Home Remedies for Cold Sores
WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.
NOTICE: This page was generated previously and may not be up to date. To view the most recent page, go to the dynamically generated version of the Cold Sores home remedies page.
Cold Sores Home Remedies:
Submitted by Stacey at 2011-06-03 17:35:24
This works VERY well for me. Hold an ice cube wrapped in saran wrap to your coldsore for 20 mins. Mix salt and toothpaste in a small container with a sealable lid. Use a q -tip to apply the paste to your cold sore and leave for an hour. Repeat this process for as long as you can possibly manage. Should fully get rid of the coldsore in 2 - 3 days.
Note: The sooner you spot the cold sore and start this, the better!
rating: 8 (10 votes)
Submitted by Angelica at 2012-01-25 05:24:03
Tea tree oil applied to your lips will do the same job as the crazy suggestions of acetone etc. I also use a tea tree mouthwash and tea tree lip balm when I don't have outbreaks as I find this helps keep them at bay. When I get an outbreak I apply tea tree oil to the cold sore until it is gone then back to the lip balm. I always use an all natural tea tree product as other ingredients might make it worse or irritate more. Also must be ral tea tree and not just a scent.
rating: 8 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-25 13:40:12
I CURRENTLY HAVE A COLD SORE ON MY TOP LIP ON THE RIGHT, ONE ON THE LEFT, AND ONE ON MY BOTTOM LIP. I PUT ICE ON THEM LAST NIGHT BEFORE I WENT TO BED AND THEN APPLIED CAMPHO-PHENIQUE! WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING THE MOST RECENT COLD SORE HAD GOTTEN BIGGER, BUT ONE OF THEM IF NOW JUST A SCAB AND THE OTHER IS FLAT AND STARTING TO GO AWAY. I'VE USED CAMPO-PHENIQUE FOR TWO YEARS NOW (I GET COLD SORES ABOUT ONCE A MONTH OR EVERY OTHER MONTH). IT WORKS WONDERS FOR DRYING. NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT LET YOUR LIPS BE MOIST. DO NOT PUT CARMEX ON YOUR LIPS. TONIGHT I AM GOING TO TRY PUTING THE NAIL POLISH REMOVER ON ONE OF THE THREE AND SEE IF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AS I'VE NEVER TRIED THAT BEFORE. MANY PEOPLE PUT ON HERE TO NEVER POP A COLD SORE, BUT I HAVE BEEN POPPING MINE SINCE I STARTED GETTING COLD SORES OVER 6 YEARS AGO, AND I'VE NEVER HAD A SCAR. TO EACH IS OWN. AND NOT EVERY REMEDY WILL WORK FOR EVERY PERSON, BUT ICE AND CAMPHO-PHENIQUE WORK FOR ME. REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU TRY, YOU'RE GOING TO GO AT LEAST ONE DAY WITH EMBARRASSING LIPS. TRYING NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT WILL HELP OUT MORE THAN YOU THINK. OH AND SLEEP AND TYLENOL ARE A MUST. HOPE THIS HELPS:)
rating: 8 (3 votes)
Submitted by hazel at 2009-06-08 14:18:52
Nyquil liquid caps.
slit open a nyquil liquid cap. spread a small amount of liquid on the nasty cold sore. repeat process every 2-3 hours. It looks like lip gloss so it shouldnt be too hard. and doesn't take a lot of time like the nail polish thing.
seems to speed up the cold sore. Got a ocld sore tingle yesterday, lots of nyquil on it and today morning its already weeping and drying. should be gone by tonight... :D
rating: 8 (6 votes)
Submitted by Angela at 2011-01-16 23:39:44
I had a huge cold sore that wouldn't go away. I tried everything, then I got to thinking about canker sores and alum. The alum quickly dried up or killed the virus!! My dad has had them for so long and tried the alum and he says he is believer. Once the cold sore opens apply the alum on the cold sore it will burn but is is doing it's job. (Alum is a spice used for pickling. Find it with the spices.)
rating: 8 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2008-04-22 20:47:13
Get a prescription for Acyclovir. It is prescribed for genital herpes, but my doc gave me a prescription for cold sores and told me to go through the whole cycle of it. I have not had one cold sore ever since. I started getting cold sores when i was very young and used to get one every month. Since I took Acyclovir I have not had one!!!
rating: 7 (6 votes)
Submitted by Al at 2009-03-10 22:36:08
I've been a long time sufferer of cold sores, and though they're relatively minor in the list of health problems someone could have, they have a devasting psycological impact on me. It shouldn't bother me as much as it does (who's physically perfect??), but my whole mood changes with everybody around me, and it really depresses me (almost to an unreasonable degree)...
Anyway, I've tried EVERYTHING there is to try, and none of the balms, creams, medicine, ice ever worked for me. I've more or less gotten to the point where I feel that these things just have to take their course, and there's nothing I can really do about them (except dread the onset of the next one)..
I get them maybe 3-4 times a year.
I tried the 'ice method' once, and it seemed to hold off the development of the sore for the day while I kept applying it, but that first night when I went to sleep, the cold sore took the time to 'grow'.
The only thing that gave me some decent success, and I'm not ready to declare 100% victory just yet (but so far it's worked for 2 cold sores in a row) is the following:
1. As soon as you feel the very first little 'bump', before any itching starts, take a 1000 milligram Lysine-L tablet. (If you're like me, you're always probing your lips with your tongue, feeling for any difference in sensation, that might indicate a cold sore is coming...) Take a total of 2 tablets each day for 2 days (total of 4). Don't take more b/c your body probably just discards it after a certain point any way. And it might be bad for you to take too much of any thing..
2. Buy Carmex and keep the sore moistened with Carmex. This is the only 'balm' type medicine that I've found that actually reduces the scab significantly.
Since I've been doing this, (again 2 of 2 cold sores), each occurrence only lasted 3 days or so, and it was really only noticeable on day 2.
I won't claim that this will definitely work for you, but it might. I know the anxiety that these things cause me, so if you feel like me, you'll try anything. The Lysine is the only 'medicinal' thing I've ever taken that seemed to drastically shorten the cycle from usually 7-10 days, down to 3-4 days.
Good luck,
Al
rating: 7 (6 votes)
Submitted by Nicole at 2011-10-10 15:04:55
I have tried a lot of different things in the past...did research and i think i have a pretty good system that will get rid of them fast! First of all you need to understand the virus: cold sores attack certain acids in your body when the virus flares up. taking Lysine in the first place daily will prevent you from getting them in the first place. Lysine is amino acids that your body doesn't have naturally. i read something once that lysine works because the virus will go for the acids Lysine provides instead of whatever is in your body thus preventing or stopping a breakout. In highschool and beauty school i missed a lot of days because of my cold sores. there was a period of time where i got them practically every 2 weeks for about a year! i wouldn't leave my house when i got them...still dont but thanks to the Lysine pills i hardly get cold sores at all anymore. So every day i take Lysine 1000mg once daily unless i feel a flare up coming on (itching, burning, tingling, or a red spot on my lip) then ill take like 2 or 3 1000mg pills and usually the cold sore will never surface. sometimes these annoying ugly things will sneak up on you anyways and then you need a quick fix. i have tried everything: abreva, toothpaste, lysine topical ointment, rubbing alcohol, bleach, nothing worked as fast as i wanted it to. i did some reading and learned about the stages a cold sore will go through before it goes away: 1.it is contagious from about a week before it appears till about a week after it is completely gone. this is important to remember after an outbreak i understand you cant know before you get one. so change your tooth brush, your towel after a shower and always wash hands after you touch your mouth in any way. 2. the red tingly, itchy spot. this is the first sign usually of the cold sore. if you have a little red spot that looks menacing or even tiny blisters you may be able to keep it from growing if you catch it with lysine soon enough. but sometimes not. the redness is the 'fever' that it contains. the fever causes the blistering so if you put ice on it right away you can bring the fever down and maybe prevent the blistering from happening or getting worse. i always get an ice cube and put in in a zip lock bag and hold it to the spot until the ice melts. if the blisters are almost not visible then you take a break about 15 mins or so and then ice it again. if the blisters are bigger then ice it and then you need to alternate with a drying agent. 3. blisters: before the cold sore can start healing the blisters will usually have to reach its full 'size' whatever that is. sometimes not that big sometimes huge. as soon as i see the blisters i try and 'zap' them at first sight. i use 40 volume peroxide. the stuff you mix with bleaching powder if you want to lighten your hair. have you ever bleached your hair and it felt dry and 'fried'? same thing will happen to the blisters. dont pop them this wont help. put the peroxide on a q-tip and then on your blisters and leave on anywhere from 30 mins to one hour.the peroxide will draw out the puss from the blisters. you will feel burning this is ok, means it is working. dont be alarmed if the blisters appear to grow after you've done this....the skin has many layers and puss underneath...you need to bring the fluid to the surface so it can be dried up. after the peroxide sits put ice on the area and keep alternating. after a few applications you will notice that some of the blisters have popped after getting bigger. this is good. once the blister is popped and the fluid is all gone they wont come back. eventually you will be left with an open sore that will turn into a scab. 4. scabbing: now that you're left with a scab yeah its still ugly but you will agree its better that a huge tumor looking blister on your face. now its time to heal up the scab. use some kind of antibiotic ointment on it to heal it fast. recently i have discovered mupirocin ointment which is used for open sores and prevent bacterias like mrsa and staph. so far it works pretty well. and remember that even though it appears to be a scab you are still contagious for about a week after the scab is completely gone. if you are not clean then its really easy to give back to yourself. so thats my remedy....it takes about 3 days sometimes less depending on the size of the cold sore which is a lot better than the usual 7-14 days without any treatment. good luck and whatever you use remember the key steps to getting rid of it: get the fever down, dry the blisters, and heal the open sore.
rating: 7 (15 votes)
Submitted by Lilly at 2010-07-05 11:07:06
I have been reading all the remedies on here for cold sores. I have tried almost all of them myself. What works best for me especially since I can not afford Abreva and other creams, is L-Lysine. Its not too expensive and it does work. All though it only works if you take it everyday no fail. A bunch of the remedies I read up on said they tried L-Lysine and creams and nail polish remover,rubbing alcohol etc... and all that. For me the best is the L-Lysine as long as you take at least 1000MG everyday not just when the cold sore appears but everyday. If taken everyday, while not a cure, it is a great preventative. While I was taking it everyday I had no problems then I ran out and the problem came back. Another remedy I use that I did not see on here is peroxide. Yes peroxide will dry it out and crust it up but it will reduce healing time and putting neosporin on it repeatedly will make the scab go away faster. Neosporin now has a lip balm but dont buy it because it has none of the active ingriedents as regular neosporin so it wont do any good on the sore scarring. I found peroxide works 10times better than rubbing alcohol. And you sould soak the lip in peroxide not just dab it with a q-tip. So there are my cheap and easy quick cures.
-Daily intake of L-Lysine
(if you do get a cold sore)
-Peroxide soak and neosporin
These are my only 2 remedies I use, I havent had a cold sore in two years until yesterday morning woke up with one (I dont get the warning signs, mine have always just popped up usually when I wake up) havent been taking my lysine lately because I was running low but as soon as I saw it I took 9 throughout the day I know its alot but my sore is already almost gone in one day with out putting anything on it just taking the lysine.
Also stay out of heat and sun as much as possible and keep lips moisturized.
rating: 7 (14 votes)
Submitted at 2010-08-21 00:18:20
ok i've been getting cold sores for 20 years. i'm allergic to pretty much all of the otc cold sore 'remedies' any time i've used them i ended up with a secondary infection which took forever to go away. i recently started using mineral foundation as part of my makeup routine. i found that the mineral powder kept the area dry and kept the bumps from filling with fluid. i use the brand rimmel london (every store carries it like cvs, duane reade etc) i used to use ice but i realized that was also causing a problem because its just too cold so ok here is exactly what i do and i have not had an outbreak in about a year which is pretty good considering i usually get them at least once a month when my period rolls around.
1) use a ice pack-the plastic liquid filled ones you put in a cooler. wrap it once in a thin towel i use it about 1/2 hour on and 1/2 off for at least an hour longer if i'm home for the day
2) after the ice pack using a disposable makeup sponge dab the mineral powder on the bumps keep dabbing it on whenever possible
3) take a few tylenol or ibuprofen they are a fever reducer as well as pain reducer. a 1 degree raise in your internal body temp can cause a flare up
4) i regularly use hl30 lip balm from herpecin it has lysine, lemon balm and vitamins b6, c and e some other stuff too but these are known to help prevent the infection from spreading.
i know the makeup thing sounds crazy, but when i realized how dry it kept the area and how the bumps never filled and it basically dried up in a day or too, i kept doing it. its pretty inexpensive maybe $5.00 considering how much i've spent over the years its a good investment it lasts a long time thats why you should use disposable makeup sponges and dont double dip. all the otc stuff keeps the area wet, but cold sores are wet so its counterproductive. keep it dry as dry as possible. thats why the powder works, its extremely drying and keeps those little monsters from wreaking havoc and not to mention covering the redness is a nice extra
rating: 7 (10 votes)
Submitted by P. at 2009-01-31 11:39:39
whats poppin? i get cold sores on average about once every year, but when i do get them dey come at the worst times. i felt tingilling on my top lip dis morning so i nummed it out with like 3 ice cubes den i dabbed it with rubbing alcohol den right after i put i tea bag on it for about 15 mins den repeat. so far you cant even tell i have one, i cant even see it in the mirror. i read here on the site that ear wax helps so im a do dat wen im goin to sleep tonight.
rating: 7 (4 votes)
Submitted by ed at 2010-01-20 00:36:07
day one,the tingle. i apply campho-phenique repeatedly.day two, the swelling and redness. agin, i used the campho-phenique. day three, the blistering. i used the campho, but then i tryed the ice,alcohol, garlice, then id wash the area with hand sanitizer and repeat through out the day mixing in the abreva also.oh, i also took the lysine. this has all been helpful. but,i if i had known all this before i would have used ice, alcohol, and abreva as soon as i felt the tingle
rating: 7 (2 votes)
Submitted by Jasmine at 2010-07-10 23:06:21
I have suffered from cold sores since I was a kid. I have tried everything you can think of. If you are reading this then you are obviously in the search for something to get rid of those terrible sores. I came on this forum about 1 year ago. I tried the whole nail polish (don't do it can be harmful) alcohol, earwax(yuck I can't believe I did that but I was desperate), witch hazel, acne cream, lysine tablets, and anything else you can think of. I couldn't get rid of the cold sores no matter what. I would wake up and it would grow into this huge monster! After spending years and years in search I found the only thing that helps. Hear me out before you scroll down to the next remedy. I know it sounds so simple but it does work. Granted it wont make your cold sore go away in a second but I promise it makes it small and it goes away pretty quickly. The virus doesn't spread. (note: this worked for mom and I)
Remedy: Once you feel an itch or see a bump 1.) apply ice as soon as you can for about 1 hour or less. The ice helps with the itching and pain. 2.) next apply Blistex medicated lip balm lip protectant/sunscreen on the sore even if the sore is not on the lips. (I put this on my chin and it worked) Make sure you cover all the sore. Put the blistex several times a day. Keep applying it for a couple more days and you will notice that the sore doesn't grow or get bigger. In a couple of days the sore should be already going away making it look like a little scab nothing like it normally would be. I have to warn you the itching kinda lingers on for a while during the first day.
I didn't believe that his would work because I had tried everything. But I gave it a shot I mean I had nothing to lose I had the darn thing already. So I tried it and wow I was impressed! This remedy came from my mom and it worked for her. She use to get really bad cold sores and one day she told me she had one on her lip and I couldn't even see it. So try this remedy. I really hope it works on you! Good Luck!!
rating: 7 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-14 15:28:20
I am very fortunate in the fact that my cold sores are very small and generally most people are unable to tell Im having an outbreak. I have tried many things for my cold sores. I quit smoking, I put NOTHING on my lips except for SPF, Abreva, B12, L-lysine, Zinc, acetone, ice, Vitamin C... it seems I still get a cold sore 2-3 times a month. Im starting to wonder if Im even having an outbreak as occasionally as I think I am.
I am writing here to get some input. I generally experience NO tingling or pain. I usually only have one small bump which is sometimes red, sometimes white, right on top of the the edge where my lip meets my skin. Sometimes I pop it and it appears I may be popping a zit before its ready to be popped (generally no white heads come out, just a very small amount of clear fluid). Before popping it I always apply Abreva for a couple days and then again for a couple days after, and there is no change in the bump (just a scab possibly from gouging into my skin with my nails). It doesnt even burn when I use the Abreva or acetone before/after the popping.
Could I be being entirely too neurotic/cautious about this, and be treating a small zit? (I do know for a fact the I have HSV because of a blood test, and there have been a few times I have had the full blown symptoms and sores thats HSV causes). Short of going to my dr to have a swab test done every single time I get one of these small bumps (which isnt possible because of my job) I have no idea what else to do. Its causing problems in my relationship because Im always so terrified to kiss my guy. Any advice, knowledge, help would be appreciated.
rating: 7 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2011-08-23 01:04:27
I hate cold sores, they come whenever I don't drink enough water or when I become stressed. What works for me is:
1. When you feel tingling immediately apply zinactin b. sold online 6.00 or calamine lotion. This lotion is a drying agent. It's pink so at night is when you want to apply as much as you can. Go for the thick content.
2. If your sore is blistering, I would suggest popping it with a needle, cotton alcohol(burns a little).Then apply more calamine. Add ice to ease pain..
3. Option 2Zinactin B works as a brown cover over the blister and dries it immediately it hurts but it works. 3 days tops..Good luck!
rating: 7 (7 votes)
Submitted by anonymouse at 2011-12-08 21:06:47
Please DO NOT LISTEN to the people telling you to put BLEACH, NAIL POLISH REMOVER, or PETROLEUM PRODUCTS on your face! And DO NOT POP them!! You will end up prolonging things and possibly even leaving a scar!! The most helpful thing I've found, which can be used even after bumps have already formed, is a wound care formula for horses, which has a high concentrate of both Zinc and L-lysine. It's called Maxi-Guard Zn7 and IT IS WORTH THE $17 or so because it will last you for years, it's safe, and you will NEVER GET ANOTHER CRUSTY BLISTER. It seems to stop the cold sore dead in its tracks, and for me it's usually completely flat by the end of the next day. You have to re-apply ideally several times a day. This remedy ACTUALLY HAS SCIENCE BEHIND IT - go figure! Also, do what any good doctor would tell you to do, which is to take L-lysine and Zinc supplements and avoid foods w/ a lot of arginine in them (i.e. wheat), especially during an outbreak!
That being said, I ran out of Maxi-Guard (after the bottle lasting me 8 years!) and didn't bother to order another because I hadn't had any sort of outbreak in a long time. And I ended up getting a blister that popped this time (never had this problem with the maxi-guard!). But I did have some colloidal silver cream on hand, and using that seems to be soothing the skin. It has anti-microbial and alleged anti-viral properties (the virus is supposed to bind to the tiny silver molecules). So that's something else to try if you can't order veterinary medicine online for some reason.
But try the Maxi-Guard first! It may just save you future embarrassment. I just couldn't keep this to myself any longer.
rating: 7 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2011-06-15 11:59:42
I tried the bleach method this morning. My cold sore came on yesterday. If you do use the bleach..please be very careful with this! Apply a small amount to the cold sore with a q-tip. Don't put too much on or it will drip and go where you don't want it and burn you. I did this. Then I put an ice cube on it until it melted. I have been applying hand sanitizer all day. I can say that it is drying up fast! Usually I use Abreva and it seems to make mine worse.
rating: 7 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-05 13:13:39
FIRST, Ice it on your way to Walmart, go to the pharmacy and get a bottle of rubbing alcohol, cotton rounds & q-tips. Next go to the jewelry counter and ask for the ear peircing/piercing care solution ($2.00). Go home & mix the ear peircing & the alcohol and you have made Viroxyn for less then $5.00. Use the q-tips to mix the acohol & ear care solution & apply with the cotton rounds. I usually apply for about 15 minutes or longer but its up to you. It usually ony tales one treatment but sometimes you may have to do two treatments. Works great for me. Good luck
rating: 7 (15 votes)
Submitted by Michelle at 2008-03-10 15:37:16
OK... so this is a long one...
What we need is a remedy for AFTER the cold sore has came out to visit, am I right? They are SO ugly and uncomfortable, and we really dont think much about them until they have planted their homely faces right on our mouth... for the world to see. Nice, huh?
Its great we have preventatives for cold sores, and suggestions on what to do when you first feel the tingle, but what about to pound them when they are already out and about? Most times, mine form overnight, or while at work and cant tell they are on their way until its too late.
I am quite lucky (as far as COLDSORE luck can be, I suppose) as I only get one every year or 18 months, but that doesnt make them any less ugly, or me any more confident.
Heres what I did with one I got on Friday morning...
1) reached for my Abbreva. The sore still got larger, so Im not sure this worked. I was a tad pissed. The stuff is 20 bucks, and its worked before. Maybe I didnt get it in time.
2) Went to health food store and got something called 'Super Lysine+'. Its in a chapstick tube with a green cap. Its pricey...about 11 bucks, but I applied it to the sore with my fingertip, and to the rest of my lips. Its awesome and soothing. It was more of a preventative for more sores than anything. It kicks the butt of any other balm Ive used and makes your lips look really healthy and full.
3) when I got home that night, I did the ICE CUBE thing...you know, melting the whole cube on the sore? I couldnt do it every hour as suggested (who has time?) but I did it before bed, and when I got up. It helped the swelling, the redness and the soreness. That along with RUBBING ALCOHOL dries right afterward seemed to help.
4) Last night(Sun) I decided to crush a garlic clove in a small sealable container, and tap my fingertip on it to gather some of the juices. I dabbed it on the sore, and by morning it was already looking about 30 percent better. I did it again after I got home from the dentist (yes, dentist with a cold sore... lovely :S good thing it was only a check up) and Ive noticed whrough the day its been getting less red. Use it as often as you can through the day, and a good dallop at night. In a few days, it will be practically gone.
My coldsore was a full blown one, at its largest on Friday night, and its monday afternoon and its already just a small red mark, and very little scabbing.
Garlic,rubbing alcohol and ice are what made my coldsore start to heal fast. They are all cheap and you likey have all of them in your house already.
Ive always liked garlic for cooking, but now its one of new best friends.
rating: 7 (134 votes)
Submitted at 2011-05-27 19:20:07
Aloe!!! it works SO well! i always put it on the moment i feel a cold sore forming and not only does it lessen the size of the cold sore dramatically, it also heals the scab 3 times faster! the only problem is you have to apply it ALL time time and it gets annoying after a while but hey, its always been worth it for me!
rating: 7 (18 votes)
Submitted by Erin at 2007-07-25 14:53:28
I woke up and my cold sore was already open, but this is what I did to have it gone by the next morning...I melted an entire ice cube on my sore, even tho it's a little painful at first..Then dab the sore to dry it and put rubbing alcohol on immediately after with a Q-tip..I did this once every 30 min. to an hour, and by the next morning, you couldn't see a thing!!!
rating: 7 (109 votes)
Submitted at 2008-11-10 05:22:00
For cold sores on both adults and children, our family uses hydrogen peroxide. The oxygen helps kill the virus in the sore. It also helps to dry it up. We have tried it on everyone and it has been the only thing that works.
rating: 7 (1 votes)
Submitted at 2009-02-27 16:06:54
Over 15+ years ago I heard about applying ice to a cold sore and it not only lessens the outbreak but will help prevent their return. The moment you feel the tenderness of an impending outbreak apply an ice cube wrapped in a paper towel and hold it on the spot until ice cube is melted. If you have the time do this again. If caught early enough the blister will not form at all. Think about this.. A cold sore, or fever blister, is associated with increased body temperature (from a fever or exposure to the sun) which triggers the outbreak. Freezing the spot causes the virus to become dormant and stops the progression. I have found the outbreaks eventually lessen and sometimes stop for years. It never completely goes away but I can go months or years without another outbreak. REMEMBER - catch it early. If you wake up in the morning with one already starting ICE will stop it in its tracks.
rating: 7 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2009-03-19 17:40:09
My boss told me about this, I thought he was joking around at first. Try Ban roll on deodorant. I got the unscented. Just roll it on your finger, then rub it on your cold sore. I started this about 4 hours ago and it is already drying up and I have a very tiny scab forming.
rating: 7 (4 votes)
Submitted by John at 2009-09-08 21:26:35
I know there are some who are against this - but it works for me: Bleach. When I have a cold sore that is blistering up, I apply a small amount of bleach with a Q-tip. The cold sore is then gone within 3-4 days (scab and all). It's amazing. The bleach tends to just stay right on the blister and burns it off. The swelling from the cold sore is gone within 24 hours. The scab forms but is very thin. It's gone in 2-3 days. There is a slight redness that sticks around for a short while. Some people are very sensitive to bleach - they should dilute the bleach or not use this method.
rating: 7 (5 votes)
Submitted by Tom at 2010-10-08 03:27:01
Well, ive had cold sores ever since middle school(im 18 now) and normally get them during the winter and over the years ive tried different ways to get rid of them quick and there's really no way to clear one in a day unless you catch it at the very start when the tingling sensation on your lip begins but thats normally not the first thing on your mind, also once you know you have a cold sore, KEEP YOUR HANDS & FINGERS AWAY FROM YOUR MOUTH believe me i know its tempting but if your looking for a quick recovery dont irritate it & touching it with your hands will piss that sucker off &risk spreading to other regions of the body, but anyway i found that the l-lysine is very helpful (& natural/pretty cheap for a lil tube that will last you awhile) once i know i have a cold sore i use that right away! MAKE SURE whenever you put either lysine or neosporin on your sore you go from the outter part to the part closer to your mouth,if do opposite you have the chance to spread it even more. (& NEVER take more from the tube if you already touched the sore! wash your hands every EVERY time your fingers come in contact with your sore.) >>Usually i can never catch a cold sore until after the tingling sensation and the little bisters have appeared, but what i found best to make your lips back to normal in less then a week is first, get a new toothbrush asap then once the sore is gone get another new toothbrush because you DONT want to risk getting one again after its been healed. >Washing the sore->when washing the cold sore make sure to wash your hands before & after with warm water & obviously soap, if you decided to use a wash cloth dont rub the sore to hard you'll jsut irritate it(>>DO NOT POP THE BLISTERS!<<), strictly!! if you use a washcloth, make sure you use it for your sore & NOTHING ELSE,DO NOT use that washcloth again until is been through the wash, when drying i find it easy to use a tissue to dry the sore simply because its disposable,soft and i dont have to worry about using it later it simply ends up in the trash, i do this because u can run into the problem of spreading if you dry your sore with a towel then dry your hands or use the towel later. >you need to make sure that anything you use to dry the sore you must NOT use again! (yes laundry is a pain in the ass but im sure youd rather have you lips cleared up) using the same towel only leaves the risk to spread! soo heres what i do> i'll leave some lysine on it during the day, ill usually re-apply it every few hours but if you feel like you need to switch it more then go right ahead, im sure it couldnt hurt & also i find it best to tottaly wash the sore before re-applying instead of just laying on another coat, after that comes the nighttime! & a good night sleep is always good & reccomended when you have a cold sore, but before i 'hit the hay' i hold a peice of ice on the sore for a minute or 2(until its completely numb & cant handle holding and icecube to the lip) then dry it (tissue) and cover sore with toothpaste it helps dry it out and you should deffinitly see results in the morning,dont get to excited it wont be gone but it will deffinitly not look the same as the day before(if it still looks the same BE PATIENT! & don't get stressed out), my day 2 of the sore>> if you have lysine cover the sore with it not a huge glob the more you add will not make it go away any faster!!, if you dont have lysine then cover it with neosporin i usually switch it up here and there but it's up to you. after doing that for atleast few days it will be gone:D & if not keep it up but you should see results (REMEMBER i am not a doctor) and all of our bodies are different so the time it takes for one person might not be the same for the next. >>ALSO some other things to help aid a quick recovery is try to stay away from soda,chocolate & nuts, and DO NOT DRINK ORANGE JUICE (atleast while you have a sore!)<<. Altho its healthy ive read somewhere that it just aids the cold sore but hey its up to you, drink water!, boring but it helps! its always good to get some execise too. Also try not to get stressed about the coldsore or problems that may come up during the time when you have a sore stress is a major contributer to coldsores.
i wish anyone who takes this into consideration or gives this a try the best of luck but remember be patient theres only so much you can do. i hope you have as much success as i do.
rating: 6 (32 votes)
Submitted by Sierra at 2011-10-01 06:50:32
I have been suffering from cold sores and fever blisters ever since I was a little girl. I swear by 3 things. Works every time and the sore is gone within 3 days. Hot water, Rubbing Alcohol( never tried this until my grandma suggested it.)and , Abreva.
