*Cry* Cold Sore... what to do!
ImPuRiTy
new job stress, I now have a nasty cold sore. Right in my lip... and not
only does it LOOK nasty, but it hurt :(
Any suggestions for how I can tame this issue? Any products that might help
out?
I can't believe I'm sharing this with the world.
*Grossed out*
ImPy
--
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Ice Princess
>
> Any suggestions for how I can tame this issue? Any products that might help
> out?
I get 'em roughly twice a year.
First, this won't help for the existing one, but go to your doctor or
dentist and get a prescription for Zovirax. It's an antiviral cream
that can tame or even prevent cold sores. Put it on when you first
start feeling the tingling (before the sore is visible) and for the
first couple of days after it appears. This stuff has made a dramatic
difference in the duration of my cold sores--it used to take a couple of
weeks to heal them; now I can be done with one in as little as four
days. I recall that it was not horridly expensive, under $10.
As to the one you've got now, the regimen that seems to work for me is
to clean it a couple of times a day with hydrogen peroxide--wet a cotton
swab with it and gently go over the blister or sore--and then put on the
Zovirax, or, if it's broken beyond a blister into an actual sore, a mild
OTC antibiotic ointment. The antibiotic won't actually do much of
anything, but it seems to keep the sore from drying and cracking
prematurely (which makes it take longer to heal), and the moistness
makes it hurt/itch a little less; it also probably keeps any secondary
infection from getting into the open sore. Something non-medicated but
equally ointment-like might work just as well, I just happen to like the
antibiotic stuff.
OTC things touted as being specifically for cold sores (e.g.,
Campho-Phenique, Carmex) have never worked for me and often make things
worse--all that camphor just hurts and makes the sore crack more quickly.
Ice Princess
==========================================================================
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Jennifer Morgan Bane
>
> Soo thanks to all the post-holiday and soon-to-be starting grad school *AND*
> new job stress, I now have a nasty cold sore. Right in my lip... and not
> only does it LOOK nasty, but it hurt :(
>
> out?
Ice always worked miracles for a friend of mine. As soon as she noticed
a cold sore coming on, she would apply ice to it... and it would sort of
fade away before it really got to be a full-blown cold sore.
I don't know how well ice would work for one that's already "in
progress", but I don't suppose it would hurt to try it. And it's free.
Good luck. Cold sores are owie.
Jennifer Morgan Bane
Anything But Typical
Gothic Essentials for the Consistently Different
online catalog at http://www.anythingbuttypical.com
<master> lordbiran </master>
wrote:
>Soo thanks to all the post-holiday and soon-to-be starting grad school *AND*
>new job stress, I now have a nasty cold sore. Right in my lip... and not
>only does it LOOK nasty, but it hurt :(
>
>Any suggestions for how I can tame this issue? Any products that might help
>out?
It depends on the cold sore you have. If the sore is caused by a
virus, the only thing you can do is wait it out. There's a lot of
products on the market to treat symptoms.. orajel and ambesol will
relieve the pain. If the sore doesn't go away by itself.. I'd make
sure to see a doctor right away to make sure it's nothing more than
just a simple cold sore.
If you're using make up on the affected area, make sure to throw it
away. Makeup can harbor disease and what not.. you don't want to
re-infect yourself.
With love from the planet Krypton,
Brian
http://www.velvet.net/~lereine aim: belbrina
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/masterlb
ImPuRiTy
Cerridwen wrote:
>Also, there's a new treatment for herpes (don't recall the name
>of it) that's supposed to suppress outbreaks. It's prescription,
>dunno if it would do anything to make the cold sore go away.
EEEP! I do NOT have HERPES!!!!! It's just a cold sore! EVERYONE gets those!
I know it's a form of herpies, but it's NOT actually HERPIES!
Holy cow!
ImPuRiTy
lordbiran wrote:
>If you're using make up on the affected area, make sure to throw it
>away. Makeup can harbor disease and what not.. you don't want to
>re-infect yourself.
Oh no! Are you serious! I used my favorite lipstick last night... *pout* and
lipliner... and chapstick, and blistek. Oh dear. Thanks for the warning!!!!
Serendipitous Spice
>
>Cerridwen wrote:
>
>>Also, there's a new treatment for herpes (don't recall the name
>>of it) that's supposed to suppress outbreaks. It's prescription,
>>dunno if it would do anything to make the cold sore go away.
>
>EEEP! I do NOT have HERPES!!!!! It's just a cold sore! EVERYONE gets those!
>I know it's a form of herpies, but it's NOT actually HERPIES!
i think the intent was that since it is a herpes medication, and a cold sore
is from a form of herpes, it may help a cold sore as well.
and yea, it is actually herpes. it's just not herpes simplex. chicken pox
is herpes -- *actually* herpes. *shrug*
and not _everyone_ gets cold sores... i've never gotten one. my mom who is
49 has never had one.
love and light,
~*~Carly
--
~*~Fashion goes out of fashion; style never does.~*~
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Jenn
news:38794...@news3.buffnet.net...
> Oh no! Are you serious! I used my favorite lipstick last night... *pout*
and
> lipliner... and chapstick, and blistek. Oh dear. Thanks for the
warning!!!!
If you thoroughly clean them all in rubbing alcohol (as well as the lids,
too) and then don't use 'em for a while, they should prolly be safe...But,
until then, no makeup on those lips, unelss you're going to be appling it
with a cotton swab (not even a brush, as that's reused...)
Original Sin Fashions
As someone who has been cursed with cold sores from a very young age (kiss
from an affectionate relative the culprit, I'm sure) I've tried
everything. There's a new prescription cream out called 'Denavir'. It's
specifically for oral herpes (cold sores), and it seems to work for me.
YMMV.
