it very very early when the tingling just starts.

The key (as stated to me by my doctor) is to make the environment inhospitable for the virus. You can do that from the outside (as outlined by Seizei) or from the inside with Zovirax. The Zovirax has little to no side effects so I prefer that. I will try out Seizei's ideas if I end up getting a full break out again. I haven't in a good long time though.

Bonbon, sorry, but daily vitamins and chiropractic will only go so far in fighting a virus. That may work for you for now, but i garuntee it won't work forever and it certainly won't work for everyone.

Try all the tactics discussed here and find what works best for you, what works best against the specific strain of the virus you have.

a scab just came off and it's still sort of red underneath. what happens now