1.) Wet a washcloth with hot water, as hot as you can stand it. Press it to the sore and leave there for at least 10-15 min. Doing this opens the sore and lets the fluid out.
2.) Let the sore dry. Next take a qtip and dip it into rubbing alcohol, apply to the sore and let it dry, it will sting but I swear it works.
3.) Finally dab Abreva on the area and rub it in well. Do this 4 or 5 times a day and your sore will be gone within 3 days :)
rating: 6 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2011-10-30 22:02:09
I got a cold sore on Monday and did not surface and become noticeable till Saturday. It was awful swollen bumpyand white. On Sunday i couldn't take it anymore so I boiled hot water and let them steam hit it then I dipped a towel in the water and placed it on the sore (make sure its really hot) then I placed a hot tea bag on it for about 20 mins and I know they say not to pick but I took all the white off (it was very loose) then lastly I put Abreva (follow directions) and Blistec every 30 mins on my lips It is now 10 pm Sunday and stil alil swollen but all the white is gone no scabs and in less then 12 hours I can go back in public :)
rating: 6 (12 votes)
Submitted by JLock at 2011-07-04 08:58:14
At first sign of a cold sore when you feel the tingling, this is the only time abreva will help, use just enough to cover the area and after a while nothing should appear, this is the only time abreva will work... Ive had them all my life and they usually came when it was time for pictures or if I talked about them, but I'd get a few a year, especially when we went to the beach, THE SUN! This was until I started taking lysine, ever since I started taking it, I haven't had any fever blisters, the only time I have is from being out in the sun and the abreva knocks that out on contact, so give it a try... If you aren't able to stop it at first, apple cider vinegar will be your new best friend and it also helps with a lot of other things too... Two tables spoons and a cup of water
rating: 6 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2010-03-28 23:54:24
I am on a break out spree right now..One after another! Probably 5 in the last 2 months! But after reading the causes. I am guilty of being sleep deprived and overdosing on Caffine and chocolate lately. This is the first time I have read about this contributing. But it makes total sense. I read ALL the suggestions and combined some to develope my own remedy that is working! First I ices it until the cube was gone then I crushed a Vit C tab up and instead of mixing it with water I used nail polish to make a paste, and spinkled lots of salt into the past. put it on the sores. gone in a DAY
rating: 6 (16 votes)
Submitted by Jenn at 2010-09-23 14:06:54
I've suffered along with all of you my entire life with cold sores. I get them on my lips and have tried everything: abreva, lysine lip balm, campho-phenique, CO2 Laser treatments, and I have come to the following conclusion: They will always be a part of my life. The only thing I have found that works and shortens healing time is Viroxyn, and we all know how expensive that stuff is (around $17 for a one-time use vial. And if you get new blisters, you need a new vial). HERE'S the best part: if you look at the ingredients of Viroxyn, it's alcohol and Benzalkonium Chloride 0.13% which is basically an antiseptic. You can pick up a bottle of rubbing alcohol cheap ($1) and you can get a 1 oz bottle of Benzalkonium Chloride 0.13% at Walgreens in the apothecary section under the name CureChrome for about $2. IT's THE EXACT SAME THING!
I start applying these two with q-tips when the blisters start and start taking L-Lysine 1000 mg throughout the day. The secret for me has been to break the blister carefully then apply alcohol then apply CureChrome. Basically making your own Viroxyn. (Even the directions on Viroxyn tell you apply more harshly so you get into the blister). They start to dry up immediately and start the healing phase. It burns a little, but so does the Viroxyn. Then let them dry out and leave them alone! No carmex, no chapstick, NO ANYTHING moist. If they stay moist, they can 'weep' more easily and spread.
I started getting 3 clusters of blisters on Tuesday morning and it's now Thursday morning--they're already healing, never got the disgustingly big blister stage and I predict will be completely gone in 2 days.
So if nothing else, if you love Viroxyn like I did but can't afford it, you can get a year's supply for under $5 at Walgreens with alcohol and CureChrome (exact same ingrediets in Viroxyn). I swear by L-Lysine once they come up and usually take Monolaurin every day to ward them off. (Of course I was out and ate lots of nuts and chocolate this time). I also swear by drying them out and leaving them alone! I don't put carmex or chapstick or anything on them until the scab is gone.
Good luck everyone!!
rating: 6 (37 votes)
Submitted at 2010-10-31 16:16:35
Right when you start to feel something drink lots of water. I mean 2-4 times as you usually drink. Stay hydrated at all times and it will heal very fast. Think about how when your dehydrated your lips get chapped, but then you drink water and they smooth out. Same applies to a cold sore. I've noticed that stressful times/being dehydrated caused my sores. I had a night of drinking were i become very dehydrated because of the alcohol and woke up with a sore. Also a Multivitamin helps along with applying ice at the beginning.
rating: 6 (10 votes)
Submitted by Kinix at 2010-03-24 13:21:56
I woke up with a cold sore this morning. I'm frantically trying to get rid of it asap because I don't want my crush to catch it. :) I know a way that will get rid of them, but I thought maybe someone had a faster way. So I tried a couple. In the end, I'm doing my way after all. Maybe it will help you.
My cold sore is in the early stages [huge relief]. But I have done this where it was huge before... it took longer, and I was confined to the house for a week, but it worked.
My mom told me one day 'If you have a pimple, you can use toothpaste on it. It will dry it out'. Well, when I started getting cold sores, I thought 'What would dry it out?' and came up with toothpaste. It's really simple... just dab a little bit of your toothpaste where ever the cold sore is. The toothpaste will dry up and dry out the cold sore.
Leave it on for as long as possible. If you have to go somewhere and you don't want to walk out with toothpaste on your face, use warm water to wash the toothpaste off. Be very careful when washing and toweling your face because it's very easy to pop those blisters.
If you DO happen to pop the blisters, quickly take a paper towel and cover the cold sore. The infection will seep into the paper towel. Keep switching positions with the paper towel so you're meeting the cold sore with fresh, uninfected paper towel. Make sure you keep that paper towel to the cold sore for a good hour or two, or at least until it's done oozing... you don't want the cold sores to spread, do you?
Avoid touching the cold sore with your hands. If it feels weird, it's probably healing. You could accidentally pop the blisters with your hands without meaning to and, unknowingly, spreading the cold sore. So leave it alone. Read a book. Go online. Let the toothpaste dry, and with it, the cold sore.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2007-11-28 22:00:26
As soon as you start to feel your cold sore coming put ice on it until its num....this works for me every time
rating: 6 (32 votes)
Submitted at 2011-09-07 11:54:16
Hi, I'd like to offer a word of warning about the fresh garlic option so many people have mentioned. I tried this and managed to turn a small cold sore into something that looks like a chemical burn and is about the size of a quarter. (!!!) I pressed a slice of fresh garlic to the sore, and managed to make it much worse. I think it did actually help the cold sore, but if you're trying this, use a tiny bit of garlic juice on a q-tip to not get any on the surrounding lip. I just used a whole slice, and I think this is what caused the red, swollen horribleness I have now.
I haven't heard anyone mention Releev. I've found that if you catch the sore at the very first tingle, Releev will make it not actually happen. Pricey, but has worked many times for me. This one got through the early warning system, sadly.
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2006-06-15 19:11:41
When you first fell a cold sore coming take Lysine Tablets, 2 tablets 3 times a day. Starts fighting off the cold sore before it forms. Also put the Lysine topical cream on. Helps it from getting really big and helps it heal up really fast!
rating: 6 (72 votes)
Submitted by Barb at 2011-11-14 10:28:22
Ok so this is the fastest i have ever gotten out my house with a cold sore and felt semi comfurtable.
1) The ice thing helps! Hold it on your cold sore till it melts. I put mine in a plastic zip lock
2) 800 miligrams of IB Profen and 1000 milligrams of lysen. Take it right away.
3) peroxide the blisters. After you liberaly aply the peroxide take a small needle and pop the blisters and put a fresh bunch of peroxide on with a cotton swab and hold and push all the puss out onto the cotton ball.
4) Then put baking soda on the sore it pulls out any puss left in the sores. Repeat the ice and peroxide and baking soda agian.
I am going out the door now and my cold sore has no blisters and is barely swollen. Only took an hour and a half!!!
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2005-11-07 17:07:44
When you feel it starting to come out take a Q-tip and soak an end in mouthwash.Next apply the soaked end to it and hold for several minutes.I use this all the time and find it works best.
rating: 6 (60 votes)
Submitted at 2011-07-03 12:13:15
I think this remedy is a new one, but the best one so far I have found. I have tried everything. No BS! I hate cold sores! Everyone does!
There is a company called Star Scientific that has a over the counter stop smoking aid called CigRx. I got it on Amazon. It's in pill form that you let disolve in your mouth. Just recently people taking the CigRx stated that it also was taking away other inflammation ailments. My wife stopped smoking by taking these so hearing the reduced inflammation stories I decided to try CigRx as soon as I felt the cold sore comming out and put two tablets in between my gums and cheek and let them disolve.
To my astonishment the cold sore still came but absolutly no swelling or pain. It just looked like a very small red spot. No swelling, no blisters. Gone the same day. Wow1 Absolutly no BS. I called the company about these results and they stated they are currently doing a major study on the inflammation thing at Johns Hopkins University and the Rosekamp Institute in Sarasotta Fl.So there is something to this. I I finally now have a new cold sore remedy that really works. No kidding. Good luck and God Bless!
rating: 6 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-12 15:19:27
I'm 28 and about 3 weeks ago got my first ever cold sore. All of the websites are right about the primary infection being the worst! Pharyngitis, secondary bacterial infection led to facial cellulitis, massive facial swelling...just all around terrible experience. Thanks to everyone on this site for the great tips.
I purchased an arsenal of stuff from walgreens and found that Nexcare ($15 for tiny tube) worked great for me even with a secondary bacterial infection slowing the healing process even more. I used it on the scab (when I finally got one) and it moistens it up really quickly and I noticed it did begin to speed things along. It applies white but becomes transparent and absorbs really quickly so no need to rub it in risking removing the scab too early.
rating: 6 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2011-03-03 19:39:07
I AM A BELIEVER!!! I am a 45 year old that can remember getting cold sores since I was 7-8 years old. I use to get them quite often growing up (1-2 per year) but since adulthood they have decreased to about 1 breakout every 3-4 years. When they show up...STOP THE WORLD AND LET ME OFF!!! They usually appear as a large cluster on my bottom lip that takes AT LEAST 2 weeks to heal. They are so embarrassing I feel like if I don't make eye contact with anyone I can't see them staring at me and I won't see their expressions of 'wow...how long has he been living with that secret?' Well, I went to bed feverish with the flu on Sunday night. Took Monday/Tuesday off to suffer in bed. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse I woke up Tuesday with a full blown lump of clusters on my lip. I've tried Abreva, Campho Phenique, Alcohol, and ice in the past with no real success. Abreva has probably worked the best, but I had to catch it at the first tingle just to get the healing time down to 10-11 days. UGGGHHH!!! I felt desperate. Thank you all for your stories and remedies. I'm on day 3 as I write this and my cold sore looks as if I'm on day 9 or 10! The difference in what I had done in the past is just plain dilligence and a lot of hope.
Since I was already scheduled to be off work for a few days because of the flu. I sent my wife to the store (I WASN'T LEAVING THE HOUSE!) armed with a loaded debit card nad ready to buy every remedy that I hadn't tried yet. I had her buy L-lysine pills (1000mg) and zinc (50mg) and my very average friend Abreva. While she was out I was raiding her cabinet for the nail polish remover. This is what I did.
1. I dabbed the nail polish remover for a few minutes but soon scrapped that idea. As desperate as I was, I thought I would go back to it if the other stuff didn't work (I was more afraid of any side effects from it), but the fact remains, I did try it once.
2. I got a sandwich bag of ice and sterilized a needle. I carefully poked one tiny hole in each blister to release the pus. I cleaned it immediately with peroxide then I applied the ice for about 30 minutes. The ice soothes the pain, slows the inflammation, localized fever and swelling. The trick is to minimize the virus from destroying more tissue than it's capable of. So don't let it fester!
3. Hydrate!!! Since I started popping L-lysine and zinc pills (1 ea per day) I figured I need plenty of water to disperse it into my system quickly...and water is soooo good for skin repairs...especially the eyes and mouth. So I drank two gallons of water each day for 3 straight days.
4. I cleaned it 3 times per day with hydrogen peroxide (let it soak) for about 15 min each time before I topped it with an ample amount of Abreva.
5. Before going to bed, ice again for 30 minutes and clean well with peroxide. The last thing I tried that was different...I put a gob of Mary Kay acne treatment gel on it. Most acne medications come in 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. Mary Kay's is 5%. I dont' know if that makes a huge difference but it's what I had.
Today is day 3. After giving it a thorough dousing of peroxide, the the blistered part of the skin wiped off easily. Usually underneath the blister is a wound deep enough that would bleed if the skin came off too soon but this time it's minimal. The way it looks, I should be completely healed in about 2 more days. Never, and I mean NEVER have I recovered from a cold sore in less than a week. If I were 20 yrs old I could probably be completely healed in 3 days, but 5 days at 45 yrs old ain't too bad either! Good Luck to you all and thanks for showing me the way to a speeding recovery!!!
rating: 6 (14 votes)
Submitted by Nicole at 2010-02-23 21:46:03
To get rid of cold sores:
as soon as u feel it grab an ice cube tell it's numb then grab a q-tip and soak it in nailpolish remover( it will sting) Repeat as often as u like. It stops the sore from growing!!
I use it all the time hope it works!
rating: 6 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2010-03-18 14:02:52
When it blisters...take a vitamin C pill, crush it, dab a little water to the powdered vitamin C till it becomes like toothpaste. Take a q-tip and apply a small amount of the vitamin C paste to the affected area and it'll heal by the next day...(side note, it will burn, but only for a short while.)
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-09 12:57:23
Ok so let's just think about what a cold sore actually is before we try and understand how to rid of them. Facts:
- Cold sores are an expression of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1.
- Most common causes of cold sores are stress, fever due to the common cold, flu, etc, and exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun.
- A virus can not be cured or treated, only relieved.
So step one, STOP STRESSING. Yes, cold sores are embarrassing and unattractive but over 80% of the world suffers from HSV1 and have no choice but to sympathize with you. Since cold sores are caused by a virus and not a bacterial infection, things like rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, salt, and so on, are not actually curing the cold sore. They are just burning and drying out your lips. This, along with popping the cold sore as if it was a pimple, does nothing except cause scabbing, redness, more irritation and possible infection, making it more and more noticeable. Additionally, touching the cold sore increases your chance of spreading it. The best way I've found to deal with a cold sore is to ignore it. Take OTC medicines such as Aspirin or Tylenol to control any fever. This also helps with the pain of the cold sore and when the pain subsides you will feel a hundred times better because the pain itself makes it feel worse than it actually is. As for swelling, Advil is an anti-inflammatory drug. Also the hot-cold method with ice can help ease swelling and pain. The cold sore will pop on its own without you having to touch it. After this the healing phase naturally occurs and you will be looking and feeling better in a few days. Unfortunately, there is no miracle or quick fix method to get rid of a cold sore. So just sit back and accept the fact that almost everyone gets them and try not to let it take over your life. The plus side, a single strain of a virus cannot occur twice; therefor, with every cold sore you get, your chances of getting another become less and less frequent. Were only human and nobody's perfect!
rating: 6 (37 votes)
Submitted by A voice at 2009-05-19 22:01:47
I am a 35 year old man who has sufferd from cold sores for my entire life. Alcohol for me is the only way I have found that will decrease the time to heal (scar fast and apply neosporine).
I have excepted my condition and try and not stress about it... This always helps.
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted by jello at 2009-05-31 21:47:32
I discovered today my greatest remedy. I have used
all the usual topicals and orals but on a whim I
applied my acne med - 5% benzoyl peroxide
and it took down a new blister within 1/2 an
hour. I 've applied it all day regularily and I don't
have a raised blister at all, just a tender spot. I guess the antiinfective properties to B.P. are effective with
viruses too. Much faster than all the others.
Good luck
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted by victorious at 2011-03-03 12:00:23
I am a 30 year old woman who has suffered from cold sores for as long as I can remember. Thanks to the Internet I found a few helpful tips but the best one I stumbled upon on my own. Proactiv repairing treatment! I've tried abreva, tea bags, nail polish remover (that one does help but it burns my nose), even weird, health food store oils that cost too much, make a mess, and leave me smelling awful. The best and fastest thing is definitely the Proactiv. It takes the redness and swelling down overnight, leaving me with just a scab on day 3, a feat that would be unheard of in the past. I'm already to the point where I can cover it up with a little concealer and get out of the house. As a long time sufferer, I've moped for weeks in the past thinking I was hideous but thanks to Proactiv, I feel much better. Also, I think you could use any benzoyl peroxide cream, I only use Proactiv because I have access to it. There's no need to sign up for a year's supply for one cold sore unless you also suffer from acne. In which case, get it ASAP.
rating: 6 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2010-11-04 20:29:42
I am 45, had these since middle school also. I used to get them bad, multiple with spreading and bubbly. Finally after having to go to the ER for the first time because of a terrible flare I decided to do research by looking online, talking and reading other suffer's remedies and experiences I found out how to cut my cold sores down to 3-4 a year and very short, barely into beginning stages. For me I have food triggers which are anything citrus, oranges, lemons, limes etc. Back when I had them bad I used to love eating lemons by themselves (no wonder I had so many cold sores). Also I cannot drik citrus drinks like mellow yellow, 7-up, sprite, and variations of those. Also no citrus juices, no lemonade. Coffee is a trigger for me as well and alcohol is a terrible trigger for me. Nuts are very bad triggers for me. Also excessive caffeine. I drink soda with it in but not the ones with extra caffeine. By cutting those foods and drinks out has really helped me. The sun is a terrible trigger for me. Again back when I got cold sores bad I was tanning like mad hence all the sores. Every year we go to Florida and every year I got a cold sore (bummer) only to find out it was from the sun and tanning and beach. I even tried SPF lip balm and that did not work. Also I drank on vacation, so alcohol and sun is a no no. I also get them with stress. Rarely have stress but recently family member in hospital, sure enough got one. Also can get them with weather changes in seasons and with colds. The one thing that has been a miracle for me in combination with avoiding my triggers is Neosporin, not Neosporin lip treatment, just neosporin ointment or lotion. Both work but I like the lotion, and either one get the Plus pain relief because that stops those tinglys you with get with cold sores. Whenever I feel my lips getting that chapped feeling I keep the neosporin on, applying every other hour and at night I put a whole glob on before I got to sleep, same thing with the second day, it stops the spread and it never gets into the big bubbly stage, usually just looks like a pimple, maybe a few more small dots but by day 3 its already starting to dry up and I dont put neosporin on it so it can dry out. Also no mouthwash with alcohol in it and no toothpaste with Sodium Laureth Sulfate in it. These things have really helped me so much that I thought I would share what I learned.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2004-07-14 22:19:37
Take L-lysine, found in the vitamin aisle. Take it as soon as you feel the tingle. Take 3 times a day. Usually the cold sore never develops.
rating: 6 (116 votes)
Submitted at 2005-06-15 09:54:27
My great grandmother has always told me to put fingernail polish remover on my cold sores to dry them out and that has always worked for me. It stings a bit at first but then goes away. You have to repeat it a quite a few times each day until it is gone.
rating: 6 (99 votes)
Submitted by katie at 2010-07-12 00:42:18
I have been getting cold sores for 15 years & always right before an important occasion. I have tried it all Lysine Abreva ect. Nothing works. I have found a new way. TREATMENT:
As soon as you feel the 'tingle' take 3 Valtrex & ice. Repeat these until gone. Also I apply Camphor & Kenolog Orbase(Rx Oral steroid) I alternate them until gone. I also load up on vitamins. I get lots of rest & stay away from nuts & chocolate. They are high in Arginine wich triggers cold sores.
rating: 6 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-21 21:53:47
I woke up this morning and had a tiny blister! I don't get cold sores often, maybe one every 2-3 years. When I eat alot of acidity foods I get them. As soon as I felt it I iced it with one ice cube wrapped in a napkin until the ice was completely melted. Next I used a q-tip and soaked it in acetone nail polish remover and pressed it right on top of the blister for about 5 minutes. Next I apply a generous amount of abreva on it. I do this about 5-6 times throughout the day. It's already a flat little red spot. No blister, no more puss, no scabbing. I used to have the worst sores that would last about 2 weeks and were super super inflamed. It would make my entire lip fat and swollen. Now everytime I get one this is my regimen and it's great!!!!
rating: 6 (7 votes)
Submitted by amya ricks at 2004-11-08 14:17:08
Now this might sound horrible, but when you feel a cold sore forming put ear wax on it and it will never grow. My whole family does this and it works great.
rating: 6 (53 votes)
Submitted by Holly at 2004-12-23 20:45:23
Want to dry up and heal a cold sore? Dab rubbing alcohol on it several times a day.This stings a bit for a few seconds...but works like a charm!
rating: 6 (98 votes)
Submitted by SG at 2005-01-14 13:42:34
Take a Lysine supplement once a day to prevent cold sores.
rating: 6 (48 votes)
Submitted by Ethan at 2009-02-26 18:27:32
I'm 18 and i've been having cold sores forever. They are embarrassing and just painful at times. My remedies are the following. When I feel the tingling feeling I start to pop the little bumps/ blisters. Some people say it will spread infecting but ive been doing this for a long time. *AS SOON AS I POP THE BLISTERS* I put an ice cube on it to relive the pain and swelling. After the ice cub I usually put salt on the cold sore. Yes it does burn for a bit but that's a good sign. The salt is tryin to lessen the infection. Usually after I do this. It will scab in the matter of 2 hours. When it scabs I usually try to keep it as moist as possible to stop the scaring. Picking the scab will just make it bleed and scar. No matter what you are going to have a cold for atleast 3 days but these remedies can help you lessen your problem
rating: 6 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2011-08-23 01:03:35
I hate cold sores, they come whenever I don't drink enough water or when I become stressed. What works for me is:
1. When you feel tingling immediately apply zinactin b. sold online 6.00 or calamine lotion. This lotion is a drying agent. It's pink so at night is when you want to apply as much as you can. Go for the thick content.
2. If your sore is blistering, I would suggest popping it with a needle, cotton alcohol(burns a little).Then apply more calamine.
3. Zinactin B works as a brown cover over the blister and dries it immediately it hurts but it works. 3 days tops..Good luck!
rating: 6 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2010-07-31 15:17:07
I've been getting cold sore since i was a little kid and have done just about everything to get rid of those unsightly buggers. I typically get them on my lip (upper and lower) but have gotten them on my face and even my chin once! I recently got one on my face and it was HUGE! I decided to try a different technique other than my usual method.