For the record, not everyone gets cold sores. It can seem that way,
though, as the current estimate is that approx. 50 percent of the american
population harbours the virus in their bodies. They're icky, painful, and
unsightly, but there's nothing to do but try the creams and other remedies
and hope they come up with a cure someday. Stress brings them on, as does
being sick (hence their nickname of 'cold' sores) and exposure to
sunlight. Impy, make sure you're getting enough of the right things to
eat, as not getting enough of various vitamins can also leave you more
susceptible. I apologise for rehashing info that most of us already know,
but some things do bear repeating once in a while.
--
Angldst
sometimes known as Dante
DC sewingoth
Original Sin Custom Design: http://www.originalsindesign.com
Narcissa
100...@tsunami.xanthia.com>,
Original Sin Fashions <ang...@originalsindesign.com> wrote:
> For the record, not everyone gets cold sores. It can seem that way,
> though, as the current estimate is that approx. 50 percent of the
> american population harbours the virus in their bodies.
Not to pick nits, but I believe the last estimate was 4 in 5 people
have the *oral* herpes virus settled in their bodies, while 1 in 5 have
the *other* one. Of course, these numbers can overlap. I think getting
a prescrip for Zovirax if you only get them occasionally may be a
little extreme for some folks, as the stuff ain't cheap.
I have been getting them less and less over the past couple of years,
but when I do get them, I use Campho-Phenique and Chapstick(to balance
out the drying effect) topically, take L-Lysine orally, and stay away
from lipstick and kissing (duh). I also stay away from spicy foods, as
that seems to be a catalyst for me sometimes.
It's different for everyone. Thank God I don't have the problems with
them I used to; I once had seven at once, and I looked like someone had
punched me in the mouth. :(
--
O{+> ~ Narcissa ~
I like my evil like I like my men...evil, ya know?
I mean, straight up, black hat, tie you to the train tracks,
"soon my Electro-Ray will destroy Metropolis" evil! --Buffy Summers
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Before you buy.
ImPuRiTy
> Hey, everyone. :)
>
>As someone who has been cursed with cold sores from a very young age (kiss
>from an affectionate relative the culprit, I'm sure) I've tried
>everything. There's a new prescription cream out called 'Denavir'. It's
>specifically for oral herpes (cold sores), and it seems to work for me.
>YMMV.
>
>For the record, not everyone gets cold sores. It can seem that way,
>though, as the current estimate is that approx. 50 percent of the american
>population harbours the virus in their bodies. They're icky, painful, and
>unsightly, but there's nothing to do but try the creams and other remedies
>and hope they come up with a cure someday. Stress brings them on, as does
>being sick (hence their nickname of 'cold' sores) and exposure to
>sunlight. Impy, make sure you're getting enough of the right things to
>eat, as not getting enough of various vitamins can also leave you more
>susceptible. I apologise for rehashing info that most of us already know,
>but some things do bear repeating once in a while.
*Nod*
I went to the doc today cause I had to get the 2nd shot of my "Hep" vac...
and I asked him. He gave me that Denivir stuff. And he told me that while
cold sores *are* a *form* of Herpies, there's no need to get all worried and
bent about the cold sore being herpies. You are also right about stress
bringing them about. That was the #2 reason he gave me for why I got this
horrid thing. #1 was cold/flu and so on...
Let's hope Denivir does it's job :)
Thanks for all the help!
ImPY
ImPuRiTy
used, and the doc said yes. So thanks for the warning on that little tidbit.
Phew. I don't need THIS happening again. It doesn't happen often... but man,
when it does, what a nightmare! Oye!
Emily Knapp
wrote:
>I went to the doc today cause I had to get the 2nd shot of my "Hep" vac...
>and I asked him. He gave me that Denivir stuff. And he told me that while
>cold sores *are* a *form* of Herpies, there's no need to get all worried and
>bent about the cold sore being herpies. You are also right about stress
>bringing them about. That was the #2 reason he gave me for why I got this
>horrid thing. #1 was cold/flu and so on...
>
>Let's hope Denivir does it's job :)>
>
Good luck with clearing it.
To agree with your dr, (like you need *me* to do that) there are half
a dozen types of herpes that I know (and I'm betting that there are
more I don't - microbiology/virology isn't my strong suit). That
includes the virus that causes mono (glandular fever for us brits)
So although cold sores are caused by a herpes virus, they're not the
same virus as the *aaargh he's given me something nasty, the bastard*
type ;)
Emily
ImPuRiTy
>So although cold sores are caused by a herpes virus, they're not the
>same virus as the *aaargh he's given me something nasty, the bastard*
>type ;)
>
>Emily
ROTFL!!!!
Exactly. Those types and the disussion of those types should be taken
directly to alt.eew.he.gave.me.*WHAT* ??? - or something of the like :)
On a better note, I forgot to mention, my doctor also gave me an oral
antibiotic to be talen 3 times a day for 3 days. Apprently, cold sores are
going around like MAD right now out here, and can be picked up off all kinds
of things you never thought of. So be careful, everyone. I assume mine came
from stress... cause it showed up the night when all kinds of stress has
come down on me.... aka: "When it rains... it thunderstorms." And, the
antibiotic is helping. If anyone wants the name of it, let me know :) But,
that denavir stuff is a godsend! Thanks for whoever mentioned that!
Slackerrrbitch
been around for ages.
ImPuRiTy
Slackerrrbitch wrote:
No need to be SNOTTY. Especially since this was posted about a month ago.
But anyways...
Cures? No. Relief? Yes. Any doctor will tell you that there is no way to
make a cold sore go away. All you can do is speed up it's healing, which
means, you still have to wait it out. There are creams, and oral
medications... but you still have to WAIT. They are not CURES.
ImPy