Folks,
Have you ever tried any of the treatments–and found that they worked?
I’ve heard of some things, but I’ve never tried them, and I’d be curious to know how effective they are.
Try L-Lysine, you should be able to get it at your pharmacy and when you feel one coming on, start taking 3-4 a day.
I opened the door, and look who I found. Damn I’m good
Yes, I, Flypsyde, suffer from lip herpes.
I find that holding an ice cube against my lip when I feel that tingle works sometimes. Hold one there for about two hours. (Yes, I know it’s a long time, but I’m willing to do anything that’ll get rid of those damn things.) I did this the last three times I felt one coming on; the first two times it worked beautifully. The sore never even showed up. The last time, it didn’t do so hot, but still helped with the pain and itch.
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are.
-Gin Blossoms, “Perfectly Still”
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that “tingle” before one actually breaks out. It’s something that I’ve tried to explain to non-sufferers without much success.
Sorta like those who suffer from “tonsilliths,” “tonsilar concretions,” “tonsil nuggets,” “sneeze nuggets,” or whatever you want to call them.
If you are tonsillarly-challenged (as am I), you can’t appreciate them–so I envy you tonsil people.
I know people who swear by bee pollen. It’s sold in a lot of places. They take some when they feel one coming on.
I can’t explain it as a herpes virologist, but people tell me it works.
If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I’d be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose.
I get them every once in a great while, the doc says they show up during times of stress or other opportunistic reasons. IIRC, the cause is herpes simplex I and therefore is a viral outbreak that virtually nothing is effective against. I have found that camphor offers some relief from the pain, but by the time I sense one coming on it’s too late to do anything in the way of prevention and I just have to let it run its course. Check out www.purelip.com , they seem to think they have an answer.
I haven’t had one in so long, I bet I get one now just from posting to this thread 
I get them from time to time…and I have found that Campho-fenique (sp?) (sold over the counter) does wonders as soon as you feel one coming on.
Ahh, the dreaded tingle. Felt it 2 days ago sitting at this very computer, which really stinks because I was pretty much defenseless at that point. So, here I sit with a lip that looks like it messed with an Italian named Knuckles.
In my case, good old Lysine does the trick. Feel the tingle, take a pill. Do so every 6 or 8 hours. You might get a small bump, but nothing overly disgusting.
Well, shut my mouth. It’s also illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling.
I just always carry my bottle of acyclovir pills wherever I go. If I feel one coming on, I start dosing, and sometimes it goes away. I have to take one THE MOMENT I feel one, though, or it doesn’t work.
I’ve also had success with Flypsyde’s method, although I alternate with ice and very very hot compresses. The temperature fluctuation does weird things to the bug.
Campho-phenique works best for me too.
"There’s a snake in my boot!
I’m not sure what you mean by “cold sore”. I used to get canker sores all the time, and was told by my band leader (it’s definitely uncomfortable to play a tuba when you have a canker sore) to use campho-phenique. It works wonders.
I know people who gargle with salt water, and there are specific medications for it that you can get, but in my experience CP works better and doesn’t taste as awful.
I also use acyclovir, in a cream form-Zovirax. It was prescription only last time I had to get some. I usually can’t use it as soon as I get the tingle, so it hasn’t staved off any sores for me, but it certainly helps to dry the thing out and heal quicker. Usually shaves about three days off the whole ordeal (without fail, though, this is never by Friday, when it would do any good).
As a side note, the last doctor who prescribed this for me felt compelled to enlighten me that, “Zovirax doesn’t really do anything, or at least nothing we can prove.”
Yeah, whatever, clown. Obviously this guy never had one of these fucking things hanging off his lip before, or he’d be whistling a different tune.
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are.
-Gin Blossoms, “Perfectly Still”
I get both chanker sores and cold sores, and both happen on the inside of my mouth. Of course, right now I have both…sigh I get them on the outside of my mouth as well but not too often… I find that if I just eat some citrus candy sour apple works great and do not speak for a day, that it makes them recede faster- about a day faster. Sometimes it prevents… although now I am going to try the other suggestions…
./^_/^\
< O | O >
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…\U/
NyQuil. What doesn’t cure you will make you comatose.
Yer pal,
Satan
Cold sores are caused by Herphes Simplex Type 1 [which 99.9% of the people have]…come out during stress. Take some time off.
Man - my two favorite remedies show up in the first two posts!
In addition to the l-lysine, it’s also good to avoid or cut down on foods high in argnine (In approximate order):
Nuts
chocolate
coconut
whole grain foods like oatmeal, rice, whole grain flour, with regular whole grain bread being less of a problem than the other grains.
You can also increase lysine in your diet (also in approximate order):
fish
meat
milk
beans
The ice works because the virus’ ideal operating temperature is slightly higher than the normal body temperature at the lips - which is why they’re also called fever blisters. I always get one when I run a fever I had someone recommend getting a post-hypnotic suggestion to reduce my lip temperature whenever I felt the tingling begin. Haven’t done it yet, though.
Torq - As another tuba player who gets canker sores, I feel for ya man. I found Kanka to be a godsend. It smells terible and tastes worse, but it kills the pain immediately.
Now Canker sores and Cold sores are different, right? Cold sores are on the lip and look like scabs, while canker sores are inside the mouth and are basicly ulcers. As far as my understanding goes.
http://www.madpoet.com
Computers have let mankind make mistakes faster than any other invention, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns.
I got a new prescription drug from my dr for them–denovir I think. I haven’t tried it yet.
I used to get cold sores when the seasons changed and more often in cold weather. Five years ago I started taking the pharmacy verson of Z-BEC vitamins and haven’t had a single one since. I used to have to cross my fingers if someone said or I even thought, “Cold Sore” now I don’t even have to carry Chapstick.
Herpes is a very variable virus but I can’t be the only one in the world this lucky. Try it!
Madpoet- Yes you are correct. Chanker sores and Cold Sores are two different things. But it is possible to get them both on the inside of your mouth lousy… they’re still there… It truly, ULTIMATELY sucks when you get a cold sore on the inside of your mouth- it bleeds for a day or two. But as far as I know, you cannot get both on the OUTSIDE of your mouth…at least, I haven’t ever had a chanker sore on the outside…
./^_/^\
< o | o >
.<_ | _>
…\U/
Known to bite weak animals…