Normally I would apply ice directly for 20 minutes at first sight then apply campho-phenique. I would do this 3 to 4 times a day. It works great but i wanted to speed up the process. I went to a pharmacy and bought SPIRIT OF CAMPHOR. I followed my typical regimine but this time after the ice applicaton I dipped a q-tip in the spirits and held that to the sore for a good 20 mintues. IT DRIED THAT THING UP IN A DAY OR SO!!
So try it out!! It may just work for you!!
3 to 4 times a day:
ICE-20 minutes
SPIRIT OF CAMPHOR-20 minutes
Apply campho-phenique after.
1-2 days it will dry up. With drying brings a scab so at night i applyed AQUAPHOR. Stuff is AWESOME. Got the sore on Wednesday.. It's now Saturday and I have a red spot where the sore used to be (nothing a little consealer cant cover up!) Wash the sore with a mild soap in the morning. Hope it works for you!!
rating: 6 (11 votes)
Submitted by Not poxy no mo at 2011-01-19 11:39:55
Fastest accidental cure: Going swimming for a couple of hours with a stubborn nasty crusty cold sore. (yes, this is why pools are chlorinated to begin with!---couldn't avoid it, had to take kids)
The MILD chlorine solution (the pool) seemed to be at the correct concentration to completely shrink the beast and dry it up. It barely even scabbed after that.
So in addition to the usual ice and diet strategies, try a swimming-pool type gentle chlorine soak. Hold a cool wet cotton puff against the mess as long as you can.
Have also had success with honey, which can be applied to absolutely any sore, scrape, cut, gouge -- with great success. It used to be called battlefield medicine and even terrible gashes were simply filled with honey or sugar.
rating: 6 (15 votes)
Submitted by chelsea at 2011-03-07 21:53:15
I get cold sores when im stressed, so in other words, frequently.
This is my remedy.
I cant catch it when it supposedly tingles. i just wake up with a puss filled disaster. First i rub campho phenique on it. let dry. then i pop half a lysine pill. one pill per day. then i mash up a lysine pill to little granulated specks put a little water in it. and use the lysine water and rub it on the sore for like 10 min. It will dry and feels like you cant move your lip. after i wash it off. Put campho phenique on it again multiple times throughout the night. the next day i use nail polish remover and witch hazel and douse my sore with it. at this point i will ice it all throughout the day. switch up the remedies mentioned above, and three days later its gone! dont ever let it sit on your lip with nothing over top it will groww biigg. keep up with the remedies and it will die in three days
rating: 6 (20 votes)
Submitted by Melissa at 2005-09-08 11:10:55
My Doctor suggested this and it works like a charm. Take a tube of chap stick PLAIN flavored , break open a capsule of benadryl and sprinkle the powder on the top of the chap stick , rub on the cold sore so as to make a paste of balm and benadryl powder. First day will dry it up ...and within 3 days no sign of a cold sore at all!!!! taaaaaaaaaaaa dahhhhhhhhhh
rating: 6 (109 votes)
Submitted at 2005-08-01 17:18:58
My Dad swears blind that putting aftershave on a cold sore a few times a day dries it out and gets rid of it quick.
rating: 6 (54 votes)
Submitted by kay at 2010-04-08 00:40:17
to remove a cold sore quickly, get burts bees acne treatment. its all natural so thats why i like it. pop the blister and put the acne treatment on. it does burn like a mofo! but it works. i used it and my cold sore was gone in one day. amazing stuff. and it works on acne too so you get two for one!!!
rating: 6 (17 votes)
Submitted at 2011-10-30 17:01:21
Okay so I started getting this about a year ago and since that was my first time I thought it was a pimple and kept touching it and spread it to at least 10 open soars, and since I had finals I had to go to school. Worst week of my life no questions asked. They came back last friday( today is sunday) So i went on here friday night when I noticed them. It was one big one with a few smaller ones around it. I started out using Campho Phenique over the night but it didn't do much of a difference, because when I woke up on saturday morning it had gotten a little bit worse. I iced it for a little bit then went out and bought rubbing alcohol and Lysine. I used a needle and popped the ones that had fluid, drenched all of it. Used rubbing alcohol after , then kept using rubbing alcohol for a few hours which i eventually mixed with salt for ultimate drying effect. Sure it burnt but its nothing compared to your friends reactions when they see the cold sores. Anyway I kept putting rubbing alcohol and salt on it all saturday and by saturday night it was nothing but a small scab which now on sunday night is not too bad. Remember to not touch them too much and spread them because that will have major consequences. Also eat Lysine if you can both during the outbreak and prior if you feel one coming. I also made sure to get a lot of sleep and drank a lot of water and tried not eating anything to fatty or unhealthy. Im very pleased with my results and I can go back to school with nothing to worry about. from blisters to scabs in one day is such a relief. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.
rating: 6 (17 votes)
Submitted by DJ at 2011-04-01 22:20:29
Weapons needed: Abreva, Ice, L-Lysinse, Clear strip bandaids.
First sign of cold sore I take 2 L-Lysine daily one when I wake up and one at night. Then I ice the sore for and hour taking a break every 5 minutes. Apply abreva 5 times daily. At bed time I take a glob of it and put it on the sore that I put the bandaid ontop so the cream doesn't rub off while I'm sleeping.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted by Mary at 2005-07-27 14:38:02
I make a salt paste with just plain salt and water and smear it on my cold sores this waorks great for me scabs by the end of the day and you can use it in any phase of the cold sore.
rating: 6 (61 votes)
Submitted by Kandice at 2011-11-18 17:17:08
Here's the thing, unless you catch your cold sore before it happens, (which obviously hard enough) you're in for at least a week of being miserable. Ice does help the first tingly day. Second day sucks the worst, lots of ib profen and lysine and abreva. after that it's basically just management. keep it clean, use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol before applying medication. I use abreva and campho phenique alternately. DO NOT pop the blisters, it can make the virus spread or slow down the healing process. I know it feels like your the only one who gets them or like it will last forever when they come, but be patient, don't try some of these other crazy remedies. They are like colds which you just have to 'ride them out.' My big thing is every night I use calendula cream on my lips before I go to bed whether I have a cold sore or not. I now only get cold sores maybe once a year, when I used to get them every four months. Keep strong everyone!
rating: 6 (18 votes)
Submitted at 2005-05-20 07:44:23
Dab Tea Tree Oil on it several times a day. Works very good!!
rating: 6 (41 votes)
Submitted by EffBee at 2008-11-06 17:46:39
OKAY!!...here goes
so just yesterday around 2 i felt tingling on my lip..and to my thought i was right!! yet ANOTHER coldsore. (Ive been having them since i was about 8?? and im 20 now..)
anyway...i felt so bad because the guy ive been talkin to is coming to visit tomorrow*(out of town). and since i hadnt seen him for about a year i wasnt gonna let a coldsore ruin it.
so as soon as i felt the tingling i quickly grabbed sum apple cider vinigar and dipped a cotton ball n put salt on it.. i kinda poked the little bubbles that coldsores usually pop out ur lip with a needle.(absolutley painless) since its filled with pus/water ??? well in order for the vinegar n salt to take affect i wanted to make sure that it started attacking the root of the coldsore. it immediately stopped growing (yes it was kinda painful but i really want to see this guy..lol)
so after 20 mins i grabbed a lemon n put more salt on it and did the same.. put it on the sore till the stingin stopped. eventually it was night so i put toothpaste n slept on it..
this morning it was already scabbing! yet when i closed my lips together i still felt a bump. so i put vaseline to moistorize it then applied more vinegar w salt.. then dabbed a little milk i let it rest. then rubbed alcohol in it. let it rest. then the nail polish remover..let it rest. and finally got a garlic clover smashed it into pieces grabbed one of the pieces n pressed it on the sore till it stopped stinging(it stings more than the alcohol/or nailpolish remover)but stinging only means that it takin effect. so i just put the clover down and it is 2pm so basically it took me 24 hours to remove it COMPLEATELY.. i can press my lips together n i dont feel not even a tiny scabb!!. YES its a little red but nothin a lil lip gloss cant cover!! =D tomorrow my boy will come and the redness will only get better!!!
HOPE I HELPED!!
yess it was a nonstop prosses but real results only mean REAL work!!
rating: 6 (30 votes)
Submitted by LaDonna at 2010-04-03 22:22:32
This is the only remedy you will ever need & I discovered it myself & have shared it with friends & family ..Go to pharmacy .Order PURE 'Spirit of Camphor' Some pharmacies have it already.Not Campho-phenique ! Dip cotton swab in bottle to wet. Important: Press it against coldsore at first sign of one & hold it firmly on it till it burns & your eyes will water..No light dabbing..Do this as many times as you can stand it..You MUST keep dipping swab in Spirit of Camphor & pressing on that rotten cold sore & it will kill the virus deader than a doornail..You will be very impressed & will never use anything else. P.S. It's CHEAP,easily available & it WORKS !!!! The brand my drugstore orders for me is HUMCO Camphor Spirit USP (alcohol 84% ) There may be other brands ,too.. One bottle is between $3.00 -$4.00 and lasts for a long, long time..No one needs to spend money & time on useless meds..By the way, it works immediately ..I hope lots of people read this & spread the word..May be able to even order it online I'm pretty sure of that !!
rating: 6 (25 votes)
Submitted by marisa at 2006-09-06 09:25:37
try putting spirit of camphor onto the sore when it has blistered; it will sting and go red but will really dry the sore nicely
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted by KatBat at 2011-10-13 19:11:18
So on Tuesday morning, two days ago, I woke up with a nasty cold sore. I am one of those people who usually just wakes up with them, no tingle warnings.
I HATE cold sores. They are so embarrassing, I want to crawl into a cave an hide until it is gone. I've been getting them my entire life! Anyway, I have tried literally every remedy out there! Usually my sores will last 1.5-2 weeks to heal completely. This time I tried a different attack method (I normally used abreva and rubbing alcohol), and I am now on my 3rd day and my cold sore should be fully gone by tomorrow.
1. I iced the sore until the swelling went down and it wasn't so painful.
2. I popped the sore (i know people say not to, but I swear this helped me), and immediately dried up the fluid
3. Dab the sore with rubbing alcohol then apply a mineral foundation powder to to keep drying the sore. Continue icing throughout the day and applying alcohol and foundation to dry the sore.
4. Before going to sleep make a mixture of toothpaste, salt, and a crushed up l-lysine pill.
5. By the next day, the sore was scabbed over. I am moisturizing it with carmex, the scab came off (it was not bleeding or anything) and it is healing well. I also put abreva around the area of the sore, so that I don't get a new infection.
This is seriously the shortest time I've ever had a coldsore for! Also make sure you are taking l-lysine (I take 8 500 mg tablets a day...4 in the morning 4 at night), vitamin b, and a multivitamin. Drink lots of water as well!!!! Hope this helps someone :-)
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2011-11-29 02:43:24
I have been suffering with terrible cold sore outbreaks ever since I was about 3 years old. My blisters are HUGE and I have been suffering from chronic cold sores every two weeks or so for the past 4 months. I have literally tried EVERYTHING: L-lysine, vitamin B, C and D, tea tree oil, valtrex, zovirax, and every single over the counter treatment you can imagine... Nothing really worked, and it would take at least 2 weeks for the sore to heal. Today I had a presentation to do, and of course a cold sore decided to pop up overnight. I finally decided to try something new... it might seem drastic to some, but acetone nail polish remover works WONDERS! The second I noticed the blister I took L-lysine and then let an ice cube melt on the sore. Then I used a q-tip and applied acetone nail polish remover for about 10-15 seconds. It is going to burn, but let it dry. I then applied a small amount of benzoyl peroxide acne medication, and let that dry. I have repeated these steps throughout the day, and my cold sore for the first time in my entire life is almost gone within the first day. I've also noticed it helps to not keep the sore moisturized with things like carmex. Let the sore dry out as much as possible!!!! I really hope this helps someone out there :).
rating: 6 (22 votes)
Submitted by Cindy Frederick at 2011-10-08 02:11:44
Earwax from your own ears! Dries those nasty little blisters right up.
rating: 6 (15 votes)
Submitted by Cerbs at 2007-04-15 06:15:44
I use 1500 Mgs a day of L-Lysine, and nearly 3,000 mgs of Vitamin C. The sore will stop growing; perhaps a bit of weeping; not much. But it will remain painless; but an eyesore.
Also; I was recently prescribed Valtrex because of frequent outbreaks. I have terrible skin and am prone to dry skin, especially chapped lips even with alot of balm use. However, the Valtrex combined with my normal treatment was nearly amazing. It didn't scab immediately; but was completely painless. Even as it scabbed it remained soft and did not hurt a bit. Shortened my normal healing time from about 5 to 3 days.
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted by Rachel at 2011-12-28 17:01:47
When I first started getting cold sores, I would get sores all over the inside of my mouth and it would make it very hard to eat. I lost 15 lbs right away and kept having recurrences every few weeks. I started to look for anything natural to help because I was also nursing a baby at the time. I went to a natural doctor who told me about GSE, (Grapefruit Seed Extract). It is a liquid concentrate. I started taking 15 drops of it 3 times a day in Soy milk (because that is the only thing that can cover its strong, bitter taste), and after a week my sores started to go away. He told me to do that for 3 months and then reduce the dose to once a day for another month. I followed his instructions and soon, they stopped coming back. They do come back maybe once a year if I am low on sleep and extremely stressed, but I start taking GSE immediately when I feel them coming on, and they so away within a day or two.
rating: 6 (9 votes)
Submitted by shannon z at 2005-10-12 10:29:56
i take the lysine tablets when i feel a cold sore coming on. i take about 3500 mg a day and also i found this new lip balm that is called morgans lysine lip balm as many times a day that i remember. it took my 1 day to get them dried out. this has been a real life saver. i get about 5-10 cold sores about 2 times a month and this has been the best thing for me. good luck
rating: 6 (11 votes)
Submitted by Jeff at 2011-02-14 13:55:35
CVS pharmacy makes a single application cold sore remedy.2 for 15 dollars. I always have this in my house. Put it on as soon as you have a tingle and 4 out of 5 times it will not even surface. I have had theses things for years and tried just about every product out there. Abreva worked for me three times and then never again. Same with Campho-phenique. The L-lysine is also great on a daily basis. I hope this hellps cause I know just how horrible these things are.Sun block and moisturize your lips, dont drink out of other peoples glasses EVER and take your L-lysine. Hope this helps.
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2005-09-08 14:46:13
The two things that i find help if a cold sore has already formed is applying a tea bag to it and using Eucalyptus oil. This seems to dry it out within a day.
rating: 6 (26 votes)
Submitted at 2006-06-09 14:22:39
hand sanitizer directly on the cold sore. it burns very little bu dries it up quick.
rating: 6 (61 votes)
Submitted by Rachele at 2008-01-03 03:45:40
cold sore ...I had a huge cold sore that started on my side of my mouth. very painful & the side of my face ached. I put diclofenac 3% in deep cold gel on it & within a couple hours it had stopped aching & at the end of the day everyone told me how much it had shrunk in size. I put it on 4 or 5 times a day. Inbetween that I used witch hazel. I have tried all the other over the counter cold sore items nothing has ever helped like this!!
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted by sky at 2008-09-02 11:59:59
when you have one of the cold sores on your tongue, put salt on it and gargle salty water then spit it out put an ice cube on it for about 10 minutes, it will hurt a bit, then brush your teeth with minty toothpaste and use minty mouthwash, repeat this once a day until your sores are gone, this i find works the best.
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted by 888888888888888 at 2009-10-16 18:15:41
when you have a cold sore the best thing to do is buy a tube of carmex and a tube of fast drying campho phenique it works the best. but use it after you but a tea bag on the sore
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted by Goat at 2009-11-28 16:38:38
I woke up friday morning with a cold sore. I started with the ice method (about 3 times), then used a little tea tree oil, then a bit of Sovereign Silver first aid gel (colloidal silver)and before bed, I put a little Weleda Salt Toothpaste on it. When I woke up the next morning there was almost no sign of a cold sore at all. My lips were a bit chapped but that's all. I'd say this is what has worked the fastest and the most effectively for me, ever.
rating: 6 (8 votes)
Submitted by kidkey at 2010-01-25 09:01:03
This site was very help full. I tried mostly all the remedies I could tolerate. The ice trick, the nail polish, the hand sanitizer. I even tried Vick Vapor Rub. I have been getting cold sores since I was 10 years old. How ever they hadn't started coming back until I became an adult. I discovered I had server food allergies which can sometime trigger these attacks. I picked up this product from Duane Reid that worked quickly and effectively. It's called Medicated Campho-Phenique cold sore treatment with Drying Action. It began to work in a matter of hours. Give it a try. I hope this was helpful.
rating: 6 (6 votes)
Submitted by Erin at 2010-02-16 09:31:22
as soon as u feel the tingle get nail polish remover on it . keep applying constantly . wen it blisters get a needle and pop them rub the nail polish remover on it. once it starts to scab i use calamine lotion. this is unreal as it continues to dry up . this work the best for me
rating: 6 (9 votes)
Submitted by Stephen at 2010-11-27 17:03:13
Hello, like everyone on here, I have suffered with Cold Sores most of my life. I used to get 2 or 3 a year, but I started taking L-Lysine twice a day (1000mg a day 1500 if I'm anxious) and I have gone as long as 2-and-a-half years without an outbreak. I recently got one a few months ago, but I'm fairly certain it was because I started taking a supplement loaded with Argenine, which zaps lysine. Obviously I stopped taking the supplement, so now I'm going to see how long I go this time.
That's the best advice I can give, along with don't bother the sore once it comes up. I load up on Lysine once it starts (maybe 3000mg) and leave it alone. Messing with it only causes inflamation in my experience. Good Luck to all, and somebody hurry up and cure these things!!
rating: 6 (12 votes)
Submitted by Jo at 2011-02-13 22:19:26
I have been using Abreva - really only shortens my cold sore by 1-2 days. When I got my second cold sore of the year just one week after my last one, I was frustrated - how much longer can I stay cooped up in the house??
So I found this site and tried alternating the acetone and ice every hour on the blisters. When it started drying, I put petroleum jelly on it. Gone in 5 days, WITHOUT the gross scabbing!!! OK, so it did not disappear in 3 days, as with some people, but 5 days is a MIRACLE compared with my 14 days!! AND there was NO disgusting scabbing!!!
Thanks for all who posted the tip on acetone. Forget the Abreva - that $15 tube has NOTHING on the $1 nail polish remover!!
rating: 6 (10 votes)
Submitted by BLISTER-BUSTER at 2011-09-14 18:39:51
Ok Quick and easy home remedy that packs almost all of the suggested remedies into one is:
1.Take a plate and put a Dot of Honey in the middle size of a penny
2. Crush up L-Lysine tablet into powder and add on top of honey
3. Crush up a small Aspirin tablet into powder and add on top of honey
4.put one drop of Apple Cider Vineger on honey
5. FInally stir all the ingredients into a thick chalky paste and apply to blister. I am doing it now and have noticed in just half a day that 50% of the swelling has gone down from the Aspirin and is begining the healing process.
Also drink alot of lemon/lime/orange(real) juice w/ water and eat a small clove of garlic sliced with apple cider vinegar and your blister will be gone in 2-3 days
This is a 'pain free' method which avoids all the popping, oozing, and medications. Good luck
rating: 6 (13 votes)
Submitted by Mike at 2011-09-21 05:34:47
Ok so i been plagued with cold sores since i was young but i recently found a way to put an end to it if caught fast eough and a way to reduce the amount of times you get these monsters. AT the first tingling you feel immediately hit that sucker with some ice numb it up i usually use on ice cube in a paper towel. Then i take a bunch of L-Lysine tablets which i bought from walmart for $4 and a garlic tablet I also bought from walmart for $4. Also take a garlic pill cut it open and put it on the cold sore it will prevent it from ever coming up no bubbles no scabbing nothing just looks like it might come through but it never does and withing a few hours I saw the sore completely go away. I also think the main ingredient here is a positive outlook stay calm dont stress and forget about it and it will go away along with the garlic and lysine. Worked for me and I am a server at a restaurant and trust me no one wants a server with a fat cold sore.
L-Lysine and Garlic pills especially if you dont have health insurance to get Acyclovir or Valtrex which is the ultimate best
and take L-Lysine pills daily to prevent or limit the outbreaks
rating: 6 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2011-11-11 07:33:11
i had 1 huge scab and 3 huge bumps filled w puss! i read everybody's remedies and used an idea my mom gave me and it worked to get all the puss out and most of the scab healed fast! wrap an ice cube in a paper towel and hold it on ur sores until the cube melts. then take a Q-tip dip in skin oil and apply to sores. i used a new qtip side every sore. did it right before bed and when i woke up i was puss free!!!
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by SharonMeansKaren at 2011-03-06 01:48:24
Sulfodene 3 way ointment FOR DOGS, LOL! The stuff works great will stop blisters from forming if caught soon enough,if blistered use 3xs a day will heal within 3days. The label says not for human use! Main ingredients are menthol, benzocaine,salicylic acid, tea tree, citronella,thyme & clove oils, benzalknonium chloride, echinacea,& beewax
I've seen each of these in remedy blogs!
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted by Crissy at 2007-02-11 14:33:17
when you first see the tiny blisters of a cold sore, do not touch it or pop it. apply with a q-tip/cotton ball 100% acetone- fingernail polish remover for less than $2 at wal-mart... it's in a clear bottle. it may burn a little at first, but it's mostly cold. the acetone dries up the blisters, and the cold sore will be gone in about 3 days depending on how often you apply the acetone. on the last day the blisters might be dry that when you apply the acetone it might burn, but i'd rather do this for 2 or 3 days than have a coldsore a week.
i get cold sores all of the time, and this is what i personally do to get rid of them.
rating: 5 (24 votes)
Submitted by Jessica at 2007-10-23 02:47:04
I'm 20 years old, and boy i hate getting cold sores. i've tried everything, yes lemon balm, rubbing alcohol, ice, abreva, lysine, NOTHING seems to work. Just today i got one. its not as big as the others i have gotten but its sure is jsut as painful and ugly. right above my lip under my nose too..GROSS. i remembered i had proactiv refining mask...it contains sulfur n some other stuff that heals pimples, so i said hey y not. i cleaned it off with some rubbing alcohol n applied the sulfur mask to the cold sore. no more pain.. no itchiness, and the swelling went down sooo much its crazy.. i still have it n n plan to leave it on over night. this is exciting if it works!!!
rating: 5 (24 votes)
Submitted by Linda Bass, RN at 2011-12-05 20:31:17
Buttermilk works for me. As soon as I feel the tingle I purchase a half gallon and start drinking about 8 ozs every couple of hours. This helps from the inside out. For the blitser I apply
'IVY DRY' a clear gel used to dry Poison Ivy. Apply the Ivy Dry and in an hour clean it off and reapply. Everytime you think about it, reapply.
This combo works well for me. I have also applied buttermilk to the blister and it dries it out also...but, takes longer. I also start taking Lysine immediately...1500 mg dose 1st day as soon as you feel the tingle. 1000 mg next day and 500 mg for the next few days.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Charli at 2011-08-31 16:59:36
Well unfortunately I have been dealing with this cold sore thing for two years. I only get them once a year, most of the time in the summer, but they're always unexpected. One remedy I have tried is the toothpaste and salt. Mix the two together and place it directly on the infected area. Warning: it begins to tingle, but soon enough it burns (which is a GOOD sign)!! Try doing this as much as you can take it. Once I remove it, I may clean w/ peroxide but apply the salt and toothpaste again. It also good to use it at night, since you don't move as much. You can also began to use blistix to soothe the pain ONCE you began seeing the yellow scab-stuff that should appear within A DAY or so. I PROMISE that this works within 2-3 days. No swelling, no blister, just possible little holes in your lip but the ugly, gross blister is gone!! Hope this works as well for you as it did for me :)
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted by Lauren s. at 2011-08-14 02:09:14
Ok here s my remedy that works for cold sores. It gonna freak u out but .....before u start to get cold sores your gonna itch in that spot like a week before it comes, that when you have to pay attention. When that happens. Get some nail polish remover pure acetone and cotton ball. Apply it to area in till it starts to tingle a little bit. Do it three times a day untill the area stops itching. And the lesions will not come up.
I know it sounds crazy but it works........not more people pointing at me anymore
rating: 5 (17 votes)
Submitted by George D. Baker at 2004-07-18 13:31:26
When you first feel the symptom of a cold sore, with your finger swipe, from behind the ear and beside the nose, the natural body oils and apply it to the area where the cold sore is trying to form. Repeat the process as often as you think of it, and the cold sore will not evolve. (I have done this and it works.) You always have the solution with you.
rating: 5 (89 votes)
Submitted by billyboy at 2006-07-30 13:04:31
For those cold sores around your mouth dig up some earwax and shmear it on like chap stick really gross but youll be glad it even feels good
rating: 5 (16 votes)
Submitted by wee dee at 2009-12-18 15:52:49
Okay on Wednesday this week I woke up with a cold sore. I put ice on it, the swelling went down. Went to school, putting zovirax on all the time. When I came home, I kept putting ice on it (you know how you melt the entire icecube on it). I also rubbed crushed paracetamol in. I also rubbed this weird green throat spray from Boots in (it's of no use when you got a sore throat as it just makes it go numb and you start choking). Helped to dry it up and numb it. Tried nailpolish remover once the blisters appear, but it swelled, so I do not recommend that. More ice more ice more ice. More zovirax. Compeed plasters on over night and during school. It's Friday nite and all that's left is a wee scab and minor redness. No lump at all when I press my lips together. I keep rubbing nivea cream in and it seems to help with the scab. Tadaaaaaaah So that's:
day 1 - zovirax, ice, paracetamol
day 2 - throat spray, more ice, more zovirax
day 3 - nivea.
all the way: compeed patches to cover it up. ;)
hope i helped
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted by Christine at 2010-06-02 21:01:22
I ran out of denavir and have not been able to get a refill so I read a few pages of the remedies listed on here and tried green tea, hand sanitizer, fingernail polish remover, campo pheno and toothpaste. It all seemed to help.
