You probably found this site because you, like me, are cursed with cold sores. I wrote this blog because a lot of people out there post about what works for them, so I figured I'd try to share what I do when I get one in case it might help someone out there. Feel free to post in the comments (anonymously if you like), what works for you.
I'm not one of those people who ever feels a tingle or it coming on. I just wake up with a bump on my limp and curse not being able to kiss my husband for the next 2+ weeks and dealing with looking like a monster. But I try to remind myself there are so many people in this world dealing with much worse, and 'it is what it is.'
So, the goal is to try to make it heal as quickly as possible. I keep the following things in the house at all times.
My arsenal
- Valtrex 2g (4 500mg pills), requires prescription. I pretty much always have 4 pills on me wherever we go. The earlier you take it, the better.
- Abreva (prefer tube over pump that I feel dispenses too much)
- Lysine
- Johnson Compeed Cold Sore Patches
- Qtips
- Straws
- Antibaterial soap and hand gel
- Hand lotion and gloves
- Vaseline
- Neosporin
- Cheap toothbrushes & travel sized toothpaste
So, 'it is what it is', now what?
Day 1
I'm not one of those people that has ever felt a tingle or known I'm getting a cold sore before it's here. I wake up and the bump is already there. As soon as I feel the bump, I start applying Abreva using a qtip. I think using a qtip instead of my finger helps to not spread germs, and also saves my hands a few washes. When I have a cold sore I'm already washing my hands a ton which makes them so dry, I try to use the hand lotion & gloves once or twice a day to help with my the dry hands.
If you haven't already read up on Abreva, it's worth checking their site out. It supposedly speeds healing and protects healthy cells against the infection (stops spreading). I apply it day 1 and 2 of an outbreak but don't find it does much after that.
As soon as possible, I also eat something substantial and take the 2g of Valtrex & 2000mg of Lysine. Glaxo used to have a site dedicated to Valtrex for cold sores, now I can only find this. I am not sure if the Lysine or Abreva really help me, but I do believe the Valtrex helps me skip the swelling stage I used to go through before I started always keeping those 4 pills with me at all times. Now I feel the bump and within 24 hours I'm in the blister stage without any swelling.
Note: Unfortunately, I sometimes get one cold sore, and then another, and then another right after each other. Because of this I ask my Dr. to write the script for 30 pills of Valtrex which he does (he usually wants to write for 1 8 pill dose). It's worth asking if you have cold sores often if your doctor can do the 30 pill script.
If I'm lucky enough to not be working on Day 1, I park myself in front of the TV next to tube of Abreva with a pack of qtips and a trash can. Sounds lazy, but if it's right next to me, I apply it way more often. I also switch to using straws when drinking, again to try to lessen spreading germs (even though we obviously wash drinking glasses).
Day 1 the bump is only noticeable to me. I take another 2g of Valtrex before bed and 2000mg of Lysine. On Day 1 I also move my toothbrush away from my husbands and start using my own travel toothpaste, or if I already used the communal toothpaste I give my husband a new one.
Day 2
The blister begins to form, but it's not yet very noticeable. Continue Abreva usage and take 2g of Lysine.
At this point, I start using the Compeed patches at night. They are medicated (the Abreva patches are not medicated and are meant to hide the sore only). I really like the Compeed patches, I think it helps with not spreading germs (like on pillowcase while I sleep), and it protects the blister / scab.
For me, keeping the scab in tact until at least day 6 of the sore is key for keeping it as unnoticeable as possible and speeding healing. Before I found the patches, every morning I'd shower and inevitable even though I tried to keep the sore dry, the scab would come of and my cold sore would look like a red stop sign for the first 6 hours of my day.
If I put on a Compeed patch the night before and leave it on until after my shower in the morning, I can usually remove the patch post shower leaving the blister/scab in tact. The scab is then very white and soft right after removing the patch, but as soon as it dries it's way closer to skin color than the bright red stop sign (or worse bleeding) I get if the scab comes off too soon. The key is to just let the white scab dry. It can help to use a hair dryer. Before I found these patches, my scab came off post shower almost every morning. With the patches, 9/10 times the scab stays in tact.
FYI, as far as I can tell the Compeed patches aren't available in the US. I buy at least 2 at a time via Amazon, they're shipped from the UK so shipping takes a bit. Plan ahead and keep a stock if you like them.
The patches are noticeable and I wouldn't ever wear them outside the house. If the blister is on a part of my lip that it's hard to keep dry especially, I put on a patch as soon as I get home and it helps to keep the scab protected.
Day 3-5
The blister is now 'in it's glory,' and is beginning to scab. I continue to take 2g of Lysine a day & try to keep the scab in tact. Use Compeed patches at night, shower in the morning and remove them carefully in the morning. I try to remind myself cold sores aren't the end of the world, but avoid most social stuff if I can.
Day 6-10
The length of my blisters depends on where they are, but they usually stick around 8-10 days. If they are almost completely inside or outside my mouth, they tend to heal faster (the mostly inside one I don't bother with patches). The outside ones I guess the absence of saliva and air flow helps healing. Sometimes my lips get so super dry I use vaseline (applied with qtip of course), but I avoid the sore area, again to try to keep it dry itself. If vaseline gets on sore area I find the scab can come off too early.
Somewhere between day 6-8 I finally carefully remove the white scab (or it finally falls off). I try to plan this when I don't have to go out that day. This leaves redness that I usually try to put neosporin on a few times (with qtip). Once the scab has come off, I stop using the patches (but order more if I need to replenish stock!).
Once a cold sore is healed, I continue to take a double does (2mg) of lysine each morning for at least a week to try to another sore from coming right after the previous one which I sometimes get. Also I throw out my 'infected' toothbrush and even the toothpaste I was using during the breakout.
Prevention
I try to prevent cold sores by taking 1g of lysine each morning and using lip balm with sun screen if I'm out in the sun. Not sure if it helps, but probably like you, I'll do anything to even get one less cold sore a year.
Some other notes:
I tried the alcohol kill a cold sore method from this blog, I didn't notice any improvement over my usual routine
I found this blog helpful reading
The one thing I haven't tried (because of the mixed reviews and it isn't very convenient to keep around anywhere you go) is the Virulite Cold Sore machine.. have any of you had any experiences with it? I feel like nothing has ever stopped a cold sore in its tracks for me, but who knows?
I think that sums up my experience. What about you, what works for you? What doesn't?
