Cold sore question
June 17, 2015 12:47 AM Subscribe
So three years ago this summer someone didn't clean a glass properly at his house and gave me cold sores. Since, I've had a bump on my lip that grows and shrinks with the standard cold sore stressors (sun, stress, chocolate, etc.) It almost never blisters. So it's not really noticeable. It's always at least sensitive, and I can see where the spot is if I look closely. The skin never quite returns to its normal color, though it does flatten.
Is this normal to have such long-lasting symptoms? Can I ever look forward to having a normal lip again? Will it always at least be sensitive? Will I always have to put sunscreen on that spot? Is there anything I can do for it to make it as it was? The only thing I've found that helps is oral antivirals, though I've only used those in a short-term fashion when it burns and hurts. Maybe longer term?
Thanks!
Is this normal to have such long-lasting symptoms? Can I ever look forward to having a normal lip again? Will it always at least be sensitive? Will I always have to put sunscreen on that spot? Is there anything I can do for it to make it as it was? The only thing I've found that helps is oral antivirals, though I've only used those in a short-term fashion when it burns and hurts. Maybe longer term?
Thanks!
Best answer: How often are you getting actual blisters? Is it always in the same spot on your lips?
I've been getting cold sores since I was a young teenager and they certainly go through phases of recurrence: there have been times in my life where I got a cold sore every month or so, and times in my life when I went a year or more without one.
If your skin doesn't have enough time to heal between "episodes" then yes, it will be red and sensitive all the time. I got a cold sore last week and, while the blisters dried out in two days, the skin where they were is still very red and a little tender.
You mention antivirals (OMG GODSEND BEST THING EVER OMG). I assume they were prescribed by a doctor (mine are). Go in and have them give you a work up, having so many attacks that your skin doesn't even have time to heal would be a red flag for me that something else is up, maybe hormonal, maybe immune related, maybe allergies or some other unknown triggers. I have found that cold sores are reactive, they usually manifest as a symptom of something else (stress, illness, period, etc).
Left field advice, btw, is try taking Vit D supplements. They are the only thing that drastically reduced the incidence of cold sores for me and I have tried many many many things.
posted by lydhre at 5:58 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been getting cold sores since I was a young teenager and they certainly go through phases of recurrence: there have been times in my life where I got a cold sore every month or so, and times in my life when I went a year or more without one.
If your skin doesn't have enough time to heal between "episodes" then yes, it will be red and sensitive all the time. I got a cold sore last week and, while the blisters dried out in two days, the skin where they were is still very red and a little tender.
You mention antivirals (OMG GODSEND BEST THING EVER OMG). I assume they were prescribed by a doctor (mine are). Go in and have them give you a work up, having so many attacks that your skin doesn't even have time to heal would be a red flag for me that something else is up, maybe hormonal, maybe immune related, maybe allergies or some other unknown triggers. I have found that cold sores are reactive, they usually manifest as a symptom of something else (stress, illness, period, etc).
Left field advice, btw, is try taking Vit D supplements. They are the only thing that drastically reduced the incidence of cold sores for me and I have tried many many many things.
posted by lydhre at 5:58 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
YMMV, but I have found honey, topically applied, to work magic on cold sores. Gone in a day. I know this isn’t directly answering your question but I feel the need to proselytize.
posted by metasarah at 7:04 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by metasarah at 7:04 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Viroxyn/Bactine/any 0.13% benzalkonium chloride solution is very effective at reducing the length of outbreaks, especially if you can start applying it as soon as you notice a cold sore coming on. I have a cold sore that tends to show up when I'm stressed, if I catch it early and go to town with the Bactine it usually recedes in a day or two. (I see some reviews that suggest adding a bit of isopropyl alcohol to the Bactine but I've always used it straight and it works just fine.) If it gets to the open sore stage though, then yes it will scab and maybe scar a little and take a lot longer to heal, like any other wound.
(Hah! I just noticed they only sell a "professional" strength Viroxyn to doctors now, probably because everyone realized a giant bottle of Bactine was the same active ingredient at 1/100th of the price.)
posted by yeahlikethat at 9:07 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
(Hah! I just noticed they only sell a "professional" strength Viroxyn to doctors now, probably because everyone realized a giant bottle of Bactine was the same active ingredient at 1/100th of the price.)
posted by yeahlikethat at 9:07 AM on June 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I got actual blisters for years and years. These days I mostly only get a sore/itchy spot. And it is always the same spot on my lip for some reason. It gets a little red sometimes but it is often sensitive.
Have you tried lysine? It is a lifesaver! It shortens the lifespan and most of the time seems to prevent them completely for me. I got a big bottle of 500 mg capsules from the health food store. If I notice my lips are chapped, I take one a day for a few days and I mostly never get them any more. If I do start to feel some itchiness, I one twice a day and it goes away. Seriously this stuff will change your life.
So maybe give lysine a try for a couple of weeks. If that doesn't clear it up, it might not hurt to see a dermatologist just to be on the safe side to rule stuff out. Good luck!
posted by Beti at 9:37 AM on June 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Have you tried lysine? It is a lifesaver! It shortens the lifespan and most of the time seems to prevent them completely for me. I got a big bottle of 500 mg capsules from the health food store. If I notice my lips are chapped, I take one a day for a few days and I mostly never get them any more. If I do start to feel some itchiness, I one twice a day and it goes away. Seriously this stuff will change your life.
So maybe give lysine a try for a couple of weeks. If that doesn't clear it up, it might not hurt to see a dermatologist just to be on the safe side to rule stuff out. Good luck!
posted by Beti at 9:37 AM on June 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
Seconding lysine (I get 500 mg tablets at Target) and adding: for recurring cold sores, I poke a hole in a Vitamin A gelcap and dribble the oil (which I believe to be some kind of fish oil) onto the sore. It works!
posted by Lynsey at 9:58 AM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Lynsey at 9:58 AM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Thirding lysine.
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:59 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:59 PM on June 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
More lysine.
posted by Coaticass at 3:38 AM on June 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Coaticass at 3:38 AM on June 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah. Lysine.
posted by imanastasia at 4:20 PM on June 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by imanastasia at 4:20 PM on June 18, 2015 [2 favorites]
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