The healing process seemed to have been sped up, I slept with toothpaste on it last night and woke up and there was a minor scab on a large, numerous bump sore.
When I still wasn't all that happy with the results, I realized I had mouthwash-the purple fluoride kind and thought it MIGHT help also...
There were comments on here saying to make sure the toothpaste you use has fluoride in it, because that's what is in the toothpaste to dry it up. So I decided to put the mouthwash on a cotton ball and press it against the infected area for a few minutes, before I left for work I was pleasantly surprised with the way it seemed to be drying up. Throughout the morning the spots started turning yellow and seemingly were drying up.
During my lunch break I did it again for about 10-20 mins. It stings some, a little bit of a burning feeling. By the end of the work day at 5, it was completely scabbing over and healing.
I did it again when I got home for about 30 mins and plan on putting neosporin on it after letting it sit. VERY happy with this and glad I played around with everyone's ideas! I hope this will work for some of yall who need help with already developed sores!
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Jamie******** at 2010-07-04 17:28:08
well i had cold sores all my life and i tryed everything creams pills everything. and the best is to put some ice on the sore as soon as i feel it comming it helps with the pain and some of the swelling. well i put ice on it several times the first day. by the next day i have no pain thats when i see its time to take a needle or safty pin and pop it then i take a Q-tip and dip it in rubbing alochol and press really hard on the sore this may sting a lil but it works. by the 3 day its almost gone and repeat the rubbing alochol the next day. this should help it. oo and some sun light does help and do not suck one your lip when you have a cold sore. and put on lip balm once a day this will help prevent cold sores. oooooo and try not to get stressed out too much thats a big cause of cold sores. so take it easy and chill out relax and take time for your self.
i hope this works for you.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Kim at 2010-12-09 20:21:54
This is my second visit to this website. I have tried several of the home remedies suggested, because as we can all sympathize, when a cold sore gets large and monstrous it is embarrassing.
Day 1- Felt the tingle while sleeping in the night. Grr. Applied Neosporin and searched frantically through the ipad and computer - hoping I had bookmarked this site last time. Read through the entries discarding, barely, the more outlandish ones. Desperate times and all that. Remembered that the ice last time really helped, but couldn't remember if the peroxide or alcohol was what
worked. Didn't have loads of time to commit to operation stop cold sore. Went to work and applied hand sanitized when I felt the tingle return, probably about 3 times throughout the day. Looked about the same, no grossly filled liquid blisters yet.
Day2- Woke up at 4AM and it felt really tingly. Tried not to panic and willed myself to stoo stressing as that would just make it worse. Only got six and a half hours of sleep because I stayed up late watching TV with hubby. Dumb move, apparently. Researched this site zealously, again. Was considering Tilex at this point. Thought of possibly making an appointment with the doctor to get a prescription before the weekend. Made a concoction, but deviated slightly. Apparently a bad move. I did use half moon shaped ice cubes 3 times. The mixture I made of iodized salt, baking soda, and aloe vera gel seemed to worsen the blisters. Was running late for work due to OCD panic about cold sore, and last minute trip to the store for sour cream to finish Swedish meatballs for work potluck. Bought Abreva. Seemed to help, but wanted a miracle. Roller set my client and popped over to health store to get acclaimed camphor oil. Indeed, I have found my miracle. Seriously. Dried it out, and it looked almost normal (even though the makeup was camouflaging it pretty well and it was, fortunately, in the corner of my mouth. I have slightly full lips, so it wasn't a national emergency yet. But we all know that can change rather quickly, right?).
Applied camphor oil twice more at work and once since returning home. Looks really good. Feels a little like there is a menthol tingle, but different than the dreaded cold sore tingle. To be clear, this in not the brand Campho Phenique. Nit is a pure, natural oil of camphor. It cost about four and a half dollars.
Haven't taken any ibuprofen since this morning, or taken the second Lysine today. Probably will just to be paranoid, I mean safe. Will post the results of today tomorrow. Wish me luck. For now, I am thrilled with the oil.
rating: 5 (20 votes)
Submitted by Dry Seeweed Nori at 2011-07-10 00:06:03
I used to get cold sores at the first sign of stress, sun, getting a cold, drinking too much coffee. I started to eat one sheet of dry nori daily. The same stuff used to wrap sushi. I havent got one since. I can say I havent got a cold sore in two years.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Jo-anna at 2011-10-27 19:31:10
I read a lot of comments on this site that suggested the use of rubbing alcohol and/or hydrogen peroxide or bleach. The very day that I woke up with two new cold sores I was removing upper lip hair with Nair facial hair remover. Dabbed a little onto each cold sore - 6 hours later two patches of dry skin on my lips. No blisters no scabs - can't believe it!
rating: 5 (15 votes)
Submitted by lauren at 2011-06-08 22:15:01
Try some calamine lotion! It worked better than campho-phenique! When it dries out (only took an hour or two), I put either aloe, lysine oilcream, or just vaseline on there.
Remember, if any pop, throw some peroxide or alcohol on there. I've been getting cold sores all my life and I find that natural ways are better for your pocket and the sores.
Also, believe me or not, if I feel the tingle, I make sure I smile or laugh a lot and move my jaw around (the virus hides by your jaw bone) and I won't see 'em. Laughter cuts out the stress. I hope any of that helps!
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by Coldsore queen at 2011-07-24 14:42:19
Ok people. I have Coldsores once a month lately. Horrible. I take lysine everyday which can help but I get them anyway. I woke up with 3(yes 3) on my lip and already getting big. Ice didn't help but I did it anyway. By afternoon they were unhidable large blisters. I took a cottonball with alcohol and mostly peroxide and held it to the blisters with pressure. I did that on and off for a couple hours. No sh*t they got A LOT smaller within minutes. It burns but the peroxide is for removing mucus so it ate it from the inside. The blisters didn't pop which is good cause now day 3 I have 3 very small scabs. After the drying out stage put neosporine on so the scabs don't crust and last as long. They usually last me at least a week. This should be gone by tomorrow. I can't believe it worked but try it. Remember to keep pressure on the cotton ball for 5-10 min at a time. Your blisters will go down enough for you to go to work or out in the world. Hope this helps! Ive heard of dipping in peroxide but that never worked for me. Cotton ball pressure is what I say!
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by CoG -childofgod at 2011-01-28 19:19:34
Spent my life suffering with cold sores. Traveling from the pacific coast to Tahoe and back, I suppose the change in elevation or the dryness. It was clockwork, go Tahoe, return cold sores. Until I discovered Tea Tree Oil. On a lark, I tried it on my about to become cold sore and the bloody thing disappeared. Not instantly, but faster than all the other crap I have used. It's not fancy, pur pure tea tree oil on your finger, gently rub it on the spot. I use tea tree oil now for chapped lips (instant relief, has a numbing action) and to keel the cold sore that is trying to surface. Life it great. Father bless you my brothers and sisters. See you pretty soon now.
rating: 5 (18 votes)
Submitted at 2008-12-29 03:33:34
i have been dealing with cold sores for years most people are missing valuable nutrients in there body a lack of this can trigger a cold sore take a muti vitamin EVERYDAY!!!(i take womens one a day) this is important cause the first day u miss a cold sore will appear there is no super cure to get rid of them in 1 day so prevent them from comming at all also use chapstick the medicated one EVERYDAY and u will have no to much fewer breakouts a year
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by dfed at 2010-03-30 15:00:41
(Optional reading) Background: 40 year old male, in excellent physical condition, don't smoke, 1 cup of coffee a day (limit of my caffeine) and very little chocolate, I get plenty of sleep and my stress level is low (those are the possible factors in my outbreaks IMHO). My cold sores are about once or twice a year. When I would feel the tingle I would head straight for CVS (drug store) to get some Abreva. My cold sores would last 10 to 14 days. By this I mean that from the point where the sore was so obvious and embarrassing that I did want to go out or go to work, to the point where there was a red area on my lip but not very noticeable. Used Abreva as directed the entire time.
THE EPISODE: Sunday night I felt the tingle and the lump on my lip, applied Abreva. Then googled and found this site. Monday went to work, sore was getting worse. Left work at 10:30 am. Went to CVS (drug store) and purchased the following items, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, lancets (incase I needed to lance (break) the blisters), cotton balls, and Vitamin C, also went to whole foods and picked up organic apple cider vinegar. Total cost was about the same as a single tube of Abreva.
THE PROCESS: The blisters were starting but too small to lance so I left them alone. I iced the cold sore for about 30 to 45 minutes, sounds like a long time but if you hate these things as much as I do you'll pull up your big girl panties and push through. Then I crushed up the Vitamin C (don't worry if you get the 250mg or the 500mg its all vitamin C it just a size and price difference the mg's only matter if you're swallowing the pills and in this case you're not!). I made a two different types of paste (consistency of toothpaste), one paste was the C and rubbing alcohol and the other was the C and apple cider vinegar. I alternated the paste, did it the entire day. Every now and then I would use a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean the area and dry out the cold sore then ice it for about 15 minutes then back to the paste. and put the C and apple cider vinegar paste on before going to bed. Worked like a charm.
TEH RESULTS: Its Tuesday morning and I am back at work. The area where the large blisters should be if this was a standard episode (Abreva only) looks normal from a distance of 2 feet (face to face conversation distance), up close it looks a bit red and that's it, no tingle, no blisters, no swelling. if you want to ask me about this go ahead, this site was a great help to me and I would be happy to talk to you about my process or results especially if you have a better way or questions or other ideas you can reach me at dfed.thefed at gmail dot com
rating: 5 (17 votes)
Submitted at 2004-08-29 23:53:52
Preparation H: dab on when you feel the tingle and it won't form, or if you don't catch it in time it will keep it from swelling. Works for me.
rating: 5 (21 votes)
Submitted by Bridget Demery at 2008-06-04 10:47:53
I have always been told that if the cold sore has already developed to put table salt on the sore. It hurts for a minute or so but it drys it out and is cheaper than over the counter meds. You will have to repeat several times a day but stick to it and it will go away!
rating: 5 (6 votes)
Submitted at 2009-01-04 00:06:54
This sounds pretty gross but it works! An old war vetran told me about it. When you have a cold sore or can feel one coming on mix orange juice and a packet of active yeast together then drink it. They don't really mix well but you still drink them together. Dries them up every time
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2010-07-12 00:17:31
The best product I've ever used was Herplex Liquifilm (idoxuridine). It's actually intented for herpes in the eye, but my dentist prescribed it for me one time I showed up with a cold sore.
I don't currently have any, hence my visit to this site. It's stopped breaking out, but was right in the middle of my lower lip, and the scab keeps softening and bleeding. I'm trying the toothpaste route tonight, hoping that will help.
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2006-06-05 21:04:57
I use a fresh clove of Garlic. Dab it on for 10 minutes at a time for like an hour. This works great to diminish an already formed ulcer.
rating: 5 (39 votes)
Submitted by LM at 2008-01-30 18:40:54
When you feel a tingle (or even when blisters appear), apply sauve (or any other white deodorant) on cold sore. Within hours cold sore (tingle) or (blister) dries up! (Info. was given by dermatologist).
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by KKacey at 2010-06-30 18:38:10
A paste made with baking soda and water applied to a cold sore and left to dry and flake off is an amazing effective cure. As it dries it seems to draw out the cold sore and dry it up.
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2010-07-14 01:49:10
I started getting cold sores wheni was in my early 20's. i have tried numorus remedies. andthe onei found to work for me is the minute you feel it coming on..take motrin and dab with a q-tip with neosporin and keep lip (area of cold sore) covered with neopsporin, some other things, make sure to change toothbrush when cold sore is gone, change pillowcase daily and do not touch with fingers, just q-tip to apply neosporin,never fingers if you do by mistake wash hands more than normal so you dont spread itt to other parts of your face. i have gotten on my cheeck i feel it was because of too much sun. also i use mentholatums natural ice original lip balm...faithfully everyday to cover lips from the sun...eveen in winter i use it yr round..also throw out the tube of natural ice when cold sore is gone.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2010-05-22 11:24:28
I have been suffering with cold sores since i was a toddler, I am now 19 and am still getting quarter sized sores on my face. I have tried every over the counter medicine, prescription pill, prescription cream and home remedy. Along the way I have found a few things that have worked very well.
1. When you first feel it coming on (before it is noticeable) put ice on it for about ten minutes. Do this several times. This will help the pain and will shock the virus.
2. Once it is a sore with blisters get a needle or safety pin and dip the end of it in rubbing alcohol.
Insert the needle into the bottom of one of the blisters making sure to catch the liquid with a napkin to prevent it from spreading. Do for all blisters.
3. Apply rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover to the end of a Q-Tip and dab on sore for 5-10 minutes.
4. Re apply ice to help the pain and swelling. Put Abreva on. (I have found Abreva works better than any other cream) Leave on for a few hours.
5.THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. Get a tea bag and boil it till it is hot but not all the way boiling. Press tea bag on sore for 20-30 minutes. Re dipping it in hot water when needed. This will take away the redness, calm the pain, take down the swelling drastically and make it ready to be able to leave the house.
Use these steps for the first few days until it scabs. then keep Neosporin on it and do not pick the scab!
I hope this works for you! :)
rating: 5 (23 votes)
Submitted by Me at 2007-12-01 15:19:09
if you get one on your lip use one of those drying lipsticks, the ones that are suppose to last all day..Any of them will work but it has to be the kind that dries up. Apply it to your lips, be careful not to actually touch the cold sore otherwise you will contaminate your lipstick.. so if you have one on your upper lip, apply the lipstick to your lower lip and rub your lips together to cover the cold sore- or vise versa.. it will dry up the sore almost on contact and your cold sore will only last a few days.. maybe two.. if you catch it early enough, it will be gone the next day- it will not grow either when you apply it so if you apply it when you have hardly any or no blisters you won't get anymore.. same as if you apply it when you have some blisters, it won't keep growing once you apply the lipstick..
rating: 5 (15 votes)
Submitted by Jack at 2007-07-17 16:33:04
I've been following a natural guide for a month now.
It's going extraordinarily well!!
I had 2 the first week, and havent had a cold sore since!
I think the link is: inspyral.com/gdr/health-medical.php
Theres a review at greendayreviews.com as well!
I've had them for years and theyve just gone!
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2011-04-11 14:55:38
To get rid of the cold sore I put an ice cube on the area to keep it from reproducing then I take aloe juice on a cotton ball and leave it on the area with the sore for at least 15 min after that I put coconut oil on it. The miracle cold sore killer is coconut oil, put a tablespoon on toast and eat it regularly I also rub it on my skin after every shower like lotion. Please, please, please do not stress over it, stress allows it to grow. My God Jahova is wonderful, I asked him to heal me and he showed me how. Don't expect an instant miracle, it needs time. I also found this pills called herpaflor, I have not tried them but they contain things that are proven to kill the virus. Always wash your hands, don't touch the area and DON'T POP THE BLISTERS. Stay away for acids, chocolate, peanut products and stress. Your body heals when you relax.
Other things that would work if the cold sore is just starting is salt & lime oil (from the skin of the lime) put ONLY on the blister.
Test the acidity in your body (your hp), the virus likes acid. If it is, you can fix this with bananas and yogurt.
Eat cloves of garlic if you don't mind the smell. Eat yogurt and Lysine. Lemon balm also helps. Accupunture is supposed to get rid of cold sores too (again stress FREE)
Make God your first source, he listens and provides peace (again stress free)
Be very careful when you get a cold or the flu, they appear when your immune system is weak. Eat your coconut oil
Trust me you can be cold sore free for life. Be confident. God loves you. God bless you.
rating: 5 (22 votes)
Submitted at 2008-06-21 15:14:57
I have found that Lipactin and all those other over the counter meds don't work..I get cold sores quite often, even when i'm not stressed out, and i have found that if you put Tea Tree oil on it constantly throughout the day it will shrink in size. Then at night after i have applied the tea tree oil, i dab on toothpaste and by morning it's almost gone..I have a cold sore right now and it's shrunk in size considerably. It just popped up yesterday and is almost gone.
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted at 2011-09-15 06:27:25
STOP ALL OF THAT CRAZINESS THAT A MAJORITY OF THOSE THAT HAVE SUBMITTED AS A HOME REMEDY HAVE SUBMITTED AND CONSIDER THIS OPTION WHICH MAKES PLENTY OF SENSE WITH THOSE THAT NEED QUICK RELIEF FROM COLD SORES...
My name is Anthony, and I am as of today 9/15/2011, basically fully cleared of my symptoms from a cold sore that comes every other year or so... And it was my Wife who put me on the cure,on day one, when I was feeling that it was about to rear its uglyness.
Now for MOST MEN, this may sound crazy but on the first night, after I was considering a LOT of this already posted STUFF, she placed some 'MONISTAT' Itch Relief Cream, that women use for vaginal relief from: Burning Itch and Irritated Skin...
Yes I was skeptical, and there was NO WAY that I would initially tell anyone that I am placing a cream on my cold sore, for a relief that women have using for vaginal relief.... BUT THIS STUFF WORKS and on day three, you can barely see this cold sore, herpes sore, sore-sore... whatever you want to call it.
PEOPLE... MONISTAT WORKS, and if you think about it... it makes sense. You just keep a fresh dab on it repeatedly, and men, the tube is small and fits well in your pocket...
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by KP at 2011-05-28 12:02:28
So I tried alot of stuff...from tooth paste which swelled up my lip...to popping them and using rubbing alcohol and peroxide from pharmacy .. .. So I get styes sometimes and I use a tea bag on them ...this also help cold sores...especially when it startes and whatever you do dont pop it it swells up...tea helps because of its anti viral properties and the heat which virus cant take apply it to the affected area as hot as you can take it... Let it stay ten min and then take it off and clean up the affected area with a paper towel.... Do this three times a day till it dissapears
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted by Margaret at 2011-06-21 20:30:58
Red Marine Algae both supplements and ointment recently worked for me. I felt one coming on and immediately applied the ointment (RMA - available on amazon) and took several Red Marine Algae pills. The sore went down immediately. The pills are anti-viral and prevents the virus from eruptions and from replicating if they do break out. Olive Leaf extract is also supposed to be good for this same thing -- supporting the immune system.
Before I discovered the Red Marine Algae, popping the blisters on the second day and squeezing them until the virus was completely out and then applying alchol reduced the sore to only 5 days (as opposed to the 10 - 14 days before). I haven't had any scarring from popping the blisters, but I'm hoping to avoid this altogether with Red Marine Algae and Llysine daily to prevent them entirely.
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2006-10-15 04:13:24
To dry up cold sore use ear wax. It'll dry out the sore and help heel.
rating: 5 (17 votes)
Submitted at 2008-06-26 22:33:02
i found that if you numb your lip were the sore is for a while bout an hour or so with ice cubes tehn the next day buy viracten gel in the drug store and it cures it in about 3-5 days
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted by Alex in Illinois at 2009-05-13 22:20:44
OMG! I am so glad i found this site! I have suffered from cold sores for years and am willing to try anything. This past Monday, i felt the tingle and took Valtrex 500 mg, but it was too late, i could see the blister forming and applied Abreva, never had much luck with it, but better something than nothing at all. Monday evening, i took my other dose of Valtrex and Tuesday morning, the cluster was still forming. I came across this site Tuesday afternoon and tried the rubbing alcohol to cleanse and applied hand sanitizer, reapplied every couple of hours and by bedtime, most of the cluster had subsided. Applied another round right before bedtime and this morning the clusters had scabbed and washed off when i showered. i could not believe it! i wiped the area again with rubbing alcohol and applied the hand sanitizer, throughout the day, i just used the hand sanitizer as i was at work and dabbed it on with a q-tip. Wednesday evening, I wiped off a small scab with the rubbing alcohol and applied the hand sanitizer. I honestly cannot believe the results and the fact that this is day 3! all the while doing my dosage of valtrex as prescribed by my doctor. if anything, give the hand sanitizer a try, i'm using over the counter stuff and after years of trying other remedies, this by far has been the best result.
rating: 5 (2 votes)
Submitted by -D at 2011-01-03 13:29:51
I get cold sores under my nose all the time.
I've found that I can get rid of it in 2 days, if I poke at it with a needle just enough to break the skin when i feel a tingle and put some rubbing alcohol on it. Has worked like a charm everytime.
I have to do it approx 4-6 times in that first day and that is it.
Sure it stings, but a few mins of pain is better then 2 weeks with an open blister.
rating: 5 (6 votes)
Submitted by Carla at 2011-05-25 15:07:47
I believe in 'Nipple Cream' I carry it in my cosmetic bag so it's with me every where I go. As soon as I feel the tinkling feeling, I put a thick layer on & just as quick as it appeared, it will vanish but if it's a bit too late then burn it with 'VAYA Smooth' & then put on nipple cream. Hay, if it works for me, it will work for you.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Susie Q at 2011-10-23 15:43:04
Ive been getting cold sores since I was about 12 years old. Mine usually last from 5-7 days. Overtime i've tried it all: abreva,L-Lysine pills,rubbing alcohol, toothpaste,hydrogene peroxide, Releev, ice, and salt. Everything. Now, most of these things do relieve the symptoms quickly but the part that takes the longest is healing process. (when it begins to scab and then disappear)No matter what method I use the healing process usually takes about 3-4 days. SO.. this morning I woke up with a cold sore. (great) and ive decided to try something new. First i iced it for 10-15 minutes in a circular motion (so that the swelling could go down a bit) then I popped the blisters with a needle that I dis-infected.(I know they say this is bad, but just make sure that you dry the fluid right after you pop it and it wont spread anywhere.trust.) then, put a thin layer of abreva over it, so that it would relieve the itchy-ness. I waited one hour and then i mixed Clean&clears advantage 2% salicylic acid acne treatment and the abreva.(USE VERY LITTLE SALICYLIC ACID)salicylic acid is used to dry up pimples or warts..ive heard it works so i decided to mix the salicylic acid because its fast drying and the abreva because it numbs it and relieves the symptoms. So far its looking smaller, i hope im not imagining this so ill keep you guys posted after a few days.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2010-10-03 16:16:07
Once the cold sore has gotten to the scab stage if you use neosporin on it a lot of the time (make sure it's a good amount) it'll go away a LOT faster
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by annarica at 2008-08-23 00:47:43
Cold Sores?...
all you have to do is go the kitchen and get some salt, rub the salt on your cold sore, it hurts at first but after 3 to 5 hours its gone..
Keep rubbing and rubbing it. It works!..its a filipino thing, i got that from my grandma.
rating: 5 (9 votes)
Submitted by Betsy at 2011-01-17 17:18:03
I'm 54 and have had a life time of cold sores in various severity, most of which last anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months.
My teenage daughter had a nasty cold and after the symptoms subsided she got this huge cold sore on her bottom lip that covered 1/3 of her lip. It reached down into the inside of her mouth about 1/4 inch and she was miserable.
In the last few years I have been trying home remedies for common ailments and one I discovered for cold sores worked with such speed and effectiveness I want to share it with someone so here I am.
The second day of my daughter's cold sore I made a garlic/lysine/honey mixture.
1 tablespoon local honey
5 cloves fresh garlic
1 tablet lysine
I took 5 cloves of very fresh garlic removing the skin and mashed it up to a fine pulp. I then took one lysine tablet and ground it to a fine powder.
Then I mixed the honey, garlic and lysine and put it in a small container with a tight fitting lid.
4 times a day I had my daughter put this mixture on her bottom lip and at night made sure she even got some of the garlic pieces with it. We saw improvement in the cold sore with 12 hours and by day 4 her cold sore was almost healed, no scabbing, no yellow yuck, no pain and the swelling completely gone. This is day 6 now and the cold sore is completely gone, no sign of it what so ever.
rating: 5 (18 votes)
Submitted at 2007-11-28 22:01:52
put nail polish remover on your cold sore, you might feel something... but that just means its working!! :)
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by R.A.M. at 2012-01-16 09:01:43
I've gotten a lot from these cold sore home remedies.
Once a year for 20 yrs I've gotten a cold sore on the edge of my bottom lip. Usually occurs while under stress, or I've thought it was due to the sun, or eating potato chips with too much salt. It usually lasts 10 days from tingle to scab gone.
Now I am under more stress & have had 2 now within 2 months. So I came to this site.
I've always used Abreva (in the tube) and Herpecin L (lip balm) which cuts the pain, but that's about it for me. I've taken L-Lysine, I've even broken it up & put it directly on the sore. Nothing helps & have just suffered through this. So this time I'm tired of it.
This is what happened:
Mon. night I noticed tingling, got out the Abreva. It continued on (pain, swelling, highly noticeable yuck) until Sat. when I woke up with the usual 3 tiny blisters.(usually what happens now is the blisteers get huge, itchy, even more painful until they pop or dry out on their own & then an ugly scab appears). But this time I took advice from this site 1st thing in the morning (plus I lost my almost empty tiny Abreve tube & didn't want to run out to Walgreens at 5am).
I held an icecube (in plastic baggie) to my sore, which decreased the pain & swelling in a BIG way (why didn't I ever do that before). Then got out the nail polish remover with acetone. With a soaked q-tip I held it to my sore (big stinging). After the acetone dried I put on some Neosporin. After about 30 min. more ice, then acetone, then Neosporin. I did this about 5X, with even the 1st time the blisters were almost gone. I used each side of the q-tip once & then tossed it. And don't lick your lips! And actually I only did the ice 3X, after that no pain, no swelling, so I just skipped that step.
