I have a cold sore coming, what should I do?

March 28, 2004 6:00 AM

Cold sore coming. What do I do!?
posted by oissubke to Health & Fitness (14 answers total)

Try L-lysine, which I use for cankersores (different classification, same aggravation).
posted by werty at 6:32 AM on March 28, 2004

Ice it down.
posted by stonerose at 6:42 AM on March 28, 2004

Ah, go see a doctor and get something prescribed? Sorry, suffered from coldsores all my life, l-lysine is only good as a preventative measure, not a cure, and iceblocks really never seem to do anything. Same goes for most over the counter remedies. If you don't want a ugly ass sore on your lip for the next week you need to get something onto it now. If you are anti the whole drug thing you are just going to have to suffer through it.
posted by arha at 7:02 AM on March 28, 2004

I have found that any of the multitude of products that contain bacitracin work absolute wonders, in addition to taking zinc.
posted by jazzkat11 at 7:03 AM on March 28, 2004

Valtrex. Get it.
posted by lotsofno at 7:14 AM on March 28, 2004

"Cold Sores", I'm sure you know, are caused by a variety of the Herpes Virus. Acyclovir/Vacyclovir (Zovarix, the Valtrex lotsofno mentions) are, I think, the only treatment that actually has some effect.

this webmd page has a pretty good summary, apparently some studies have shown zinc oxide helps shorten it.
posted by malphigian at 7:44 AM on March 28, 2004

Abreva works well & is OTC, so no waiting to see a doc, then have the Rx filled. And the earlier applied, the better. L-lysine helps but only if taken every day, like a vitamin.
posted by yoga at 7:52 AM on March 28, 2004

Response by poster: Some additional details, if they help: I usually only get these once a year or so. I've heard that sunlight can aggravate them, and I was doing a lot of yardwork yesterday, so that may have triggered it. I'm also sick right now (cold? allergies? not sure yet). It's still in the very, very early stages (I've had them enough that I can spot it coming). I'm not concerned about pain and itching as I am with clients staring at it like they did last time I had one. :-)
posted by oissubke at 8:01 AM on March 28, 2004

Response by poster: Forgot to mention: I have some leftover Novitra (zincum oxydatum). Is that good for anything? Didn't seem to help last time -- if anything, it seemed to make it worse.
posted by oissubke at 8:04 AM on March 28, 2004

google for monolaurin

made from coconuts, its available and cheap in supplement form in any vitamin store and its the up and coming anti viral anti bacterial.

Not an anti biotic but the research is looking quite good.
posted by BentPenguin at 11:15 AM on March 28, 2004

blisteze - always works for me....very old school as well
posted by mattr at 12:32 PM on March 28, 2004

I have fish oil capsules (vitamin A) that I poke a hole in and squirt the liquid inside onto cold sores. That always seems to work for me.
posted by Lynsey at 11:03 PM on March 28, 2004

Acyclovir is totally the way to go--although it can make for an awkward moment at the pharmacy, as the pharmacy tech prepares to explain the use of the product, realizes that it's herpes medication that he's just given you, and then (in my experience, anyway), declines to do so. Great for a laugh with the kids.
posted by vraxoin at 6:20 AM on March 29, 2004

Here's another endorsement for Abreva. Around ten bucks and over the counter, it works very well. I applied it a couple of days after I first noticed the start of the cold sore, and I never experienced the hideous... bubbling, just four or five days of a slightly swollen and discolored area. I, of course, much preferred the later reaction over the former.
posted by lychee at 12:55 PM on March 29, 2004