Cold sores

[PAULINE15]

I have retired at last but in so much pain all the time and cold sore after cold sores, after losing my husband five years ago I have a partner who treats me very well but I’m feeling like a pain in the neck to him, last year I had ulcers on my leg that took 5 months to heal he would change my dressings , then the other leg has been very painful I’ve had scan X-ray and still don’t know what it is, then I got vertigo, through it all I have cold sores one after another I would just like to be able to go for a walk and not have a scabby face xxx

[Greenpeace]

Hi PAULINE15 , I can fully sympathise with you. I too suffer from regular cold sores. Not only are they ugly, but very painful too. Mine started a long time ago, and every time my body is under stress due to illness or worry, I break out.

Cold sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus, a very common virus. Once it is in your system it lies dormant, and whenever your body is under stress it becomes active.

As for treatments. Since I’ve had cold sores since I was 16, I’ve just about tried everything that has been available. At best, all you can do is to try and tackle them as soon as you first feel that burning tingle, and that shortens the life of the cold sore.

Speak to your Pharmacist as they seem to know more than the Drs, and the Drs now generally won’t prescribe anything and refer you to the Pharmacist.

There are various Anti-Viral ointments on the market, and they relieve the symptoms, and if used at tingling stage, shorten the life of the cold sore.

I often resort to my own treatment of using a cotton bud dipped in Surgical Spirit, and applying it to the sore at the first tingle. It stings like mad, but it prevents the sore getting worse. I stress that this is my own way of dealing with them which I found out by trial & error.

I hope this helps.

GP. 😊😊

[PAULINE15 in reply to Greenpeace]

Thanks yes I’ve had them from a very young age I’m going to the chemist on Tuesday I’ll ask while there xx

[Hidden in reply to PAULINE15]

I take Valcyclovir to prevent mouth sores, it works if they are herpes simplex. Stress definately makes it worse.

[LoneEra]

Poor you, Pauline. I don’t have them myself but a good friend does and she finds it very stressful. Recently she discovered a great new balm which can be used every day to help prevent them cropping up. It also treats any existing ones. I’ll send you a link. It’s only £5 so worth a try!

[Icklejoke in reply to LoneEra]

Hi Lonerra sorry to jump on this older post I’m new diagnosed bout to start treatment tomorrow (Friday) but I suffer from cold sores all the time and I really worried about starting treatment and getting them more and more, I was wondering if by any chance you remember what the balm was

[PAULINE15 in reply to Icklejoke]

Hi I’ve been back and forth to doctors and everything I tried before they were completely gone I’d have another lot come out, one doctor said if I had them more than six episodes a year they would refer me to the hospital to be on long term Aciclovir I said I’ve had three in three months so could I be referred, had a phone conversation with another doctor and she said I did not need to be referred just some blood tests first to rule out other things which were all ok, I’m now on three month trial of taking Aciclovir twice a day and I’ve not had any episodes since, xx

[Makie-Uppie]

Could be your just prone to them, could be your immune system is under pressure. I do most of what the other people on here have suggested but I also force myself to eat a vitamin rich diet and this seems to help. I always have things like small oranges, bananas, grapes and other fruits lying about and sort of graze them at meal times.I also found out by accident that watermelon, I eat quite a bit of watermelon, a very messy eat, seems to have a pretty good effect on them too. The juice gets all over and into the sore and it just seems to die.

Not big feeds of stuff and no pills just little bits of healthy food.

P.S. were did you get your partner I want one.

[PAULINE15 in reply to Makie-Uppie]

Thank you x

[Greenpeace in reply to Makie-Uppie]

I eat in excess of 5 a day fruit & Veg, take extra Vits if deficient, Vit D always, Vitamins helps keep you healthy, but if Herpes Simplex is in your system, it’s a Virus, and when your stressed or out of sorts, it rears its ugly head, usually at a very inconvenient time, Very painful, and not very attractive, especially for a woman.

Here is what the NHS says about Cold Sores nhs.uk/conditions/cold-sores/. I forgot to mention they are also very infectious.

GP. 😊😊

[Makie-Uppie in reply to Greenpeace]

Did a course on viruses, I refuse to go anywhere near them ever again. I am quite content to think that HS1 is a new train track.

[PAULINE15 in reply to Greenpeace]

Yes very infectious waiting to give my partner a kiss😜

[Onedaymore1]

I’m sorry to hear your feeling fed up with the recurring Cold Sores, they are painful & I get them on my Nose & Mouth. I have noticed over the years people speak to your cold sore when you have one. And so many work meetings where it’s cracked & just started bleeding 🙄😩. I use cold sore cream at the first tingle & for a few days after. Sometimes it stops them erupting altogether. They sometimes win & arrive during the night! Anyway, I’m a chronic Fibromyalgia sufferer & have noticed a correlation between FMS flare ups and cold sores. I had a general set of blood tests during one of my first and worst FMS years ago. It wasn’t until a year or so later I noticed a little throw away comment on the report saying EBV noted ‘Epstein Barr Virus) I’d no clue what it was do it was missed. My GP /Rheumatologist just said it wasn’t connected to FMS. I still personally think there could be a connection. I suspect some people can get LONG EBV similar to those now experiencing Long Covid. And why not both are viruses. Here’s what an Internet search explain’d what EBV is ‘Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also known as human herpesvirus 4, is a member of the herpes virus family. It is one of the ... EBV can cause infectious mononucleosis, also called mono, and other illnesses’. Might be worth asking your GP if there could be a connection? 👍

[Hidden]

Hi Pauline, I too suffer with cold sores, always in the same are. I found some drops of tea tree oil in a carrier oil very good for shortening the life of them and you can use it all over your lips, it stops them the cold sores from drying out and cracking. I hope you find some relief soon🙂

[Simplysusieb]

I have prescription medicine Valtrex for cold sores. As soon as I feel tingle i take 2 large doses 12 hours apart and ypu don’t get a sore at all. If you don’t catch it quick enough and you have bubble it hardens the bubble and you don’t scab makes the cold sore go in a day. It is life changing!

[bestbuddy]

I take L Lyseine as recommended by many people on HU. They really do work and if you take them regularly, it prevents them recurring. You can do your own research and they are really easy to buy on Amazon.

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer in reply to bestbuddy]

Ditto on the effectiness of L lysine. It also helps to take a high dose as soon as symptoms start to minimize it's growth.

[PAULINE15 in reply to bestbuddy]

Thank you for that, I did contact my doctor and he prescribed aciclovir and when I put that in Amazon search L Lyseine came up, mine are healing really quickly, I can’t believe after having them most of my life I could buy tablets that heal them quickly and I can have them ready as soon as I feel them coming on or take them to prevent them for special occasions xx

[ellj]

I have had worsening cold sores since a small child. I am now a pensioner.

I found that Acyclovir is the only thing that works for me now. I went through a private online doctor and was prescribed a year of these tablets. The cream works if I am fast enough but I also get them in my nasal passages and on up to my sinus cavities. Cream just can't be applied so after a year of suppression treatment about £42 every three months I now have to take a new short sharp course of oral Acyclovir every few weeks.

I have lots of medical issues but firmly believe that the herpes virus is going to continue to flare up time and time again. Least bit tired stressed unwell and off it goes.

Your GP may be willing to try you on a suppression course, mine wasn't.

Good luck.

Ellie

[PAULINE15]

Hi I contacted my doctors and he gave me Aciclovir then I was told I could buy them on Amazon so I put Aciclovir in the search and L Lyseine came up so I’ve ordered 240 for £12.99 , do you take them all the time or just when you feel them coming?