Then I went out for a while (no need to cover it with makeup now) & in the evening did the acetone & Neosporin probably every 30 min. till bed. There is no more pain, no more swelling.
And sometimes during the day if my lip felt dried out I would just use the Neosporin instead of a regular lip balm that I would normally use.
On Sun. I got up & can hardly see it. Did more acetone & Neosporin only maybe 4x during the whole day. If I touch my lip I know there's a dry patch on my lip. But that's it, no pain,no swelling, no one can see anything. And really on Sunday I didn't think I really needed to do anymore acetone & Neosporin, but I wanted to be sure I got rid of this thing.
Now it is Monday morning & it's not noticeable at all. I can touch the spot & feel a dry spot, but no pain, no scab, no blister, NOTHING!
I cannot believe I put acetone on my lip, but it just dried out those blisters. The next time this starts up I will probably start right off with the ice, acetone & Neosporin.
Usually, if I'm out of Abreve, I will buy another tube ($17) to have on hand for the next cold sore. But this was so amazing I won't even do that. If it happens again I will do the ice/acetone/Neosporin right from the start.
Thank you to all the posters for their remedies, full blown descriptions, & thoughts! It really helped me!!! YAY!!!
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Guest at 2007-02-22 10:00:29
Get a tube of neosporin pain relief and rub it on the cold sore about evry hour or two. It's always worked for mine, but my dentist said it might not be cold sores and instead a type odf virus in which I can't remember the name. But anyways, that's what I usually do right befor the form and they go away. Right now I have one that just popped up over night and I didn't even fell it coming, and it doesn't seem to work on those cold sores as well as the ones that aren't big yet.
rating: 5 (5 votes)
Submitted by Give Up Sugar at 2008-10-13 22:43:12
I've had one or two bad cold sores per year for the past ten years. This past summer I cut my sugar intake dramatically in an effort to lose weight (which I did) and a pleasant surprise was that I have stopped getting cold sores.
I knew sugar had an effect on my immune system but I never realized that reducing it in my diet would have such a dramatic effect. I still have some sugar on a daily basis, but not nearly what it was before. Splenda doesn't seem to have the same effect on my immune system as sugar does, so I recommend using it as a substitute. I have also heard that unpasteurized honey is the healthiest form of sugar, so that's what I use in my tea once in a while.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted by E Taoho at 2010-01-04 15:47:02
Methylated Spirits (Bitrex) the one used for ear peircing treatment... a dab of that on your cold sore...Heals it up fast as. my friend got them constantly as a teenager but since she used this treatment hasnt has one since...:)
rating: 5 (5 votes)
Submitted by Jess at 2007-07-16 03:51:42
i work in a health food store, and suffer from cold sores myself. They can be caused by stress, low immunity or an imbalance of lysine versus arginine in the body. Arginine is another amino acid found in red meat, chocolate and red wine which is also made in the body. Lysine is found in soy products, cheese, milk, potatoes and torula yeast, and can only be sourced by supplements or food sources as the body cannot make it.
If people who suffer from cold sores ingest too much arginine they need to bring up their lysine intake. Some people need to take lysine daily, and around 500mg is perfect, however getting the lysine in a complex with zinc or olive leaf is much better. zinc helps with healing and olive leaf helps with free radical scavenging and can help with fevers, to raise the immunity in a person's body. Blackmores have a lysine 500mg and zinc complex, and microgenics have a lysine 500mg and olive leaf complex. Both are brilliant products. However i prefer to use 1000mg of lysine to fight my persona cold sores. i know of two brands that carry a 1000mg lysine, Nutrivital and Nutralife. Also brilliant ranges.
To apply topically you can make a lysine paste by crushing a tablet and mixing in water, or you could apply tea tree oil as it is a natural antibiotic and can help with infection, or colloidal silver with is a natural anti-viral liquid. The silver can also be taken orally.
rating: 5 (28 votes)
Submitted at 2006-07-04 17:44:08
spray the tip of your finger with original right guard deodorant (aerosol) dab it on the cold sore do this 3 or 4 times a day this will dry it up before you know it!!!!!!!!
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted by Sean at 2011-05-13 14:56:33
Blistex is a must if your just getting one, if its already progressed a little take turns using silver sulfadiazine or burn jel, and a half water half vinegar soution in a spray bottle or in a cup and use a qtip, sounds crazy but it works, 3-4 days for healing. Amazing, grandmas remedy.
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted by Shannon at 2006-12-19 07:55:33
Want to get rid of that nasty cold sore in just 3 days?!? As soon as it starts, or even if it has already broken out, start putting a rubbing alcohol dorectly on the cold sore and hold it there for as long as you can stand it (it will start to burn). Apply some Vaseline to the cold sore and repeat this 3 to 10 times per day.
rating: 5 (29 votes)
Submitted at 2008-02-16 21:30:29
Dissolve a berocca in a small amount of boiling water and dip a cotton bud into it. Hold it to your cold sore for as hot as you can bare until the cotton bud is cold. This really works for me, takes away all swelling and by the second day no sign of a coldsore
rating: 5 (16 votes)
Submitted at 2008-09-13 00:25:04
Take an unburned wooden match (the tip in which you strike) and apply it directly with pressure to your cold sore. It will burn, but apparently the sulfur harms the virus behind the cold sore. It will hurt(sting), but hey - if it hurts, its working.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2005-02-04 00:43:22
for a cold sore...when you feel it starting, alternate ice and a damp tea bag, 10 minutes each. Do this as often as possible the first day and it should not even appear
rating: 5 (21 votes)
Submitted at 2008-09-18 01:01:38
yoll get a clove of garlic
break it in half, and rub it againts the cold
sore.. omg i got it yesterday and its goin away as we speak.. im rubbig the
clove on it, belive me it works reall goodd and i only get a cold sore once a year on thee same spot i wonder y?
rating: 5 (6 votes)
Submitted by Michele at 2008-12-10 09:35:33
Hi. I suffer from those nasty cold sore outbreaks. I have been going through this for as many years as I can remember. Okay folks, I know how embarrassing they are. If you can catch it before it breaks out, Abreva does work, however, true sufferers know that 9 times out of 10 it is there when you wake up. Most of us can deal with the little ones that pop up on only the lip area, it's the monsters that are really big or groups of them that spread onto the skin area above the lip. Recently I woke up with one and just knew it was a 'biggie' and wanted to cry. this is what I did. First day I woke up with the monster I immediately iced it with an entire cube, patted it dry and applied rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball. I did this all day every hour on the hour. It actually stopped it from spreading to the skin above my lip. Day 2- still did the ice, but it wasnt as frequent, however i applied the rubbing alcohol constantly all day, i also put lip balm on the other parts of my lips so not to dry out the rest of my mouth.this seemed to dry out the cold sore faster and keep it from spreading. Day 3, swelling gone, cold sore shrunk in half, and pain gone. You will still have to go through the rest of the normal healing process but I seemed to have found a way to turn what could of been one of those HUGE buggers into something a little more manageable, and avoid the scarring that usually takes forever to go away on the skin.My heart goes out to all who suffer from frequent cold sore.
rating: 5 (6 votes)
Submitted by brandi at 2009-04-26 22:07:31
My monstrous cold sore popped up this morning. It started so big an painful that I actually thought I got bit by a spider in the middle of the night. Well 11 hours later, after putting campho phenic on it all day, I decided to look for some remedies. I found this sight and read through ALL of the remedies! I decided to take some advice and try some of them. I mixed minced garlic with salt into a wet paste and put it in a coffee filter. I have been holding it on there off and on for about 30 minutes now and the swelling is already gone (probably because of the salt). I'm hoping it will scab up tonight before bed. I fear that it will bust open in the middle of the night, get on my pillow, then get in my eye! I'll keep you posted!
rating: 5 (6 votes)
Submitted by Brian Feeney at 2009-05-28 06:32:21
Dab a small amount of red wine (Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Noir....) onto the infected area at the first sign of an outbreak, or right before you sleep, and in the morning the cold sore should be healed.
rating: 5 (3 votes)
Submitted by jen at 2006-02-04 19:42:18
Nail Polish Remover and polysporin: I was starting to feel a cold sore coming on and I read about this: dip a q-tip in nailpolish remover and hold on the spot for about 5 minutes (really stings) after put neosporin or polysporin to soothe, it worked great for me!!
rating: 5 (16 votes)
Submitted at 2010-04-18 03:34:52
Ok so i have always gotten cold sores from a young age and since I'm a teenager i can say this is NOT fun. you feel stared at and gross and whatnot. So I used to just put Denavir on it and pray it goes away but I use this remedy that works and i don't know how long it usually is good by like the next day or so...
-take a hot shower to soften it and sorta dry it out ( idk how it dries it out but it does)
-put an ice cube wrapped in paper towel on it until it melts (this will numb it for the next step)
-with a q-tip put some rubbing alcohol on it.
- put whatever topical cream you are using on it until it dries out
just repeat until you notice a difference
oh, and take lysine.. it really helps prevention.
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2007-12-10 22:57:08
Ingredients: Abreva, Lysine pills, rubbing alcohol, Zilactin-B, shea butter
As soon as you feel the sore, apply ABREVA to it. Abreva prevents healthy cells from becoming infected, and will keep the sore from getting too large and staying too long. Keep it with you always and use it ASAP when you feel the sore.
Also take LYSINE PILLS, 2 pills 3 times the first day.
There are many ways to dry out the sore. My preferred way is to open it if it isn't already open, then hold a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol on the sore until it is dry (when it is dry it should not weep). Hurts like hell. There are lots of ways to dry out the sore that are reported on this site, rubbing alcohol is just one of them.
Then apply a product called ZILACTIN-B (be sure to completely cover the sore with it). It is for mouth sores and keeps the sore sealed. The virus needs moisture, so the key is to keep it dry, and this product will keep it dry. It also has a pain reliever so it will help you to not think too much about it. The first day you may need to repeat the alcohol/zilactin-b process, every three hours or however often you need to keep the sore dry. When you do this, wash off the zilactin-b, repeat alcohol process, apply more zilactin-b.
Once the sore has scabbed over, use some kind of product to keep the scab soft. I like %100 SHEA BUTTER (you can get this at L'Occitane). But you can also use vaseline, neosporin, etc. I put a glob of shea butter on and don't rub it in all the way. This step isn't critical, it just keeps the sore from cracking and makes it a little easier to deal with in the scab phase.
Good luck to you.
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by jill at 2008-07-29 19:14:55
for cold sores-just dab on some purell. I tried the nail polish remover, and it worked the first time, but then they kept coming back. Purell a couple of times a day worked!! burns a little, but you know its working to kill the bacteria! also made sure that i drank a lot of milk.
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted by Beachgirl at 2009-04-13 12:18:33
Ok guys so trust me on this. I got a cold sore 2 days ago and so i got on the internet to find out quick ways to get rid of it. When I found this page I started some of the home remedies that people said. This is only my second cold sore and the first one lasted like 10 days and was red and ugly and the only thing I used was abreva, IT DOESNT WORK!!! So this time the first day I did ice cubes like all day, then rubbing alcohol, then with a q-tip dabbed a little of my 'secret' deodorant on it and the cold sore is still there but its not inflamed or red, you cant even tell its there unless you look hard at it. OH I also bought some L-Lysine and have been taking that with some vitamin c pills too. Im not sure what exactly is working, or a combination of everything but it works and I will do this in the future!! I hope it works for you, really try it!!
rating: 5 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2007-05-22 02:09:24
okay so....after dealing with what started out as a cold sore and just turned into a 2 month long headache because i'm a picker and have very thin skin at the corners of my mouth i decided to try calamine lotion and it worked!!!!! just dip a q-tip into a bottle of calamine and dab it on the sore (i do it at night so no one sees but you can get caladryl which is a clear gel form of calamine)...i did this for about 3 nights and it completely cleared up. it dries out the sore just like it would for chicken pox, poison ivy, or a REALLY bad sunburn. the calamine doesnt burn and surprisingly causes minimal crusting and peeling.....unlike some products meant for healing cold sores....campho phenique or abreva for example...plus calamine is A LOT cheaper and you probably already have some in your medicine cabinet :)
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by Anna at 2008-05-10 17:46:01
I usually get cold sores once or twice a year. I have used this site to find a way to make them heal faster, and nail polish remover and lysine definitly help.
HOWEVER, I have finally found something that completely stops it from forming. GO OUT ANDBUY SOME TEA TREE OIL! It's a little pricey (I paid 8 dollars for a small bottle) but I cannot stress enough how much this works.
What I do is as soon as I feel the itching and tingling, I put an icecube on it, and leave it there until it has completely melted. Then, I attack it with some nail polish remover, for about 15 minutes. Then I start dabbing tea tree oil on it every time I think about it, about every 15 minutes or so. Of course, remember to take about 1500-2000 mg of lysine every couple of hours.
When I do this, the cold sore never forms, never swells up, and it just turns into a small slightly red spot that disappears quickly. I just wanted to share because I know how terrible these things can be.
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2008-09-25 15:18:47
Well my little sister spent a weekend at my house, with her mouth getting attacked by coldsores.
We made every caution to make sure the little monsters didn't get passed onto me, but what happened anyways? Yes, coldsores popped up.
Wednesday afternoon i felt the faintest tingling in my lips, and realized that a cold sore was forming. Being in the middle of class, and having no nail polish remover, or listerene handy in my purse, I reached for my Clearasil. Rollerball Zit Treatment ( Can't help to try? ) and I've found that it's working better than any other remedy I've tried previously.
It stings about as much as the Rubbing Alcohol remedy does, but it seems to dry out the cold sore, in the same way it would dry out a zit or pimple.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2010-03-13 17:44:35
I used to get cold sores 3-6 times a year. Well a year and a half ago I thought I would try apple cider vinegar. Like I said it has now been a year and half since my last cold sore. It is strange cause I can feel the tingle like one is going to show up and then nothing. It has been wonderful. Again, apple cider vinager. Love it!!!!
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Commonsensia at 2006-08-16 02:26:30
I have found that once it appears, you can take and melt 1 ice cube on it. Yes it is a bit uncomfortable till the area goes numb from freezing. But it has work many times over for me and those I have told about it as well. It may even work on them before they are truly visable. But it seems that every time I got them it wa to late to hide it 8=/.
Another note, that just come to mind, I haven't had one in a couple years or more now.. Don't know if freezing the are contributes to that or not.
rating: 5 (29 votes)
Submitted by noica at 2011-03-24 11:58:30
put ice on your cold sore really does give relief!
i use a cabbage leaf n put a mixture of galic powder and small amount of salt and hold it on for about 5 minutes (cabbage leaves help dry up breast milk so i figured why wouldnt it dry up a cold sore!)
then for 20 to 30 minutes hold a detox tea bag on the sore
afterwards i wash it with a mild soap and water
i mix zinc oxide n toothpaste and apply with a qtip (zinc speads up healing process!)
my sores are generally gone in 3 to 4 days!
make sure youre constantly washing your hands bc cold sores can spread extremely fast!!
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2005-03-31 22:00:22
I have tried everything and the only thing that works for me is hydrocotisone.works great!
rating: 5 (22 votes)
Submitted at 2006-07-26 21:02:24
To dry up an already weeping cold sore, dip a q-tip in Pepto Bismol and put on the sore. It will dry it up and also acts as a barrier.
rating: 5 (31 votes)
Submitted by Bryce at 2006-04-28 06:46:07
Mix dried instant coffee to a paste with a little water and put it on cold sore. (Remedy tested and reported in New Scientist in the 70's - only works with instant coffee)
rating: 5 (18 votes)
Submitted by happygirl at 2008-02-17 19:20:34
i rarely get coldsores but when i do they stay around for 2 weeks or more and are horribly ugly big ones. i have tried everything to make them disappear quicker including buying that ebook advertised on here 'coldsore freedom in 3 days' which tells you to put toothpaste on it (this doesn't work that well for me. maybe shortens the life of it by a day or 2 but no drastic result?). the one thing i have noticed is i used to get them every 4 - 6 weeks until i started taking lisene every day (with zinc) and now i have only had one in the past year! i got this one 3 days ago and when it was only a tiny blister i decided to try the ice method (just holding ice and pressing firmly) for the first 2 hours then i applied nail polish remover to it for the rest of the day every 30 mins and that worked better than ANYTHING else i have ever tried. stings like hell but stops it dead it its tracks. it was dried out by the end of the day and didn't spread at all so tiny its just a tiny scab and will be gone in a day i think. its so tiny its not even noticeable! nail polish remover rocks! i also took about 1500mg of lisene that day to balance the arginine lisene balance and aid the healing.
rating: 5 (18 votes)
Submitted by Babsi at 2008-12-07 13:38:57
I know this may sound strange - but I read this once online and it works!!! I've tried everything I read here, and the best comment I saw was about using ear wax which is similar to what I do. Well, I use the natural oil of my skin to cure a cold sore. Just take your finger and dab it in some of the oil you have either next to your nose or behind your ears and rub it on the sore as soon as I feel it coming up, at any stage. And it will stop from growing and progressing. Do as many times as you think of it, if you run out of oil...try the ear wax. Since I've done this, I've never had a cold sore actually swelling up and breaking open. It either disappears or jst stays a few days like a small pimple which only you can feel or notice.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2011-11-04 09:04:01
I get cold sores from time to time and the best remedy I have found is this:
Buy some root ginger
Slice a wafer thin slice and hold it against the cold sore so that the moisture from the ginger can act.
It will sting but it dries the cold sores up a treat.
The sooner you put the ginger on the cold sore the better.
rating: 5 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2010-06-10 00:30:28
Hello everyone. I have just read through the 16 pages of remedies on this site. I have gotten cold sores for over a decade. The first one was the worst and I have gradually gotten them to reduce in size & frequency. I haev tried several different things although not everything that I have read here i.e. ear wax, urine, etc. Seriously?! Come on.
Cold sores are caused by a virus. There are no cures for viruses. Only things that help minimize or reduce. Everyone has different triggers (diet, sun, stress, alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, hormones, fatigue, ...) For me its always the same...I get stressed - lose sleep - start eating bad - take caffeine to make it through the day...and waa lah...cold sore. Either way the reason you get a cold sore is because your bodies immune system is run down.
I use to get cold sores a couple times a year. But like I said I have reduced that frequency. I have a cold sore that started at 4 pm today. The last one I had was over 3 years ago. Avoiding your triggers really does go a long way toward prevention. I also try to keep my remedies on hand because the sooner you treat the cold sore the better.
Here is what I did today:
1) I took 1000mg L-Lysine, 100mg Zinc, 2 Advil.
2) I applied Abreva.
3) I scrounged through the fridge at work for ice. None. So I chipped some that was building up on the freezer and used that to ise my lip. Yes, desperate times call for desperate measures.
3) dried lip off and reapplied Abreva. Note: I am not fully convinced Abreva works but I have used it in my remedy combo & don't want to risk extra days with a cold sore to test my theory.
4) Went home and took a much needed 1 1/2 hour nap.
5) Made a low-arginine supper and took more L-Lysine, Garlique, B-complex, & vitamin C.
6) After dinner I iced my lip some more and more Abreva.
7) I remembered LATE that I had some Valtex. Ugh I didn't have any at work or I would have taken them immediately. Took 2 and back to reading this forum.
8) It's 11 pm (7 hours later) and the blister hsan't spread or popped or progressed. About 10 small blisters (combined about the size of the head of a pencil eraser).
9) I will ice again and more abreva, then to bed to hopefully catch up on more sleep and let my body do its job.
10) Cold sore should be gone in the morning if it works out like it normally does. The difference being that I didn't Valtrex sooner.
The combination of Valtex, Abreva, and vitmins/minerals combined with rest & good diet choices usually clears mine up in less than 24 hours.
I see that several people use several different things to 'dry' the cold sore out. I have tried this in the oast. Anything alcohol based has a drying effect. The thing I didn't like was the scabbing. I try to nip it in the bud before I get to a point that I 'need' to dry it out.
I apologize for rambling on and I hope that I end up helping someone. Good luck!
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2010-12-26 19:06:56
Alright so as a fellow 'cold-sore-getter' (I'm 20 and had my first one 3 days ago and I already feel like an expert) I felt it was my duty to share how I got rid of mine so fast! ...Or should I say how I am getting rid of mine so fast so I don't jinx myself! Haha, but really I was absolutely terrified because my mom gets them and she really doesn't do anything to help speed healing process she just suffers and I just can't do it! I couldn't go anywhere this Christmas (today is December 26th 2010) because I was so embarrassed and my boyfriend is so wonderful and felt terrible for me and brought me my presents in bed! (I was still embarrassed of course) Anyways this is what I did:
December 24&25:
Weaponry: Ice, Wet-Frozen Green Tea Bag (Note* Tea Bag makes sore a little brown but you can wash it off don't be a baby!), 6 1000 mg Lysine Pills a day, Herpecin L lip-balm, and eating only high Lysine foods
Drank vodka cranberry the night before while I had a (somewhat) bad cold so if I did get any tingling sensation I was probably too inhibited to feel it shame on me :/ Woke up at my bf's with the tiny white bubbles on the left side of my upper-lip and immediately knew (all my family gets cold sores) it was a cold sore demon. After incessantly praying to God for relief I knew it was time to do some research and the 1st day, since the sore from hell was already forming I iced the sore directly with the ice cube and put a wet GREEN TEA tea bag in the freezer then rotated icing my lip with the plain ice and the frozen tea bag. This SERIOUSLY helped me to speed up the healing process. I did this both days non-stop and I know most people don't have time but I made the time I didn't go anywhere because of embarrassment and I really wanted it gone! I took 6 L-Lysine pills both days to speed up healing process as well because lysine is for your lips and it really helps prevent outbreaks from happening so I'm making this a DAILY SUPPLEMENT. Along with the constant icing, tea-bagging, and 6 Lysine pills a day I repeatedly applied the Herpecin L lip balm on my lips since it has essential vitamins and even MORE LYSINE that specifically helps cold sores. I believe all of this constant therapy + relaxation, sleep, hydration, and a high Lysine diet (which I googled) really helped bring me faster healing for the third morning aka today aka right now while I am typing.
December 26:
Weaponry: Q-tips, FLUORIDE Tooth-paste, Salt/Baking Soda mixed with a tiny bit of water, Hydrogen Peroxide if you have it for cleaning, and Herpecin L lip balm, 6 1000 Mg L-Lysine Pills
This morning I woke up and a small scab had already formed on the sore, which means it is healing. NOTE HERE THAT I DID NOT I REPEAT DID NOT POP, BURST, POKE, OR STAB THE SORE. That is the worst thing for it the infected liquid can ooze out and infect your entire mouth with the virus! Fight the temptation because touching it can also cause it to spread to other areas like down below potentially causing Genital Herpes. I first took 6 1000 mg Lysine Pills for more speed healing then applied Fluoride Tooth-paste right on the sore with Q-tips. I left it for an hour then took another Q-tip with warm water and gently wiped the tooth-paste off. (Throw away Q-tips immediately never re-use) Right after tooth-paste removal, I took a mixture of salt and baking soda with a tiny bit of water and rubbed it on the sore with Q-tip. (This might burn a little but not long) I let it dry and crust for an hour then went back and washed it with warm water and Hydrogen Peroxide (helps clean and dry the scab out without you having to poke it) on Q-tip. I then reapplied the salt/baking soda/water mix on the sore then cleaning it with the warm water/hydrogen peroxide and I have been doing this repetition all day since the morning around 10:30 AM and it is now 4 PM and the sore is almost completely gone, just a little redness! I am still applying the Herpecin-L lip balm around the places where I don't have sore on my lip for protection. I'm going to keep doing the repetition till night just to be safe but THIS METHOD REALLY WORKS! And I want everyone to try it at least once to see because I know how you feel :)
*I ALSO CONSTANTLY WASHED MY HANDS IN FEAR OF SPREADING IT TO OTHER PARTS OF MY BODY. OBSESSIVE, MAYBE BUT SAFE, YES!
rating: 5 (17 votes)
Submitted at 2004-12-06 09:32:48
When I feel a cold sore coming on, (right when you feel the tingle), I put a piece of ice on directly on it. Keep it there for as long as you can stand it, and do this for about an hour. The sor will skip right to the end andyou will have a small scab for a bout 2 days. No pain, No weeping, no nasty sore.
rating: 5 (39 votes)
Submitted by Aja at 2004-06-24 18:24:07
Apply witch hazel to the cold sore as soon as you see it. This will stop it from growing.
rating: 5 (31 votes)
Submitted at 2008-04-18 10:26:22
anything with alcohol in it will work to dry out the cold sore!! (aftershave, cologne, mouth wash rubbing alcohol) use vasoline to keep the area moist, after applying the alcohol. and Ice takes the tingling sensation away. if those dont work abreva or zovirax creams from the pharmacy will knock them out fast.
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2011-07-14 13:03:38
Ok so this is so weird but it works for my mom and I. Whenever we see a cold sore forming or when it's really small we put neosporin or hydrocortisone on it and take 2 ibuprofen before it can get bigger. I know it's weird but it works :)
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2006-07-26 12:48:53
for cold sores, prick a fresh green papaya and apply the sap every hour
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted by Fellow Struggler at 2011-12-05 11:38:27
When I was younger, I used to get cold sores several times a year. Not much was known about remedies then so I had to tough out the natural healing process that would take anywhere from 2 - 3 weeks (they were bad). I guess I outgrew them, though. Over the course of four years in high school, I got 2. Over four years in undergrad, I got 3 separated by 3 years and one month, respectively. This one I have now is occurring about a year after the last one I had. I know stress is my trigger as well as being near my period, so having finals now is a double whammy!
