cold sores

I’ve heard that the herpes simplex virus 1, the one that causes cold sores, lies dormant inside your lip until another trauma causes it to flare up again, and that this virus will live inside your lip until you die. True?

The genome for the virus resides in ganglia near the lips. So long as it stays in the ganglia, your immune system cannot attack it as it does not make any antigens (proteins) that the immune system can use to attack it (by way of antibodies).

At times of stress, such as a cold or too much sun, the genome will manufacture viruses, which like the moist mucous of your lips or eyes (usually the lips), and you will get cold sores. That the immune system can attack, but the base of the genome for the viruses remains intact in your ganglia. Hence, yes. Once you get it you cannot get rid of it.

I have found 3 remedies for immediate relief of cold sores, in ascending order of effectiveness they are: (a) hydrocortisone, (b) Curasore, and (3)acyclovir.

Hydrocortisone is an antiinflammatory and does nothing to rid your body of the active virus. It does, however, take care of the sores in a short time. Curasore is what I use. The active ingredient is ether. You have to ask the pharmacist for it as it contains ether. Very cheap. About $4 for a tube. Acyclovir is a prescription medicine and, moreover, it is expensive: about $25 for a tube. Conclusion: use Curasore. Your sores will disappear the same day. BTW, IANAMD

Thank you much. :wink:

[QUOTE Curasore is what I use. use Curasore. Your sores will disappear the same day. BTW, IANAMD [/QUOTE]

Perhaps that is your experience, but it is not the medical profession’s. Sometimes cortisone-based ointments decrease inflammation and speed healing, other times they suppress the body’s immune response locally, and can prolong viral production and lesion persistance. Topical prescription anti-virals seem to be effective only in the immune-suppressed people, like those undergoing cancer therapy. I generally recommend a topical benzocaine-type anesthetic, and a little vitamin E topically. But I know of nothing that can be relied on to clear up lesions the same day.

Qadgop, MD

[[But I know of nothing that can be relied on to clear up lesions the same day.]]

I agree. Also be aware that there are a number of prescription antivirals now besides acyclovir that are effective against herpes. Most of them are expensive and I think they only promise to cut the duration of your active infection by a few days. But if you have frequent herpes outbreaks, these meds can also often prevent them. Talk to your doc.

I’ve got one right now…

There are also acyclovir tablets, although I don’t know if these are on sale in the US. The idea is the same, that you take them at the first sign of the tingling and it helps avoid the cabbage lip effect (maybe this is what you meant by “the same day”???)

BTW, $25 for a tube??? Must be a big one. The one I bought on Saturday cost £6 ($10 - Zovirax by Warner Lambert) for a standard 2g tube (at least it’s standard in the UK).

Had cold sores since I was a kid. A few years ago I discovered that a good quality Tea-Tree oil is about as effective as Zovirax. YMMV.

I’ll definitely give this a try - does it have to be a specific concentration, and do I apply it topically and how often?

At the 1st sign of a cold sore (the tingling) I apply Curasore, and the sores do not even appear. If I wait too long and apply it to the sore, In my experience, they have disappeared the same day (or over night). The Zovirax (acyclovir) cream was equally effective, and it did cost me $25 for a small tube. I guess that’s the difference between England and American medical prices.

I’ve tried tea tree oil. It did me no good.

This, of course, is only my experience and is anecdotal. I’ve had them all my life and I’m now 63. Since I’ve discovered Curasore, I look no further. I know the medical books (at least the ones I looked at) say hydrocortisone is contraindicated (apparently because they suppress the immune response). However, until I discovered Curasore, and then Zovirax, it worked best for me.

Years back a pharmacist friend told me to take L-Lysine tablets for cold sores. As soon as I feel the tingle, or know that I will be heavly sun exposed, I start taking 1000mg. three times a day. Often the sore does not appear. If it does, it’s usually gone in two days. YMMV

[[. A few years ago I discovered that a good quality Tea-Tree oil is about as effective as Zovirax.]]

I have seen no evidence that tea tree oil or L-Lysine have any effect on the duration or severity of herpesvirus infections. Some people have experienced other health problems from L-Lysine, too.

(Yes, acyclovir/zovirax and related antivirals come in topical and pill form.)
Jill

[Edited by JillGat on 04-02-2001 at 11:19 AM]

I appreciate everybody’s replies and info. Thanks again.
I tried Campho Phenique, but I think it’s lost its effectiveness over time.

Another technique that seems to work for me is to apply ice to the lip as soon as the lip starts tingling. I have not had a fever blister form whenever I’ve done this, but I have had them form when I felt the tingling and didn’t treat it.

And if you are going to use Lysine as a treatment, it is a readily available amino acid in animal protein. The same book that I read about lysine, I also read that you should reduce consumption of argnine(IIRC, I don’t have the book here), as this encourages the viral growth in the same way that lysine inhibits it. Argnine is an amino acid found in high-protein plant foods such as beans, nuts and chocolate (:()

Again, I don’t think there are any case control studies that support the effectiveness of these substances in fighting herpes. Do you know of any, Zyada? I have a colleage who is a national expert on herpesvirus. I would be happy to check with him about this.

I’m running a simple experiment in my lab this week to test the effects of lysine on herpes simplex replication in cell cultures. Stay tuned…

I read about the lysine and arginine bit re cold sores many years ago, probably in Prevention magazine and others of that ilk. I tried lysine. It didn’t help. Nuts contain arginine and you’re supposed to refrain from eating them. To that I say, “Nuts!”

Hey, you guys can come up with all the alternative medicine, herbals, etc. you want, plus all other purported remedies. Try them all. Then when you finally get around to using Curasore, you’ll say, “Why didn’t I try this first?”

I’ve said my bit and you can take it for what you want. As I said, I’ve tried them all and only Curasore (and hydrocortisone, to a lesser extent) and acyclovir has worked for me. I’m outta here.

My sister and I used to get cold sores within a few days of each other no matter where in the US we were. As soon as the weather started to get cold, I’d dread getting a phone call from her saying she had a cold sore because I knew that if I didn’t have one already, I’d have one soon.

About ten years ago some Doc told me to take ZBEC vitamins for some reason or other and I haven’t had a cold sore since then. ZBEC vitamins were expensive so I checked labels at the local pharmacy to find a near or exact generic match. I’ve been taking the generic ever since and mailing them to my sister as well - neither of us have had a cold sore since.

Now, I have to say that my sister and I probably got the cold sore virus from the same (damned) person at the same time and whatever version of the virus we have this does work for both of us.

Jois

I’ve never had a cold sore in my life. What are my chances that I’m not infected? Isn’t like 98% of the population infected?

–Tim

You apply it topically, I apply it neat several times a day from when I first feel the tingle. The oil I have is marked as 100% pure, and IIRC was fairly expensive - about £12 for 15ml.

"I’ve never had a cold sore in my life.

Yeah, doesn’t mean that you aren’t infected though.