Cold Sore remedies?

Does anyone have any remedies to get rid of a cold sore faster? I started not feeling right a couple of days ago. By yesterday morning I saw the little bumps and knew it was a cold sore right away.
I bought some over the counter orajel cold sore pen and my mom had a prescription cream that I've been using- but they don't seem to be helping.
My bottom lip looks as though someone hit me in the lip w/ a baseball. My nodes under my chin hurt on that side also. Help! TIA!

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

Try going to a health food store and buying a product, an amino acid, called l-lysine or l-carnitine. you can get it in a lotion or a lip balm. I suggest the lotion because the lip balm might get contaminated.

something like this

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

Go for the expensive stuff...Abreva or Releev. They are like $20 for a tiny tube but they work in a matter of days.
DH never has a cold sore for more than three days now.

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Message edited 3/20/2010 10:24:49 AM.

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

Abreva is my drug of choice. I put it on from the first tingle and can usually avoid getting it if I am fast enough. Otherwise, if lessens the severity of it and definitely makes it go away faster.

I keep a tube of Abreva in my desk at work, one in my pocketbook and one at home. I am never too far from it.

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

Thanks everyone.
I'm going to send DH out to get some b/c I look like a monster. We were supposed to go to my ILs after church today and I skipped going on both b/c I don't feel well and I don't want anyone seeing me.
DH went to church, came home, took 1 look at me and called his parents and said WE aren't coming. I guess he thought I shouldn't be left alone.
My mom stopped by and said it looks like a cold sore with a hive. My nodes in my neck hurt and she said if it gets any worse that I should go to the ER- or if I have any problems breathing.
I took 2 benadryl which made me really tired but I did notice the inside of my lip isn't quite as swollen. Now I'm wondering if it's an allergic reaction on top of the cold sore.

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

Abreva is the only thing over the counter that works for me.

Someone mentioned L-Lysine. I try to take that daily to prevent cold sores. At one point, it worked for a whole year after I had gotten very frequent cold sores. Now I think that only reason it does not always work is because I get forgetful. I don't find that Lysine does anything once a sore is there and I don't think that the topical creams that contain Lysine work. That's how it is with me, anyway.

Last but not least, ask your doctor for a prescription for Valtrex, to be taken at the first sign of a cold sore. Have it on hand, because you really have to take it right away when you have that feeling of getting a cold sore.

Take care of yourself when you have a cold sore. It shows that your immunity is down. I usually get the swollen glands and severe fatigue when I have one. My doctor tells me to remember that I am lucky that I only have the above the waist form of herpes. Oh ya, let's celebrate a big lip/nose sore (I get them between the lip and nose)!

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

Abreva is great... it's expensive, but really works. Costco sells it much cheaper than places like CVS.

Re: Cold Sore remedies?

LOVE Abreva - but there is something you can get from your doc that is even BETTER!!!!

I can't for the life of me remember the name, but if you call your doc and ask him to call you in a script for a cold sore - i think it's one of the only things....

it works like a CHARM!!!