For the second last cold sore I had, I tried the lancet + rubbing alcohol/acetone course of action because it had worked decently for the one before it. It went horribly awry! I had a huge scar that, after healing, still causes a slight discoloration on my top lip. When I got the second one a month later (emotional stress trigger) I decided to try Releev. I applied right as I felt the tingle and saw the ever-so-tiny blister form. It never grew past that first day - so it stayed small enough to hide well - and it healed within 4 days. The whole while, it basically looked like an irritated spot where my lip skin met my facial skin. I could deal!
I also applied acetone between Releev applications on the first day when the blister looked like it was filling with fluid. Instead of poking it with a lancet, I took a Q-Tip and dipped it in the acetone. I was careful to rub it just on the affected area. Then, I used the dry other side of the Q-Tip to rub at the sore.. it broke open on its own and the fluid was contained by the dry Q-Tip. I then got a new Q-Tip and dabbed on some more acetone. It worked very well to keep the sore DRY!
I don't have time to go to the store now to buy some Releev, and this one totally snuck up on me! I felt the tingle and saw a very small cluster of bumps starting to form. I immediately took some Ibuprofen, then put 4 ice cubes in a baggie and held it there until half melted. I dried the area off with a napkin and did my acetone/Q-Tip treatment and finished icing until the rest of the ice melted, then did the acetone/Q-Tip again.
It appears as though some of the little teensy blisters (I could barely see them) went down completely. There are two tiny (but larger than those others) left, and after the final Q-Tip/acetone procedure, they just look like two tiny red dots up close. From a distance, the area is just a little red and cannot be discerned when I smile.
For now, I'm giving myself a break, lighting a candle and de-stressing! I will go out to CVS later to buy some Releev (as a quaternary amine, it has inherent antiviral properties... I think it's really beneficial to healing). Yes, it runs about $20, but if you use it as directed (psh, really? come on.. we're gonna lather that on!) it will last you.
In another 30 minutes I'll redo the 4 ice cubes/acetone with Q-Tip thing.
***Make sure you're careful with the acetone! It can be very irritating to skin. The area is slightly red and irritated right now on me because I got a bit overzealous with all the rubbing.
Overall, I have a good feeling about the outcome of this! Pretty certain the blisters/red spots will be gone by tomorrow night, leaving a slightly pink area of skin. I plan on waking up every 4 ish hours tonight (nothing to do tomorrow - I can afford to!) to monitor the progress; however, if it's really looking good by the end of today, I'll just get some sleep! I'm also going to look in taking lysine when I know my triggers are lurking.
Good luck to you all. (:
rating: 5 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2006-10-28 00:23:17
Coldsores
When you feel a coldsore coming on, rub your finger behind your ear to collect body oils, then apply to affected area on mouth or lip. Do this over the course of a day whenever you think about it, no kidding, you will never have a coldsore again!
rating: 5 (37 votes)
Submitted at 2008-08-13 17:13:59
First, chill the hell out. Relax. Stressing over it is the worst thing you can do. Ice (melt the cube), tea bag (20 min.), acetone. In that order. Repeat as often as possible.
rating: 5 (13 votes)
Submitted by Mary at 2005-06-14 20:56:59
When you first feel a cold sore coming dab some listerine with a Q-Tip several times a day to dry out your skin.
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted by Vix at 2007-12-08 07:50:34
iv been having cold sore for years and they usually last for weeks now what id do is at the first sign of one get a cotton bud dip it in nail varnish remover and hold on for five minutes and repeat 4 times that day. Then for the next to days apply zovirax and the cold sore dissappears in a good way with no scars or marks. its amazing!!!
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted by Lisa at 2011-07-17 15:20:13
Sulfer off of the tips of woden matches!! My Great Great Grandmother swore by it! I'm 39 yrs old & every year since I was 11 I've gotten cold sores on my lips when in the sun for prolonged periods!! Soak the sulfer off the match with water. Rub the paste on your entire cold sore. Do this a couple times a day & its gone in 2-3 days tops. Warning... it burns at first! No scaring & no spreading of the virus. Good Luck! I've been doing this for 27 years.
rating: 5 (19 votes)
Submitted by JJVB at 2008-05-16 17:21:44
I have abreva at home and also a cream the dr prescribed last time I had a cold sore.
Of course, today i'm at work for an 11hr shift, and I feel the tingle of the dreaded coldsore.
All day, I have been using hand sanitizor, as it's the only thing readily available. It feels like it's almost gone! POSTER--- I LOVE YOU! lol
rating: 5 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2009-07-26 22:45:33
If you compleatly avoid chocolate for a week or more, when you feel a cold sore comming on you will not have such a big break out or it will just disapear on its own. Chocolate in your system breaks down your natural imunity. Chocolate contains high levels of amino acid arginine. Also Take lysine. I use this remidy every time and it does help a lot. And even if you barely see or feel anything use Campho-Phenique it dryes it almos instantly.
rating: 5 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2010-02-15 21:23:11
Ok, well if yours is still at the ' bunch o' blisters' stage, then i have a fast way to get rid of you coldsore. First, take an icecube and melt it on you entire lip until it is numb. Then make a paste in the palm of your hand that consists of toothpaste, salt or sodium free salt, and alcohol. Apply it to your lip about every hour. It will burn a little but the toothpaste sooths it abd gives it a fresh feeling. I amd twelve years old and i get cold sores about twice a year. They hurt like i dobt know what, but this paste helps alot.( or at least it hepls me!).
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted by this remedy works no dought about it at 2010-05-03 15:26:46
ohkay so i woke up this morning with a cold so and iv read a bunch of remedys on here and im gunna use a remedy that consist of salt,toothpaste,and rubbing alcohol. this will be the first remedy i try and im confident in it and it is 1:20pm i bet i will find a remedy or create a remedy tht will kill this cold sore by 3:27pm cuz that's when my fiance gets home
now this first remedy starts with an ice cube rube the ice cube on and around the infected area until the ice melts then mix salt, colgate or any fluoride soda type of tooth paste and ISOPROPYL (rubbing alcohol) together and rub the mixture on and around the infected area this may sting but the tooth paste cools and relieves the stinging and leaves it with a fresh and cool feel u may experience tingling if feel like a facial so dnt get freaked out then after say 30 mins to an hour rinse it off with hot or warm water if u cant handle hot then rinse with cold water to close ur pores up and keep out moisture because a cold sore which is a type of herpies feeds on moisture which dont make the mistake to put moisturizing products on the infection unless it is an actual cold sore med also do ur best not to talk with this mixture on ur face it just work better without alot of movemment ohkay it 2:00 i finished wish the salt tooth paste and alcohol mixture then after that i putshaving cream on and around the infected area and shaved it off the lets off pealed dead infected skin then i put more alcohol on the hydrogen peroxide on which is the most important thing it kills and drys out the infection like lighting fast compared to drug stor productsand i just sit and let that dry the i put more peroxide on and let it dry once more then i use nadanola and coco butter these are goin to sooth the kin and calm nown any irritaion that might apper and now it is 2:25 and mi old sore is litarally almost completly gone promise
rating: 5 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2010-05-15 15:18:34
I have suffered from cold sores for years and never found anything that would heal them quickly. Yesterday, I had cold sore blisters appear in the middle of my lower lip and a big one between my upper lip and nose. I didn't have time to search for remedies until this afternoon. The sores above my upper lip had multiplied and all of them were swollen lesions, not yet at the pus-filled blister stage. I had two on my lower lip - a big one in the center and a smaller one just beside. The big one was a painful, swollen bump, whitish looking. This is the worst outbreak I've ever had.
I began by treating the one above my upper lip and left the other one untreated to note the difference.
3:15 Applied ice cube for 10mins until melted. Hurt like hell. Dabbed with nail polish remover for 5mins. Didn't sting. The swollen lesions had subsided slightly.
4:15 Repeated the treatment above. Ice hurt much less this time. Nail polish remover didn't sting. Noticed a definite subsidence of the lesions.
5:15 Repeated treatment. No pain from ice. Nail polish remover stung a little. Not only had this treatment prevented the swellings from joining up and becoming one big lesion, they were definitely flattened against my skin, though still apparent.
(At this time, I began to treat the bump on my lower lip in the same way. After 3 treatments the swelling had reduced dramatically and it no longer looked 'whitish'. I continued to treat this on the hour in the same way as the other cold sore.)
6:15 Applied nail polish remover to lesion between upper lip and nose. It stung. No ice.
7:15 As above.
8:15 Though the swelling had almost completely reduced, I applied ice one last time for good measure. I'm rubbing (gently) on the nail polish remover now instead of dabbing. It stings.
Now the area under my nose is looking red, but the lesions have completely subsided. They are still visible, but flat. This is what they usually look like after 5-6 day, except now, they are not infected looking. The ones on my lower lip, though I began to treat them two hours later have almost subsided completely and are less visible because the redness is less noticeable on my lip area.
I will contine to dab on nail polish remover through the evening. It is making the skin around the sores quite red. Tonight I will apply a Compeed patch to keep them clean. It's looking like I may even be able to conceal them with make-up tomorrow.
The cold sores I get between my nose and lip are normally very slow to heal, usually two weeks. I can't believe this has worked so well and so fast. Normally, when I have a cold sore I can really 'feel' it on my face, and feel unclean and run down. After doing this treatment, I am hardly aware of them. There has been no itching, crawling or tugging sensation at all.
If I have written nail polish above by accident, I mean nail polish remover.
rating: 5 (23 votes)
Submitted by Shaylah at 2010-07-04 13:14:20
Ok, so it's the 4th of July, and I am going to see my fam today. Unfortunatley, I woke up with a giant coldsore this morning. Here is what I did, Melted an ice cube on it, Put toothpaste with flouride on it, Held a Q-top with alcohol on it, woth the toothpaste still on, and you cant even notice it anymoe, also hold a tea bag on it, it helps. Now I dont have to be embarrassed when I see the fam.
rating: 5 (14 votes)
Submitted at 2010-08-26 00:56:58
I get cold sores off & on, especially during very stressful times or when my immune system is low. I tried so many remedies & every time I'd find something it would be discontinued. Recently I found a lip balm with lysine in it & it works. Then my sister said she takes Super Lysine liquid drops & her sores don't show up. Hers were worse than mine. You can put them in water or a juice & drink as labeled. The liquid is by Quantum Health but there are various kinds out there. The lip balm I used is Lypsyl. I used to use Purelip years ago but it vanished from the market. It had zinc in it that really helped. Also I think sulphur works well as it has instantly healed zits in the past. But Lysine is great since it ups your immune system & it'll get rid of & keep cold sores away. I don't recommend using bleach/chemical cleaners too often. I use bleach on toe nail fungis, but there are no other options left, but for this there are a lot of choices.
rating: 5 (12 votes)
Submitted by Joy at 2011-07-11 14:36:10
I have been taking Lysine every morning and putting abreva on my lips every morning. Knock on wood, I have not gotten a fever blister/cold sore in 1 1/2 years. This is not the cheapest remedy but it's worked like a charm for me. And be sure to protect your lips when out in the sun!!
rating: 5 (5 votes)
Submitted by Alexis at 2012-01-10 18:47:18
Absolutely NEVER pop a cold sore! Never EVER put anything on it that will irritate it enough to make it ooze puss, like salt or HEAVEN forbid bleach! I've had cold sores for years, it's a virus. As with any virus the best remedy is good amounts of sleep. For the actual blistered area try washing ever so gently with Dr. bronners and then putting a little dab of a retinal crime on it. I like ROC brand. It will shorten the time it is itchy and oozy and bring you right to red and scabby.
rating: 5 (2 votes)
Submitted by Ryan at 2012-01-18 12:37:47
I recently just had a cold sore for the first time in about a year. I have had them since I was a kid and I think I finally figured out my triggers 100%. I am here to add something that I feel was the #1 fix for me. PEPPERMINT TEA bags on the sore, hot but not too hot, 3 times a day. After it gets moist put carmex on it and let it absorb in and once it's dry again back to the tea bags. Peppermint is key! I tried several others over the years and nothing has worked quite like peppermint. Hope this helps someone else!
rating: 5 (3 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-25 20:37:37
I've suffered from cold sores since I was a wee thing, and just like you I hate them, hate them, hate them. I find it's easier to avoid them than treat them; know your triggers, get enough sleep, avoid stress, take Lysine daily, etc.
I've had the best luck treating them at the first possible sign of a tingle. I use Releev, which is awesome; I'm surprised I haven't seen it mentioned more often. It's hard to find sometimes, but the active ingredient is benzalkonium chloride, which is also the main ingredient in some hand sanitizers. I once used the hand sanitizer (with benz.chlor., not just alcohol) when I had no Releev and it seemed to work.
I had a cold sore last week and treated it in a new way that seemed to work so well I thought I should share. I put Oil of Oregano on it, and it never got beong a little red patch; no swelling, no oozing, hardly noticeable. It healed in about half the time as usual, too; about four days. It was still THERE, and I wouldn't have kissed anyone, but didn't feel the need to stay home with a paper bag over my head, like I usually do. Oil of Oregano, from the health food store or pharmacy, with at least 60% carvacrols (the active ingredient).
rating: 5 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2011-01-04 15:19:19
I have gotten cold sores all of my life. For the past couple years, I have been treating them with ice and rubbing alcohol. This helped control the size and development of the sore, but they still lasted for about 10 days.
I got a cold sore last week and decided to try one of the remedies on this website (changed a little) and I can't believe how well it worked!! I missed the tingle this time, so didn't start treating it until a bump had developed. But still, by day 3, it was a tiny, barely noticeable scab.
Here's what I did:
-Melted and entire ice cube on it about once an hour for the first day, alternating with rubbing alcohol on a Q tip
-Made a paste of: Crushed Vitamin C pill, crushed L-lysine pill, rubbing alcohol, and Neosporin. I applied this paste once every couple hours starting Day 2 (would have started sooner but didn't read this site until then). While sleeping I just kept Neosporin on it.
-The sore never developed beyond a small bump, and was almost completely gone by the end of Day 3.
I wish I could post pictures to show how big of a change this paste made! It's really amazing.
rating: 4 (23 votes)
Submitted by cold sore fighter at 2011-01-05 22:24:43
ok, so after many years of the worst cold sores ever! I have found what is basically proven to be a cure for me and thought I'd share as I know all too well the pain and embarrassment of the puss filled tiny beast! In general it is a good idea to take L-Lysine supplement (1000gms/day) to prevent them but as we all know, when the immune system goes down-the cold sores lurk. I find keeping the lips moist with chap stick ALWAYS is also a good preventative but the second I feel that dreaded tingle, I apply Abreva (allow to absorb) then cover with chapstick and do this about oncce every hour or so while taking the L-Lysine and being very careful not to break the skin or pop the sore (as this makes it really flare up for me). Also sleep a bit more if possible as i find this helps the healing process too. If I catch it and take these steps soon enough-a sore never comes out but if i start to get the bump (in my sleep and not notice) and follow these same steps-I do get an out break but no swelling and not noticeable to any one if they looked at me. I use to get very bad outbreaks very often (maybe once every month or two as i have a low immune system due to a heart problem) but now, I have only had one over the last couple years and no one could even tell it was there. This method seems to stop the sore in its tracks if caught soon enough or seriously reduce symptoms, appearance and duration of infection if caught after bump. Just thought I'd share as it has worked wonders for me. Hope this helps.
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted at 2006-09-06 11:43:25
EAB from The Bronx, NY L-Lysine (an amino acid) for cold sores is the best, I got the tip from a gal who worked in the Vitamin Shoppe. As soon as I start to feel it begin I load up on 1500mgs first then at least 500mg three times a day. If you can find the capsules break one open and keep in a small container and dip a clean wet Q-tip or your finger into the powder and apply directly to the area and let it dry- do not double dip and keep the rest for re applying do this as much as possible. Do not use anything that keeps the cold sore moist the idea is to dry it out. The over the counter all keep the sore moist. Drink everything through a straw and do not reuse the straw. Do not kiss or touch anything with it since it is contagious- keep utensils separate or use plastic and dispose, wash towels and face cloths separately and do not use chap stick, lipstick or gloss on it. Drink plenty of water since it may have a drying effect and your hands may become dry. If I catch it in time- the area only becomes red and slightly raised and a sore never appears. Keep track of them since it can be pre-menstrual and stress related. You can take it every day as a preventative in 500mgs once a day. (It is also good for shingles and in helping the absorption of calcium for those with osteoporosis.) Do not waste the time or money on anything else!
rating: 4 (14 votes)
Submitted by Tasha at 2010-08-23 10:57:16
Ok, well I started to get the cold sore Friday, pop the blisters,I take baking soda and make it into a paste,and cover the sore up with it, and let it dry normally i sleep with the baking soda on,well this dries the blisters out, then yesterday, it was hurting no more blisters but was sore, so I reas online for soothing take a cotton ball,and dip it in yogurt, and hold it on the sore, this helped tremendously, then i took aloe gel, because aloe is a natural healer,i put that on after the yogurt, so the sore wouldnt crack or anything,and today its kinda scabby, so i put vaseline on it to keep the scabs moist, and that way it will stay moist,and not get all dried out and want to hurt. It should be gone soon.
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted by TB at 2011-01-07 08:33:30
After reading some other remedies, like others, I used what I had at home. I was using Campho Phenique and Abreva for my last outbreak and it seemed to get bigger and more swollen before it got better. It also lasted more than a week. I know people said not to bust them, but there is no way I can walk around with that big blister on my lip - embarassing.
Here is what I did. Day 1 (before I read the remedies on here) - I first felt the sore and put Abreva & Campho Phenique on it. As expected it (3 bumps bunched together) the next morning it was bigger.
Day 2 (should be your day 1)- I washed my lips with my facial cleanser (Wexler acnostat) it has an exfoliant in it and I wanted to make it easier to bust. Then, I iced it and put a little pressure on it so it would open. I used a tissue to squeeze the puss out. I washed my lips again with anti-bacterial soap. I used a tissue to apply alcohol and then Aveda Active Oil (Active ingredient Menthol). (I used this before on hair bumps and it works so well, I thought I'd give it a try). I let the oil sit for about 5 minutes. Then because I didn't have any Neosporin, I used Equate zinc oxide diaper rash cream (it has petrolatum)to keep the oil in place. Now this stuff is white so you have to dab it in until it disappears. It actually works well because it lessened the redness (similar to concealer). Then I covered it with tinted moisturizer. You could hardly tell.
Mid-day, I wiped the area with an antibacterial wipe, applied active oil, zinc oxide cream and tinted moisturizer.
Before bed, I washed my face and lips with my Biore blemish control acne wash (Wexler and Biore both have an exfoliant), iced the sore, applied active oil with finger and zinc oxide cream.
**When applying the oil, it seemed to work better (more oil application) when I applied it with my finger instead of using tissue.
Day 3 - This morning, I just have a flat scab. And for someone who gets these at least once a year and who HATES these things, this is a serious victory. To almost be rid of a sore in 3 days (which could have been 2) is AMAZING. Even though I have a scab, I'm still going to wash it with acne wash, apply ice, active oil, zinc oxide cream for a couple more days just in case.
I'm no doctor or pharmacist, so I don't know why it worked. But I do know that I HATE these things so much that I would spray it with Lysol or dab it with Chlorox, if I thought it worked! lol I'm sure some of you feel my sentiments so I felt obligated to submit my remedy, since I got my inspiration from other posts here. I hope this helps.
PS - I don't even know if Aveda still sells Active Oil. The bottle I have, I have had it for over 10 years. I don't know what the shelf life is, but I can tell you that it still works!
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2009-05-12 11:30:44
If you're a woman, suffering with cold sores frequently, other than getting sick, arginine to lysine food ratio (arginine being the bad one), overly acidic body (must alkalize! virus thrives in acidic bodies) - the other factor that has effected MY outbreaks is HORMONES - not just that time of the month, either. When i was on the pill (lots of fake estrogen), the outbreaks just wouldn't stop. They were continuous. When i went off the pill - the outbreaks stopped, almost completely. Now, anytime i notice i've eaten too many Estrogenic type foods - or meats with hormones, etc., my mouth acts up all over again. too much ESTROGEN) leads to low immunity. Eat organic meats, cruciferous vegetables (anti-estrogenic) - lot's of leafy greens! If you eat dairy, make it organic only - no hormones, no antibiotics in meat or dairy. Avoid sugar!!
rating: 4 (12 votes)
Submitted by Sara at 2009-10-29 23:01:30
I use Valtrex!! When ever I feel a tingling or coldsore coming on! If its too late for that use ice & salt!! Also Alcohol dries it out quickly!! Glad I am not alone.. I have one on the corner of my mouth as we speak.. which I thought was a pimple and kind of turned into a coldsore? It is all scabbed and hard to not notice.. but now I am just keeping it moist so it can heal...
rating: 4 (7 votes)
Submitted by Willy at 2010-04-07 13:27:17
I get them periodically because i have braces and my braces tend to crack my lips and booomm there goes that little sucker! I was reading all these remedies and some i would never try, im too much of a punk! i tried crushing vitamin c and mixing it with rubbing alcohol, sooo far its been doing its job, it stings a little, but nothing you can't handle! thank you guys soo much!
rating: 4 (12 votes)
Submitted by EL at 2011-05-19 00:28:46
Remedy for cold sores(herpes simplex I) take L-lysine at the first sign of cold sore.take as directed for several days. The cold sore will completely disappear in a few days. Works every time!
rating: 4 (12 votes)
Submitted at 2011-01-05 04:23:03
I have tried everything to get rid of my cold sores, i always get them this time of year.
the following steps helped me get rid of mine:
1. put neosporin on the cold sore(s) through out the day.
2. wash your hands.
3. pop the cold sore(s)
4. wipe away the liquid that comes out asap!
5. wash your hands (you'll notice scabbing but its ok)
6. put a tea bag and water in the microwave for a few mins
7. put the tea bag on the sore for about 10 mins
8. put neosporin on it again and leave it alone.
I did this and it worked for me, i hope it works for you too.
rating: 4 (17 votes)
Submitted by Mistify at 2008-06-19 21:26:44
Nail polish remover is by far the fastest way to heal a cold sore. I dab this on several times a day with a q-tip. My cold sores dry up in two days. I'm serious! This really, honestly works!
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2009-02-26 16:46:45
i have been dealing with cold sores since i was about 6 years old. i am almost 16 now. cold sores are very unattractive and they hurt very much. as a matter of fact i got one today while i was in school. my mom bought me abreva to try and heal the cold sore immedietly, but of course it didnt work. so i melted ice on it for about an houe and then i went and popped the blister. i cleaned it off and then put abreva on it again.
im hoping this works for you like it did for me. i cant even go to school when i have a cold sore because im too embarressed, high school is just full of mean ppl.
good luck =]
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2009-07-05 12:45:22
Break open an egg... drain the egg out. Inside the egg-the white thin layer - the thin skin you can carefully pull out from the egg shell....you can put a small piece of this skin on your sore and it will harden and end up looking like paper stuck to your lip. It prevents it from breathing so... it helps me a lot.
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted by Smile Again at 2008-12-05 10:30:23
I take 1 x 1000mg lysine a day after years and years of constant cold sore attacks and now I do not get any.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Jakob at 2007-09-28 17:59:25
Garlic Essence
I tried just about everything on this site with very little success. Everything from alcohol to ear wax to honey, to steroid creams. I had a recent outbreak of coldsores after an illness, one after another, and none of these seemed to work. (although the ice cube method worked to lower swelling and prevent them from getting too much worse).
Finally I discovered something that worked for me. I remembered reading that garlic is anti-viral, and since cold sores are caused by viruses I decided to try something new.
I mashed up several cloves of garlic into a paste. I then put a bit of this paste into a small funnel. I dusted it with sugar, and put more paste. I alternated layers of garlic paste and layers of sugar until it filled a substantial portion of the funnel. I put the funnel over a glass and left it overnight.
In the morning I discovered a thick green(?) liquid in the bottom of the glass. 'Essence of Garlic' I dubbed it. I smeared it on my cold sores, and the next day my older cold sores just seemed to almost fall off. The newer one that had been forming went immediately into the scabbing phase, and now I'm just waiting for the scab to fall off.
