Hi all!
I am currently treating my RD with Enbrel and Sulfasalazine. It is mostly under good control. In the last few months I have had a couple of cold sores. I get them occasionally anyway but never this often. Is this common with RD meds? How can I treat/control the outbreaks? Please share your tips and wisdom with me.
There are a couple of things about cold sores. Once you've had them they are then in your system so you're more likely to keep developing them. If you're stressed, run down, on medicines, exposed to changes in temperature, well, the list if things that triggers them seems to be long. Also, as your immune system is compromised, first because you have an auto immune disease and secondly you're on meds that interfere with your immune system, you are more likely to develop them. I get them, there seems to be little I can do as they're in my system.
Talk to your GP/consultant and explain you have them. You could pop along to Boots/Superdrug and tell the pharmacist about your issue, and they will arm you with Acyclovir to use the instant you feel that one is developing. Eat healthily and get exercising (if you can) to boost your immune system where possible.
Take Care
S
Thanks, S. I had a bit of a stressful week last week. I am sure that contributed to my condition. It's terribly embarrassing for me to have this ugly thing on my lip! I have added some vitamins and supplements to my diet now, which I hope will help heal this one and stave off any new ones!
I get them a lot too, in the past I've had quite bad outbreaks of them especially when stressed. I take enbrel and methotrexate which makes them worse.
I have tablets from the doc to keep them under control. I used to take a tablet a day to keep them away and 5 in a day when I had one but now its so well managed I just take one when needed, eg if my lips are feeling sore before bed to make sure I don't wake up with one. I also take multi vitamins, wear vaseline to bed and carry around lip balm with an spf. I agree the pharmesist would be the best place to start. hope you find something that works.
Unfortunately, pharmacists in the US cannot prescribe many of our meds so I will have to see or call my GP to get a Rx medication. I have started taking Lysine and extra vitamins to hopefully help keep them at bay in the future. In the meantime, where is my makeup??? Heehee. =)
I've been on all the mentioned meds but never had a problem with the dreaded cold sore.....I am now on steroids and I seem to get another one when one has just died.....I know its not very 'medical' but I bad them with a touch of liquid foundation and they dry up in no time....another remedy is a bad of perfume, I think ts the alcohol that kills them.
I am using campho phenique to dry it up. It tastes awful, but I imagine bad perfume isn't too tasty either! I have found that it is less noticeable if I can keep it dry. As long as I don't eat or drink, the dumb thing stays dry and less noticeable. Like that is going to happen!!
SORRY, that post should read dab......I have been getting my d's and b's mixed up since I was a child......I know, very strange!
=)
Hi my nurse did tell me this was a problem with enbrel and other biologicals she said there had been a few patients who had to stop because of the severity of their sores . She advised that I used an antiviral cream as soon as I felt a tingle and to be very careful about hand hygine before and after going to the toilet if I got a sore.
I certainly do not want to stop Enbrel! It is the only med that has really made a difference for me. I will definitely ask my doctor for an anti-viral medication when I see her next. And I would not want to contaminate any other part of my body!! I am constantly washing my hands or using hand sanitizer!
Hi, cold sores were the start of the many infections I contracted when on a combination of Enbrel and MTX. Like you I had had them in the past but not often. Then other infections followed one after the other. I asked that I drop the MTX and just try Enbrel alone since when not only has the RA been really well controlled but cold sores and other infections never re-occurred .
I don't know what dosage of Sulphasalazine you are on but if it can be lowered then you you might have less trouble with infection.
No one can say whether this will be the answer for you and obviously I am not suggesting you try this without discussing the possibility with your Consultant. However, it does seem that the combination of two drugs, especially if the non-biologic is of a high dosage, lowers the body's immunity too much making it more susceptible to infections. With drugs and RA it seems to be a question of trying to find the right balance and dosage of drugs for the individual.
It's just a thought following my experience. Jude
ps: I wouldn't hesitate to add a small amount of another DMARD if it was thought necessary.
Interesting that you say that about dropping MTX. When I started Enbrel, it was the only RD med I used at the time and it made an immediate difference for me. About a month later, my rheumy doctor added sulfa to my meds saying that Enbrel really needs a sidekick to work best. I was apprehensive, but followed doctor's orders. Now I wonder if I really need it.
MTX Cold Sores
cold sore like blisters
Lysine/Herpes(Cold sores) and RA 
Bad cold sore should I wait to inject Methotrexate?
Sore