Like I said, some things work for some people, but out of all the things I've tried, this is by far the best for me. (smells awful though)
rating: 4 (17 votes)
Submitted by Liam S at 2011-06-18 19:57:18
well i get cold sores a fair bit and i find nothing works better (well as far as my experience) as some dirt cheap after shave Now it hurts like hell but it'll dry it up and destroy the infection present in no time basically anything containing a high volume of alcohol with do the trick- i have tested this with spirits but its so damn expensive :D
rating: 4 (8 votes)
Submitted at 2007-08-08 11:41:55
Noone gets cold sores as large as mine! They are monstrous. I have battled with every remedy possible and have now perfected the art. I can't catch mine in the tingling stage because that never happens. However, the best thing to do is rub surgical alcohol on the spot until it burns, followde by aloe vera gel to keep it from scarring. Tea tree oil also dries up the scab and kills bacteria. Apply whenever you remember. In terms of your diet, do not eat any chocolate, coffee, nuts or oats. Take vitamin B tablets, lysine, zinc and vitamin C. Do this religiously 3 times a day and the cold sore should be gone within 3 days from start to scab falling off!
rating: 4 (15 votes)
Submitted by Rachel at 2011-07-27 15:47:12
I have been getting cold-sores my entire. They are painful, annoying and embarassing. Other than taking L-Lysine which is a prevenative amino acid you can take,I have found that the Vitamin C - Baking Soda trick works the best. Crush up a vitamin c tablet add baking soda and then make a paste with water. Make sure you make a good enough paste for it to stay on the infected area. Apply as needed or until the cold sore has dried out. I have tryed everything. Valtrex, abreva, lipacton, zilactin, this has been the ONLY remedy that works for me and my family. Its worth a try.
rating: 4 (7 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-28 01:00:42
i got on this web site this morning because i woke up with my 3rd cold sore in a week!! my other 2 have reached the healing stage but have ugly scabs over them. when i got on here i saw a bunch of stuff i tried on the other 2 like the salt and rubbing alcohol and even abreva, carmex, and green tea bags! nothing helped! so i tried something i saw on here i put one ice cube in a plastic bag and held it on my cold sore until it melted (this might hurt and burn a little but keep going!) then as soon as it melted i popped the major blisters (i know everyone says not to but i did) and then caught the ooze with a cotton ball before it could infect another area. then i put some nail polish remover on a different cotton ball and held it on the infected area and waited for about 5 - 10 min *this is gonna burn like CRAZY but hold it as long as u can stand. keep doing this as often as u can. at the end of today i have no blisters and its pink and starting to heal! less than 24 hours :O remember to keep everything sanitary and wash you hands often!! also i don't recommend this on very sensitive skin, also my cold sore was below my lip not on my actual lip so i don't know how it would affect that sensitive skin. i hope this helps!!
rating: 4 (14 votes)
Submitted by Helper at 2008-04-01 03:56:26
I had not had a cold sore for years, then I got one just before my boyfriends parents were coming over and i had to meet them for the first time. aaargh. i tried every home remedy, teabag,aloe vera, vaseline. good news, make a toothpaste and salt paste and put it on the sore overnight, or as long as you can. you will be amazed how quickly the sore dries up. i am a happy girl at the moment and the swelling drastically declined as well;)
rating: 4 (10 votes)
Submitted by Cassie at 2009-08-12 12:56:52
I'm 21 years old and I aquired the Herpes Simplex Virus when I was about 2 years old from my dad. The thing I reseached in Pathology class about cold sores is that everyone has the virus, but it remains dormant until you come into contact with someone who has it active. In my case, my father had a cold sore and I being in the terrible 2's stage, grabbed the glass he was drinking out of and did the same. I've the absolute worst outbreaks as a child and as I got older, they became less and less, but when I do get them, they are extremely horrible and painful. I was perscribed Acyclovir (5 pills a day for 10 days) and topical cream Denavir (better then Abbriva). I take Lysine 1000mg once a day and I've noticed when I get my outbreaks. High levels of stress, too much time in the sun, and too much sodium intake. So, my at home remedy for you is: ask your doctor about Acyclovir & Denvavir (a lot less taxing on the immune system then taking Valtrex). Drink plenty of water daily, use a chapstick with spf in it. Take lysine 1000mg daily. But, if you do get an outbreak, take the perscriptions, using rubbing alcohol 91% proof to dry it out, use ice to reduce the imflammation, and up your lysine intake. There is no cure for the Herpes Simplex virus. Please, don't touch your lips (during an outbreak) and touch anything on your own body, on someone elses body, and don't kiss your partners or childrens lips to help prevent the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, all depends on the person's immune system and healing process to determine how long it will take to heal a cold sore. But just use common sense - ice helps with swelling, rubbing alcohol is a drying agent, topical creams keep the lips moist and help prevent chapping and breakouts, reduce your stress levels if possible, take a dietry supplement like Lysine to aid in the absorbtion of natural enzymes & minerals to fit off infection and see your doctor if it gets worst.
rating: 4 (10 votes)
Submitted by La Vern De Wilde at 2005-01-15 16:08:01
Cold Sore - Herpes Simplex Virus: Take 5 L-Lysine 1000mg tabs one to three times per day to ignite immediate reversal and healing within one-week.
L-Lysine works for all virus related dis-ease.
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted at 2011-08-19 13:47:03
Okay, yesterday I woke up w/ three, gross, swollen, coldsores. I only get about 2 (maybe 3) a year, but I'm a teenager so you can only imagine how embarassing it is to have the nasty blisters on your lips. When I spotted them, I immedietly put some Campho-Phenique on them. Waste of time!! Never works!! So, I read some of the remedies on this site. Most of the remedies say to use stuff that I do not have. Just my luck. But here are some fast-acting remedies that I use:
-make a paste of Hydrocortisone, Salt, Toothpaste, crushed L-Lysine pills, and Capho-Phenique (optional).
-put a tea bag and water in the microwave, pour peroxide in the HOT water, and let the tea
bag soak for about 5 min. Keep the tea bag on your lips for 10 min. At a time.
-apply acne cream w/ benzoyl peroxide (notice I said CREAM) to your cold sores.
-if you want something soothing, put toothpaste on the sores. It might help more if the toothpaste has baking soda and peroxide.
-take Lysine tablets ALL DAY.
If you do all of these remedies, I gaurantee your sore(s) will be gone in three days max. I really hope I could help (:
Also: WASH YOUR HANDS CONSTANTLY. Every single time you come in contact w/ the sores. Do not, I repeat: DO NOT touch your sores and then touch any other parts of your body. Please. You will only make the infection spead.
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted by Mandi at 2008-03-29 22:14:59
My mother always told me to rub a little Vick's on a cold sore and leave it on over night. It dries it up quick. It has always worked for me.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Ken at 2006-03-16 07:16:16
Wet cold sores dry up in 24 hours if you take three grams of vitamin C spread out over a day. Take with food is best. Then take 1 gram per day for 5 days to help boost your system.
It works for me.
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted by COLDSORE HATTER at 2010-08-18 20:05:56
I WOKE UP EARLY SUNDAY MORNIN ONLY TO FIND MYSELF WITH AN UNWANTING COLDSORE I CAME ONLINE TO FIND A QUICK REMEDY WHEN MY ABREVA WHICH BY THE WAY IS EXTREMLY HIGH WASNT WORKING FAST ENOUGH ...CAME ON THE WEB SITE HERE AND SAW SUMTHING I THOUGHT WOULD HAVE WORKED BUT WASNT SURE.....PEROXIDE...YES IT WORKS ALONG WITH TOOTHPASTE AND MY ABREVA...FORGET THE ICE ON THE COLDSORE IF U WANT COOLNESS JUST PUT THE PEROXIDE IN THE REFRIGERATOR. APPLY THE COOL PEROXIDE TO YOUR MOUTH TO HELP CLEAN IT..IF U FEEL BOLD ENOUGH USE ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP
AFTER CLEANIN IT APPLY THE ABREVA..REPEAT THIS STEP AS OFTEN AS U LIKE.USE THE TOOTHPASTE WITH FLOURIDE ONY WHEN YOU SHOWER OR TAKE A BATH..REMEMBER THE TOOTHPASTE IS OPTIONAL...IF U REALLY WANT TO KNOCK IT OUT...JUST USE CLOROX...SERIOUSLY IF YOUR SKIN ISN'T SENSITIVE TAKE A Q-TIP AND DAB A LITTLE AT A TIME TO THE COLDSORE..IT WORKS INSTANTLY...
rating: 4 (13 votes)
Submitted by 888888888888888 at 2009-10-16 18:17:19
when you have a cold sore the best thing to do is buy a tube of carmex and a tube of fast drying campho phenique it works the best. but use it after you put a warm tea bag on the sore after clean with hydrogen peroxide and walah the cold sore starts to dry out and you get instant pain relief and it lessens redness
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2011-01-03 18:36:26
I've had to deal with cold sores ever since kindergarten. Both of my parents get them and so naturally no one was surprised when I started developing the little guys. I first remember using carmex, however I strongly advise AGAINST this because it does nothing but make the cold sore much bigger. Eventually I moved onto prescription strength creams, which are great when you can afford them. But lately, I've found that baking soda and abreva work wonders. I've tried everything from nail polish remover to campho phenique, but this has to be the first time I've ever healed up my cold sore in less than a week. Multiple times a day I make a thick paste with baking soda and warm water and apply it to my cold sore for about 10 minutes, then blot it off with water and a cotton swab. Immediately I apply abreva, and keep applying it about ten times a day. This really stopped my last cold sore (which was shaping up to be a huge one) from growing and immediately dried it out all while avoiding the blistering stage completely. Although this may not work wonders for ALL cold sores, I'd say that it was definitely a miracle for me.
rating: 4 (14 votes)
Submitted at 2012-01-21 15:44:58
I know this sounds both unsanitary and nasty but it is definitely 101% fool proof. Make sure you use your own or a close family members if you are okay with it. Put EARWAX directly on the coldsore, not sure what the chemistry is but you will see a difference within one day.
rating: 4 (7 votes)
Submitted by meg at 2011-12-27 03:38:54
I felt my cold sore coming on very late last night. As soon as I had access to hydroden peroxide, I doused the tingly area with it and went to sleep. When I woke up, the sore had already begun the scabbing process and was not very noticeable. I continued applying generous amounts of peroxide to the infected area throught the day as well as Abreva ($13-$17, lasts for YEARS) the cold sore remained about the same size throught the day, but now before bed it has begun to dry up and receed.
It's important to remember that picking at your sores will allow a larger passageway for other bacteria to get in an cause infection.
Cold sores are kind of a pain, but remember they're treatable and temporary.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by adrinne at 2011-04-25 11:23:17
cold sores are disgusting...ive been plagued with them since childhood. im 20 now and i think i found the cure :) disgusting as it sounds if your desperate you'll try this.
get a bowl crush asprin in it, add salt, baking powder, lemon juice, garlic, and toothpaste. it starts bubbling in the bowl which leads me to believe its doing something
next rub it with a little force into your sore let it sit once it dries out keep it moisturized im using blistex 5 star lip protector and mary kay lip masque
when ever possible also ice and dont pop the bubbles you'll only get big scabs dry out the bubbles dont pop them!
hope this helps someone i have it on my lip right now. pray for me.
rating: 4 (20 votes)
Submitted by Jess at 2008-03-25 01:21:58
I use to get cold sore A LOT, like every few months and I tried just about everything but never any luck. So frustrating!!! My mom went on this splurge of making everyone in the family take Echinacea. She said that is help boost your immune system and therefor could be used for all sorts of things. (She had a jar of the liquid variety) One day Bam yet another sore so I figured y not? I took a cotton ball and soaked it in it and taped it to my lip, took a few drops, and started to clean my house within a few hours it was gone! You can find it at any vitamin store and it really helped me!
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2008-12-15 05:36:39
I get a cold sore once a year, always at the wrong time. I felt it coming Friday night and was starting to peek by Saturday morning. On Saturday morning, I poured a really small amount of Jack Daniels, yes Jack Daniels in a shot glass and poured it on the cold sore. And yes it burns so bare with it for a few seconds. Once the burning stops, I put desitin on it, yes the cream for the baby's diaper rash. I drank 2 glasses of orange juice, the swelling decreased in four hours. Then I put baby orajel on it throughout the day at bed time, desitin again. I did this again the next morning, and it was gone by the afternoon.
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2007-08-27 09:15:35
I have found that putting a paper-towel or cotton ball soaked with whole milk helps prevent the growth of and speeds the healing time of cold sores.
rating: 4 (8 votes)
Submitted by xxRaverBabyxx at 2008-08-21 11:53:18
Cold sores are horrible to get and to me i hate leaving the house when i get one. Ive tried most products in shops and they dont work very well. I now try putting an ice cube wrapped in tissue or bag hold it over the coldsore wether it is at tingly stage or at scab stage. hold it on there untill its all gone or nearly gone and then dab mouthwash on a cotton wool bud and dab it over and leave for a minute or 2 then dab it dry do this every hour. untill your satisfied. I noticed the difference in just 2 hours and this was at scab stage when i 1st tried. Best remedie ive ever chose :D
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2009-03-06 22:40:23
OK, this is going to be long but most of you here are prob popped out with a cold sore and have an important event that we are so desperate to try ne thing. It comes at the worse of times! Well let me start by saying I never get cold sores and just recently my first one which was a few months ago was right after i got back from the dentist. Now I got home from the dentist and after hours of my mouth being stretched to its limits. When I got home my mouth was super red and i just had this feeling I was going to get a cold sore. I put an ice on it for a little bit but I didnt leave it on long but that night no cold sore came out. Then the following morning when I was scheduled for 2 interviews what do i know? I woke up with a blister already formed... So this is what I did.... I melted 1 ice and applied neosporin for healing open wounds. thats what I did for the healing process last time after it formed into a scab and everyone reccommended it to help it from scarring.. I looked ok after applying make up went to my interviews then came home and it looked ok but i was trying to get rid of it.. so I continue to do the rest of the trial methods... abbreva last time made my cold sore last 7 to 8 days! ahhh! i cant leave the house when this happens to me. So first I tried Bleach I dipped q-tip into bleach ran thru water, and applied. It made my cold sore get red and swollen...didnt work... next i put blistex.. didnt do ne thing wiped it off, next I applied rubbing alcohol and washed it off, next I put neosporin on it again to keep it cool.. made some earl grey tea, let the tea bag cool down and used the tea bag on my coldsore for 20 min.. This seemed to calm it down. then I applied neosporin and melted another ice..was very red and swollen from everything.. I went to shower and cleaned my ears and looked for yuck ear wax to put it on my cold sore, didnt do ne thing and then I applied this natural Usana toothpaste which has green tea etc..it looks like mud and its an all natural toothpaste and i woke up and next day it was scabbing a little... and it wasnt red ne more. today I just applied neosporin all day and it seems to be doing ok. Not that red ne more and the swelling def went down started scabbin yucky yellow stuff. very different from last time where it turned into a huge burgundy scab on my mouth. Now the cold sore stayed more on my lips rather than on the outside corner of my mouth where it looks like ugh! ne ways.. just wanted to SAY I tried EVERYTHING... i cant believe i did the earwax thing! and Bleach that seems so dangerous! but I would have to say from my experience the tea thing was cooling and it help soothe the cold. I tried everything to get those liquid in the bubbles to dry out i was very tempted to pop it.. But I think the bubbles started scabbing during the night and the rest of today but I think my cold sore will be gone by tomorrow.. im just using neosprin to help it from scarring. so wow total 3 days, but i would have to say No matter what theres nothing you can do.. especially the first 2 days it looked the worse especially after all the crazy stuff i did. Well maybe it did worked since I tried almost everyone of the remedies, i've seen it reduce 50% today i have stopped stressing out. And its the weekend tomorrow so I have more time to give it time but it looks a little normal today! I will not go to that dentist ne more!
last time i tried abbreva, camaphor medication for cold sore, lavendar oil, nail polish, reg. toothpaste, it took about 8-10 days. turned into a big scab on my mouth was always bleeding everytime i brushed my teeth.
This time I did neosporin, bleach, earl tea bag, earwax, alcohol, natural usana toothpaste. taking about 3-4 days to heal, is not cracking and bleeding no burgundy scab just scabbing slowly with yucky yellow stuff. good luck with ur trial.. i know what ur going thru.. Just try to stop staring and stressing.
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted by I Hate Cold Sores! at 2010-08-12 04:36:22
For anyone who has a cold sore on their cheek, this is for you.
I was infected with the cold sore virus on my entire right cheek when an idiot doctor from a laser clinic put an ice pack on my face without disinfecting it the bag (though I can't prove it 100%)
I've had 4 breakouts on my right cheek in the past year alone. Each time my entire right cheek would turn so red and crusty, and took almost 4 weeks to heal. I'm 28 years old and before that laser clinic, I NEVER had a single breakout on my cheek.
I came across this website and god bless all the people with your caring suggestions! I tried the ice cube method and it seems to work well.
MY SUGGESTION is to also aim a small portable electric fan on your cheek when you're sleeping. It'll act like a constant ice cube.
When I first tried the experimental electric fan method, I was already having a day 3 outbreak on my cheek. The fan stopped the virus dead in it's tracks!! and after about 5 nights of fanning, my face was back to normal. I had some dry skin shedding in that area, but no disgusting crusting, severe redness or scabs.
BOTTOM LINE: Try using a small portable electric fan on the infected area. If you have a hard time finding one in stores, you find cheap ones on eBay for around $5 or less
rating: 4 (6 votes)
Submitted at 2011-11-14 14:47:09
Suffered all my 54 years with cold sores. Tried everything. My cure came from right outside in my barn fridge for my equines. Go to your nearest feed store and ask for Vetericyn! It will clear up a cold sore in a few hours. By overnight your done. Stuff is amazing.
rating: 4 (8 votes)
Submitted by Sheena at 2010-07-21 10:09:18
Okay, so this is a weird one...but it always works for me. I get cold sores in and under my nose. The one products that always works is midew cleaner. I actually noticed one coming last night, I already have some little bumps. So I went to get my bathroom, sprayed some tilex on a q-tip and then rubbed it under my nose. Yes, it smells strong. But when I woke up this morning it was almost gone. It sounds weird, but works great for me. Good Luck.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by Terri at 2011-01-02 01:46:21
I am 36 years old and have been dealing with cold sores most of my life. I've used every over the counter medication, alcohol, ice, peroxide, and hot wet tea bags.
I found this remedy accidentally and then my mom told me that my aunt used the same thing.. I noticed when I used foundation make-up, my cold sores would dry up much faster.. So, this is what I do..
The very first second I feel the tiniest bump, I use a needle to break it.. I then take some tissue and squeeze the fluid out of it and then liberally apply it to the open blister and a small area surrounding it. If it starts to wear off, put more on. The foundation will dry it up and about 85% of the time when i catch it quick enough, no other blisters will form and it will literally be gone in a day or two but it goes unnoticed by others!
On the rare occasion that I do not catch them quick enough and I have several form before seeing them (usually while I am sleeping), I break all of the blisters open or scratch the surface with a needle and then squeeze the fluid out and apply foundation.. This may take a few more days to disappear but it's still faster than anything I've tried!
Hope this helps someone!
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2007-12-08 14:10:24
I get cold sores in the same spot on the corner of my mouth about once a year and I have always used the prescription Denavir. It works to heal in about 3-5 days, earlier if caught right away. I think that Abreva works pretty well too.
I tried several of the methods posted on this sight and I think that there might be something to the Lysine and the ice cube melting on the sore.
What I find to be the most powerful weapon against them is prayer to Jesus Christ, Master healer of everything. If He can heal a leper just by touching him (read about Jesus in the book of John in the Bible), then He can heal these annoying blisters on the face! I got one 2 days before my wedding, I prayed without ceasing for it to clear up and it was gone before the BIG DAY. I just got one this week, same thing, gone in one day! Try it! It can't hurt, may help!!!!
rating: 4 (52 votes)
Submitted by Duane at 2005-11-13 10:47:52
cold sore cure you will not get them as long as you use this suplement to your diet. Take L-Lysene in 1000 mill. capsules once a week. If you are having an out break at the first sign of tingling sinsation in the lips take 3 1000 mill capusels once aday and chances are the sore will not develope. It does not take very much of this product to keep the problem under controll. The L-Lysene mutates the herpes virus and because of the mutation the virus cannot repoduce itself and cause and outbreak. I use to get these horribly and sence I found this fix I no longer get them and have not had any problem with it as long as I manage to take 1 capsule a week. Try it it works and it is not exspensive.
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2008-02-18 19:04:37
First ice, if blister appears, open them up with a needle sterilized in alcohol. Use a paper tow to drain the moisture. Poor peroxide over the out-brake. Use a paper tow to dry up the peroxide. Coat with Calamine Lotion. When scabbing starts use Neosporin to help with healing and prevent scaring. Valtrex and L-Lysine to keep them away.
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted at 2009-05-28 13:53:52
I've read so many remedies and I looked for the common factors (its the Chemist in me). First, it really helps to stop the virus from completing its cycle and spreading. Second, Freeze it by applying ice directly to the area until the skin numbs. Do this at least three times in one hour. Third, Dry it up! That's why alcohol, acetone, clearasil, etc all work very well... they dry up the infected area.
Forth, Vitamin C has worked very well for me but I see how adding Lysine, zinc and other vitamins aid in healing.
I also found that applying Iodine right on the infected area right after you've dried the wound, it helps to kill the virus since it kills just about everything else. Finally, take weekly dosages of Lysine, vitamin C, zice and a multi-vitamin weekly or every 4-5 days to prevent or greatly reduce new out-breaks.
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted by Crex at 2008-03-22 02:51:41
Cold sores, also called fever blisters are primarily caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and are normally the main symptom for oral herpes or herpes labialis. There are a variety of home treatments for cold sores that many people have attested to be effective in relieving the symptoms of cold sores and preventing recurrent outbreaks. Here are some of them...
1. Cold compress. One of the best home remedies for colds sore is to simply apply ice every 5-10 minutes of every hour at the onset of a cold sore. When ice is applied early enough in the cold sore cycle it can slow down the metabolism of the affected area, which slows the growth. This has been seen to help ease the pain and can prevent the virus from moving from the nerves to the skin.
2. Staying healthy. The best way to fight viral infections like this is to protect and boost your immune system and prevent further outbreaks. Take your daily vitamin supplements, most especially the B complex vitamins, and get enough sleep and rest.
3. Food to avoid. Certain foods can prolong the occurrence of cold sores, while some can trigger their recurrence. Limit your consumption of processed foods, sugar, caffeine, those high in salt content, soft drinks, and citrus fruits as they can likely trigger an outbreak. Limit your intake of arginine-rich foods such as grains, peanuts, chocolate and wheat products as virus tend to feed on arginine. Changing your diet and taking vitamin supplements are two of the best home remedies for cold sores.
4. There is one popular treatment in Europe due to its effectiveness is lemon balm. Lemon balm can reduce the severity and duration of an attack and is believed to reduce the tendency of cold sore recurrence.
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted by mark at 2004-07-05 13:03:23
When you feel a cold sore forming, make a paste out of Zest bath soap, let it dry, and rinse off. This will pull moisture out of the cold sore. Do several times a day.
Ever notice when after using bleach your hands are dry, cracked? When a cold sore is forming, before it weeps, put a dab of bleach on it. This will certinally pull moisture out of it.
rating: 4 (53 votes)
Submitted by Jeff at 2010-01-09 00:16:15
Probiotic yogurt containing acidophilus, an active bacterial culture. Acidophilus inhibits the movement of the herpes virus throughout your system. I suffered from brutal cold sore attacks every couple of months. I started enjoying this probiotic yougurt and haven't had a cold sore for over a year and a half. AMAZING! PLEASE TAKE NOTICE!!
rating: 4 (6 votes)
Submitted by Swear by this remedy!! at 2010-01-10 10:52:28
OK im going to have to say I read every single remedy on here that people put down cuz I had gotten my second cold sore in 2 years and I panicked on what to do because my first one I used abreva and it made it unbelievably huge and embarasing and I was willing to go through anything to not have to go to work on monday with a cold sore on my face! So this is what I did.
1)Take an icecube and lay it on the area and let it melt.
Do it as long as you can take it the longer the better though. After a while it wont bother you anymore especially if you want this gone!
2)Tanned in a tanning bed.
Tanning dries out your skin and lips if you want to dry this out this would be a good way to do it!
3)Applied rubbing alcohol with a q-tip every half hour. Now you will think you might not have time but believe me if you want this thing gone you'll find time. Just dab or roll the q-tip not rub and after I did that I put on hydrogen peroxide the same way and then rubbing alcohol again.
The rubbing alcohol dries out your skin also and the hydrogen peroxide cleans the infection out if it open.
The rubbing alcohol might hurt but its only for a few seconds trust me youll be able to handle it.
4)Now if you have access or know somebody with valtrex ask for some from your doctor or friend. Im not certain if this was part of the factor but I took a pill twice a day.
I never applied any ointment to the area to keep it moist on the other parts of my mouth i did though. You want dry it out not make it wet or moist.
I started to notice what I thought was a canker sore on my lip thursday and friday woke up with a cold sore. It is now sunday morning and I can barely see where it is, just a few dots left and no swelling!! I also never popped my blisters I was told it would scar and make the infection worse and last longer.
I swear on everything i know and own this worked for me no discusting blisters and scabbing worked very well for me and i hope it does for you too!!!
rating: 4 (6 votes)
Submitted by Ted Birnbaum at 2011-08-05 22:44:20
Whenever I get a cold sore (near the mouth), I take 500mg of lysine & 5-10 mg. of vitamin B6 with it 3x a day. It is equally important to avoid eating grains..wheat,rice, corn etc..also nuts during this time AND also to get adequate sleep AND good protein...as in eggs. These things always stop the cold sore from getting worse and allow for complete healing within 5 days. Cold sores usually strike at the low point of a cold infection when your body is most worn out. If you don't get the rest and hi quality protein the lysine & B6 may not do any good. One other thing..vitamin B2 works contrary to B6, so keep your B2 input low during this time.
rating: 4 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2011-02-09 18:19:29
Well i've had cold sore ever since I can remember. I used abreva, doesnt seem to help. I read through alot of these, and I tried the ice, nail polish remover, tea bags, neospran and the salt. The ice did help the swelling for awhile, but awhile just isnt good enough. I used the tea bags once before and it had the same short term effect. I never used the neosporan before and I though it would help because I used it on a really bad pimple and it was gone the next day. But what really help was the finger nail polish remover. I used it just once and no more than 10 minutes it already started to scab. So thank you guys for the tip.
rating: 4 (18 votes)
Submitted by D at 2008-05-28 00:40:02
The best thing to use for a cold sore is DMSO. You can put it on one time when you feel a cold sore coming on and it will go away. You can also put it on anytime and the cold sore goes right away. I would say put it on like once or twice with a Q-tip. First wash the area and put it on, and you'll see it go right away within an hour.. This really is the best way to get rid of it. If you have antiviral cream, put the cream on first, then the DMSO over it and it will go away within an hour or two. This is the best thing for it!!!
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted at 2008-09-07 13:46:30
I've been getting cold sores since I was about 13 and now I'm 25. I usually get at least one a year and have been trying to find a way to get rid of them. The one's I get usually take a while to get rid of and probably last for about 2 weeks befor they completely heal. I got one in early August so I figured I had a while before I got another one...and sorry to say I woke up with one only 3 weeks later. Mine usu. develop over night so I never get to 'catch it early'. This time when I woke up it was alreay formed...but not full blown. I melted an entire ice cube on it and then took a little pin and popped the blisters. I then took a q-tip and applied hydrogen peroxide to the open blisters. It stings but that just means it's working. I then ran a tea bag under some hot water and held it to my sore for a few minutes. Later I applied more hydrogen peroxide and then applied Denavir (need a prescription for denavir). The cold sore was visibly smaller by the end of the day. Now it's Sunday (woke up with the sore on Friday) and it's practically gone. The fastest I've ever had one go away. I think the key is applying the ice...reduced the swelling and possibly makes the virus unable to grow and spread. I also bought some lysine and took one 500mg pill. Not sure the pill did anything but I plan to take a pill once a day in the future to see if it reduced outbeaks.
rating: 4 (4 votes)
Submitted by Brittany at 2011-10-25 16:10:11
I have always had bad luck with cold sores. I never get a sign that it is coming, they just pop up when I am asleep. The best remedy I have tried so far is actually a drying cream my aunt bought for acne. It is not expensive, I believe $17.00, but it last forever. The drying cream is Mario Badescu skin care drying lotion. I leave it on as long as I possibly can (it is pink so you can't exactly go out in public). Usually in 3-4 days the cold sore is gone.
rating: 4 (12 votes)
Submitted by Dr. K at 2010-09-20 22:01:22
Cold sores are from low blood calcium. Take calcium supplements on an empty stomach and they will go away.
rating: 4 (22 votes)
Submitted by JEA at 2011-10-12 00:21:35
This has been tested by me only (Unless someone you know has done this)
Put salt on an ice cube, press the salty side of the cube on the cold sore for about 30 or so seconds, at least until it burns, the skin will swell up some but that is normal (at least for me it is) wait a while (maybe a few hours) and the sore should be gone after the swelling goes down.
The way I think this works: The skin swelling makes skin tissue inside the skin absorb fluids from within the body to retain mass, which enables the skin to swell up and not have too much pressure. When your bit by a mosquito it swells a little bit, but you don't feel the swelling you feel the itch caused by enzymes or whatever it is the mosquito left behind that caused the swelling, same with flees, ants, and other things that bite like that.
If this method does not work for you it's just one of those 'worth-a-shot' methods, not guaranteed to work for everyone.
rating: 4 (9 votes)
Submitted by karyn at 2009-07-30 11:20:11
I'm 40 and have had cold sores most of my life... L-Lysine is the best at preventing them... But, just like everyone else I ran out and found myself coming down with a huge one right before a big party I was attending. If you want a good prevention besides the lysine... Clinique makes a great lip balm... put on when you feel the cold sore coming on and it stops it completely, the best part is if you have a fever or are going out in the sun, same thing just put it on like any other chap stick and the cold sore never forms. But, if you've got one like me, where you feel like daffy duck...lysine 3 times a day with vitamin c and 1000 mcg biotin... Alcohol area for the first hour as much as possible... follow with juice from garlic... doesn't matter if you sqeeze it yourself or if you use the store brand (minced garlic)... leave on as long as possible...it takes the pain out... follow up with the clinique lip balm... gone within 2-3 days completely... very little scabbing.
rating: 4 (5 votes)
Submitted by Cheryl at 2011-12-13 16:08:23
okay who cares about the pain! You just want that cold sore gone off your face as quick as possible!! Well let me help you! Have cotton balls with hydrogen peroxide ready, *Pop the blisters with a clean safety pin or sewing needle and with clean hands squeeze the infectious ooze out as much as possible, once that's done put the hydrogen peroxide cotton ball onto the cold sore and push it on there and let it sting for a couple mins! This will help kill the germs and dry it out! Then usually there will be a film of skin empty of its ooze and I peel it off and rub abreva into! Its all about drying the cold sore out! If you don't have abreva just keep popping (if necessary) and cleaning the blisters with hydrogen peroxide!
rating: 4 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2011-01-03 16:02:47
I have been getting cold sores since I was a little kid (thanks mom) I hate getting them, and they seem to always happen right before a first date.
I have tried a lot of different remedies, but I found that simple icing works better than anything. I had a massive break out of four cold sores, and I iced them once every hour. By the end of the night, one was already gone, and the others were hardly noticeable. The one mistake I made was taking a hot shower, which caused my lip to look like world war two again. Aside from that little set back, it worked. Icing kills the virus, and it heals in days (two for me), not weeks.
rating: 4 (15 votes)
Submitted at 2004-12-07 16:15:26
swish with tonic water with quinine 4-6 times a day. Make sure the sore comes in contact with tonic water. Works great
rating: 4 (24 votes)
Submitted at 2011-12-14 22:34:57
I kno this sounds crazy but plain lysole spray, not the scented kind the original lysole that kills 99.9% of germs. If u read the back one of the germs it claim to kill is the herpes symplex virus,
When I feel one coming I POP it or poke it and spray lysole on a q-tip and apply, it does burn a little but damn it works, I do it about. 6-7 times a day and the next day its nearly gone,
rating: 4 (16 votes)
Submitted by Bethany Nelson at 2004-08-18 15:25:02
All you have to do is this as soon as you feel it coming. At night when you go to bed just put a big chunk of vaseline on the spot. I usually do this for two or three nights. It NEVER evolves. I've had these things my entire life. I get them 4 or 5 times a year. I haven't had one in over a year because I catch it right away.
I wish more people knew about this! It's SO much cheaper than Abreva and other cold sore drugs and works fast.
rating: 4 (27 votes)
Submitted by Dev at 2011-04-06 15:54:57
So this is my second cold sore this month. Usually I get them once a year, but these past few months have been very stressful for me. Last cold sore, I bought Abreva. It still lasted about two weeks even though I caught it early on. Don't waste your money on this!
I came to find this page by the time I got my second cold sore (the one I have now). I told my friend about how I got one and she suggested crushing Ibuprofen tablets and mixing them with warm water to make a paste, but I came home to find I have none. Then I read someone put the liquid from Nyquil Liquigels on theirs, and it went away in 3-4 days. Well I didn't have those either. However I did have Advil Liquigels.
So I got my coldsore just yesterday and used Abreva on it. It didn't make it less red or take the swelling away, but for the time being I believe it may have stopped it from growing. Then I slit open an Advil Liquigel with a sharp knife (careful it's harder than it sounds) and applied the liquid to the cold sore. After it had dried I also put on some of my acne cream, because it contains 5% benzoyl peroxide. Next morning (this morning?) it started to heal. About a day later after doing this it is starting to scab. I have continued to apply the Liquigel liquid to the sore and thus far it has done wonders!
Hope it works for whoever else may try this :)
rating: 4 (18 votes)
Submitted by hsv avenger at 2008-07-23 20:53:39
during the first 3 months i contracted it i had 3 sores total pretty much back to back. thinking that i was going to be one of the people that has frequent outbreaks, i did my research. out of all the voodoo stuff i read, the most reputable was the lysine vitamin c and lemon balm. so i now have a bottle of 500 mg lysine tablets, lemon balm tablets and the cream, and vitamin c tablets 1000 mg with flavanoids and rosehips, which elminate toxins and free radicals. the lysine stops the virus from replicating, i take 3,500 mg a day of that, 760mg lemon balm which protects cells from being harmed, and lemon balm cream applied every night, and two of the vitamin c tablets daily for immune boost and i havent had a cold sore since. this is the best way i think for stopping cold sores from even starting to form. i dont wanna read how to get rid of my cold sore once its already there i dont even want it to show its face ever again. when attacking it with these 4 cheap supplements the virus is forced into dormacy. try this remedy and i promise you will not be dissapointed! its like you dont even have the disease anymore. i wrote this for anyone that hasnt found that perfect remedy yet because i know how bad cold sores can make you feel so i wanted to share this to whom ever may come across it.
rating: 4 (10 votes)
Submitted by Jessa at 2008-08-14 18:09:47
ok i know this is gonna sould funny but i guarentee it works.. ask your doctor about valtrex! haha yes i know its used for genital herpes but they perscribe it for cold sores (herpes simplex virus) too. it works so amazing! when you start to feel the onset or tingeling of one, just pop in a pill and put a dab of campho phinique on the affected spot. it stops it from forming right there and then! your welcome!, now you can go enjoy going out in public looking like the gorgeous self you actually are =]
rating: 4 (3 votes)
Submitted by Nicole at 2008-09-06 18:59:34
I recently read about this trick for getting rid of cold sores: Use a 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and about 10 drops of tea tree ESSENTIAL oil. Mix the two together and apply on the cold sore with a q-tip. Do this several times a day until it gets better. Yesterday, I saw I was getting a cold sore, I used this remedy and what do ya know, my cold sore's already in the scab stage. Yay!
rating: 4 (2 votes)
Submitted by Candi at 2010-02-11 10:02:47
I woke up this morning with a cold sore on my lip. I had to go to work so did not have time to do a whole lot and i needed something i could do at my desk. So i got a napkin and soaked the sore with alcohol for about 10 minutes. Then i put the garlic on for about 5 minutes. The pain and tingling has subsided and i already feel the swelling going down. During lunch i will go to the store and get some lysine. So far the alcohol and garlic is working but i need this gone by valentines day which is in two days. I'll keep you posted...
rating: 4 (6 votes)
Submitted at 2010-05-09 19:42:53
I have suffered with cold sores since I was a little girl, they are painful and embarrassing. I always end up with about 2 maybe 3 a year and they are probably worse then most peoples. I have always used drug store products but have realized that cold sores will heal on there own time, its just like being sick ur body must heal and the drug store products eliminate the pain, it doesn't seem to heal it as fast as you would like it too.. So therefore for ME! A week is way to long to keep re-applying medication and to have a cold sore on my lip for a long period of time. I recently tried this process and realized that it worked for me. Keep in mind I said for me. I gently placed a small hole in the blister with a sterilized needle, I did not pop open these sores,if u pop all these sores with a needle u will scar ur mouth. like I said one small hole that will open the sore to air out will help. I placed rubbing alcohol,tooth paste, aloe gel and crushed vitamin C together and made a paste with that. I placed that on my lip about 5 times throughout the day. And when I would re-apply it, I would
take a small cotton ball and place warm water on it and take off the paste from before. Then before re-applying the paste I would place alcohol on the sore. I have. I also drank lots of water throughout the day, took 2 vitamin C orally and a cup of orange juice. Hope it works for u : )
rating: 4 (6 votes)
Submitted at 2010-11-29 18:00:46
i read this entire site...i decided to take 6 vitamin c pills and crush them up between to spoons...poured about half a cup of peroxide into a cup added the crushed pills and some salt mixed it up...applied it with my finger then right after applied campho phen. it only tingles...every time i feel its drying up i apply more. my swelling has dropped alot within ten minutes! its starting to dry up.....make sure to wash ur hands right after every application
rating: 4 (6 votes)
Submitted by r.l.nordyke at 2011-03-04 23:00:57
cold sores,cancer sores,fever blisters,and shingles,and herpes on genitals are all related they can be gotten rid of with l-lysine 500 miligrams or 1ooo miligrams if its for the genital area for about 6 months if you are embarressed to ask a pharmacist call one on the phone and ask you dont need to tell him your name do not take 1000 mg for your lips its too much do not take l-lysine if you have any liver problems its bad for the liver always ask a pharmacist before you take a vitamin with or without an actual prescription sometimes even tea will make a prescription from working l-lysine is for long term results
for the best imediate results use ice first for 10 or 20 minetes at a time 4-5 times a day
i used to mix garlic honey and milk to dip tiny pieces of bread in and lay it on my lip
alum is also an option dip your finger in water and pat it in the alum then pat it on your lip
also potatoes help eat a potatoe
rating: 4 (15 votes)
Submitted by Augustarae at 2010-02-15 17:07:14
6 days ago I broke out with a cold sore. I didn't recognize the symptom which I had for several days. A sensation exactly like a paper cut but couldn't see anything. Then a week ago today (Monday) I took a magnifier to the area and saw a very very tiny bump on the edge of my lip. Stupidly, I squeezed it slightly, totally forgetting about the possibility of a cold sore - sure enough, the next day I had a small cold sore. I knew to put alcohol on it but I picked up a bad tip on the internet (not this site) and that was to apply vaseline or Neosporin. Don't do this as it will spread the virus as it drains from the cold sore. Today I decided to stick to alcohol and it already looks better. However, I will also try the ice cube and garlic treatment. Sounds pretty tasty.
rating: 3 (10 votes)
Submitted at 2007-07-26 13:06:20
If you want to kill the cold sore virus.... Take a cotton ball and soak it in bleach it will stong and burn but its worth it. After your done with that take a green tea bag and wet it and place it over the sore, then take centrum multi-vitimin tabllet soak it and make a paste put it over the sore and leave on for about 20 mins. Im am being completely honest when I say instantly the sore and pain goes away, like magic the sore is killed and u end up with a dried blood scab put some cream and you should be good!
rating: 3 (17 votes)
Submitted by Wendy at 2009-04-21 12:53:36
I use lip Medex by blistex(blue container) when I feel the tingling and when it first starts to form, it dries it up fast and forms a barrier over it. Once the Cold Sore has blistered Ice and Rubbing alcohol does help dry it up and heal a little faster but I find that tanning helps best. Wait till about 3 days after the cold sore blistered( HEAT DOES NOT HELP THEM WHEN THEY START TO FORM, only makes them bigger in the first stage) Tanning beds help dry them up,and heal them, Tanning is also good for pimples it dries them up and you get a little color which just makes you look a little more healthier. I have found this always works best for me and I have had them for over 10 years now.
The more you use different products or to much of them (rubbing alcohol) it does not help and can burn the skin which once the cold sore has healed you will have a red mark on your skin which alot of people think are scars from cold sores. Just do little as possible just get them dried up which takes a day or so, then picking at them is not as harmful. Its the first 2-3 days that are the worst.
Alot of people have cold sores and understand them. Yes there is the odd person that will say a rude remark but there is over 70% of people that has had a cold sore in their life. Your not alone. You can't hide from them, It has taken me along time but trust me after years and years you come to terms with them.
rating: 3 (7 votes)
Submitted by kaianeh at 2011-04-25 07:19:49
ok so you need single application stuff from cvs it comes in a little tube you crack and rub all over the blisters it pulls all the ickyness out of them. Then I continue to dry it out with hairspray hand sanitizer nailpolish remover and ice it. Slept over night with proactiv face mask on it ( this thing was hugeeee) now I just have a dry spot that I put mary k lip mask over it to mosturize and take away the dead skin.
rating: 3 (21 votes)
Submitted at 2007-10-25 14:08:56
Using your own urine works unbelievably well. The blister won't form, as long as you catch it early.
rating: 3 (26 votes)
Submitted by Lylak at 2008-08-12 16:13:19
I used to get cold sores constantly, it seemed like every 3 months I'd get one. It was a nightmare. After 3 years they stopped so I figured I was cured, I was wrong just today when I woke up I realized I had a cold sore coming on. When I get them they look so bad that it makes me want to hide from everyone. I have found a couple of things that work for me. first I melt an ice cube on it (this helpes with the swelling) then I take 3 250mg of L-Lysine tablets. I repeat this about 3x a day. It works wonders for me. Abreva just seemed to make it worse and last longer. For us girls who wear make-up, stay clear of make up until it heals or you will contaminate your lipstick which then can make you vulnerable to another cold sore. Hope this helps.
rating: 3 (5 votes)
Submitted by katy at 2011-05-13 16:29:15
i know others have posted about taking the Lysine pills during an outbreak, BUT you need to take them daily to prevent...believe me it does work! i am 40 yrs old & have had cold sores since i was 5, i've tried everything, zovirax, over the counter meds-you name it, i've tried it! i take 2 Lysine pills daily everyday (500ml/ea) & 10/day when i feel one coming on. i also apply rubbing alcohol 3 or more times a day & of course then use a lip balm to keep it moisturized. the only time i get them anymore is from extreme sun exposure...so i've learned to take up to 4/day when i know i'm going to be in the sun for a prolonged amount of time.
rating: 3 (16 votes)
Submitted by Arnold at 2010-12-25 07:23:22
I had a bad cold last week and I knew that I would be prone to a cold sore being that my immune system was already on overload. So I made a concious effort to take care of my lips until one night. My lips were feeling dry and I forgot to protect them with lip balm (spf 15) that day and at night. Next day I already had a bump that I knew was a cold sore.
Day 1: I immediately placed Abreva on the bump let it dry and covered it with a semi-thin layer of vaseline. A few hours later I iced the bump, put another layer of Abreva followed by another layer of Vaseline.
Day 2: The bump was bigger and my upper lip was a little swollen. I continued the ice, abreva, vaseline treatment as to not break the skin. I could see the blister but it wasn't as painful and didnt itch too much. But it still looked awful.
Day 3: The swelling actually went down and the bump started to recede. I continued with the ice, abreva, vaseline treatment and cleaned it a bit with hydrogen peroxide still being careful not to rupture the skin. The sore was noticeably better by the evening.
Day 4: I could see the formation of a scab. I no longer placed ice on the bump as it had almost disappeared. I continued to put abreva with a layer of vaseline over the top to keep my lip moist and keep the scab from forming to densely.
Day 5: The cold sore has pretty much disappeared with just the remnants of the scab and dead lip skin.
I had lanced my blisters before or had broken the blister by accident and this always let to a longer recovery time and a horrible looking scab. By keeping the sore protected with vaseline, you keep the damage to a minimum. I also believe the abreva helped to prevent the sore from spreading too far. That was pretty much only four full days. Where as my usual bouts lasted 7 - 10 days.
Those first few days will be a test of your patience because it will look a lot worse before it gets better. That 2nd day is terrible. But if you can just keep to the ice, abreva, vaseline regiment at least every four hours during the time you're awake. It will get better sooner. At least that was my experience.
rating: 3 (11 votes)
Submitted by Shione at 2011-01-29 19:07:56
Ive been getting cold sores every other month lately. And because of it i want to pull an ostritch kind of move and plunge my head into the ground so no one can see. Through my desperet attempts to control the cold sores i have found that using Anbesol oral antiseptic early on helps to speed up the duration of the outbreak as well as constantly applying lip balm such as Burt's Bees. For me the Anbesol works wonders
rating: 3 (11 votes)
Submitted at 2007-12-27 06:24:48
I used Abreva. It made it WORSE!!! What worked for me is hydrogen peroxide. I swab it with a q-tip for about 5-7 mins about every other hour and it has totally shrunk. I swab it until the bubble action is very minimal or gone.
Yes, it stings a little, but it's the good-it's-finally-going-away sting.
rating: 3 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2010-06-13 10:32:20
I just recently discovered how successful this can be. Let me preface this by saying that I've tried abreva, vitamins, Lysine, Valtrex, everything. Nothing speeds up the 8-10 day process that the cold sore must go through. However, I recently got a cold sore on my top lip (disaster), and this is exactly what I did. It is day three, and it is almost gone.
Day One- woke up with redness and noticed that it was forming. Put ice on it, nail polish, took a prenatal vitamin (this is the key), took ibprofen (to prevent swelling), and went to exercise.
FYI: I always do ice, ibprofen, and nail polish remover. This does help, but does not speed up the process. The prenatal vitamin is new for me.
Day Two- barely any swelling. Still forming, and still noticeable. However, not as bad as past cold sores. The core is small. Took another prenatal vitamin, more ibprofen, ice again, and nail polish remover. Did not pop the sore.
Day Three- no swelling, the cores of the sore just look like two little dots. No pain at all. Just a little redness. Took only a prenatal vitamin.
I really think that the prenatal vitamins helped prevent these all year for me. The minute I forgot to take it for two days, I got a cold sore. If you can get a prescription for next time, go for it.
FYI: I tried over the counter multi-vitamins, and it is not the same...sorry.
rating: 3 (9 votes)
Submitted by becky at 2011-03-29 00:31:41
I've been getting cold sores for about a year and a half and my outbreaks never last less than about 10 days. For some reason, the last 3 months or so i've been getting one right after the next with no breaks in between. after trying literally EVERY treatment out there including prescriptions, over the counter treatments and remedies that i read about on this website, NOTHING worked. i tried everything from abreva to lysine to prescription acyclovir and NOTHING made them last any less than about 10-14 days and nothing prevented them from coming back. One day, i was wandering around the local co-op and i stumbled across a bottle of pills claiming to boost your immune system to peak performance. it's called ImmPower. it's kind of expensive ($25 for 30 pills) but i decided to give it a go. at that time i had a cold sore that was in the open, yellow, slimy phase and another one that had just started to form a blister earlier that day. the bottle says that you can take up to 6 pills daily to get the maximum effect so sure enough, that's what i did. and boy let me tell you, did it work! i noticed a change within a couple of hours because the blister that had just started forming literally stopped in its tracks and started healing up. It has now been 3 days and the one that was already formed is almost completely gone and the one that had been forming never turned into anything and is also gone. seriously this stuff is amazing....it not only heals up cold sores by increasing your killer cell function, but it boosts your immune system overall. if you're taking the maximum dose, you will use up the bottle in 5 days but that to me is completely worth it for how well it works, especially considering as a daily supplement i would only take 2/day. again it's called ImmPower and it was a miracle for me. honestly it is worth trying and it can't hurt!!
rating: 3 (14 votes)
Submitted by Brian Card at 2007-12-09 08:49:47
For cold sores I dab a drop of household bleach on the spot as soon as I feel any signs of a cold sore appearing, it stops them in there tracks.
rating: 3 (12 votes)
Submitted by liz at 2012-01-13 21:02:01
Ok so I've gotten cold sores since I was a child, im 26 now and I hate them more than anything. Make u feel so ugly and embarassed. So when I was prego, my doc gave me valtrex for my cold sore since I was about to give birth and didn't wana take any chances on it spreading down below for some reason and it wld spread to baby, so he wrote me a script for valtrex to take 2 a day and omg it worked amazing. Better than anything I've ever tried. I don't have genital herps, just get cold sores, more so in the winter, which I'm suffering frm one now,I'm calln doc tomorrow to get a script for it. Even if I take it when I first feel it coming on, or even if its already blistered, its dried out and healing in one day. Valtrex is a miracle worker for cold sores. Ya its kinda embarrasing at pharmacy but who cares, its worst goin to work with a big ugly oozing sore on my lip especially when u work with alot of customers daily. All this other stuff is nothing compared to valtrex. Abreva is garbage, I do t think it helps at all really. Healing is pain free no popping, poking, burning chemicals, just a pill take 2 at same time, day one u will see it going away. I won't use anything else.
rating: 3 (5 votes)
Submitted by Graham at 2011-07-11 20:50:53
I have been getting cold sores for years ever since i was a kid. Its only now tht ive realised how to stop them and even if an outbreak does come - to eliminate them within 3 days an not make them look noticable!
Step 1 - when you feel a tingle, look in the mirror to see the tiny cold sore immerging. Using a sewing needle pop the small poclet off fluid (it may bleed slightly, but no pain no game)
Step 2 - whipe all the excess fluid that has come out of the cold sore because that is what makes them spread around your mouth.
Step 3 - layer the affected area with cold sore cream as much as you can. Checking every now and again that the outbreak is under control and not spreading.
Hope this works :)
rating: 3 (20 votes)
Submitted by Barbie at 2011-07-01 01:58:22
Crush Ibuprofen up And mix it with milk to make a paste or soak up a cotton ball. Hope This Works!
rating: 3 (5 votes)
Submitted by Maria at 2010-03-26 15:17:02
First, I use witch hazel to clean and disinfect the area. you can use plain rubbing alcohol too but witch hazel is more gentle and doesnt burn. Then i crush two vitamin c tablets and add a few sprays of bactine. this kills germs and helps numb your lip because vitamin c tends to burn or sting and the bactine helps rid of that. use a q-tip and dap some of this mixture to your lip and let it sit until you have something important to do. it will get dry, hard and feel cool (cold) on your lip. Chill out, relax, watch tv, study, call your mom, what ever and just let it sit. I also take two vitamin c tablets orally and drink lots of what. if you are dehydrated it takes much longer for your body to heal infections and cause virus' to hibernate. remember, herpes of the lip is a virus and can not be cured but it can be put to sleep for a while.
rating: 3 (6 votes)
Submitted by j at 2010-04-30 12:44:53
cold sores are herpes just not genital ones. although if you do perform oral with a cold sore there is a risk you can deffinately get infected with genital herpes.
rating: 3 (21 votes)
Submitted at 2010-01-03 16:18:18
i get cold sores randomly. just whenever they wanna pop up. && mine can get soo bad to where i have a couple of them at a time in different spots! but i have noticed they do when i am stressed. I was reading through some of these. && i tried some things. Putting ice on it first thing helps ALOT. then you pop them and put garlic juice on it. then once thats dried, wet your finger and the sore and put salt on it and leave it there for a while. The salt will absorb and it will scab over. I just did this and it scabbed over in like an hour. Now, i just have to keep it slightly moistened so it doesnt crack but not moist enough to where the virus can live. Hope this works!!
rating: 3 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2010-12-22 10:51:51
woke up feeling that nasty tingle that we all know means a cold sore is brewing. I read somewhere once that soaking cotton balls in milk and holding it against the sore helps, so I did that and iced it. It seemed to still be swelling, unphased. Made a paste of anti-inflammatory pills and milk and rubbed it on. Kind of tingled and hurt but the swelling is way down and the sore seems to be drying out. Going to try nail polish remover as well after reading this site
rating: 2 (14 votes)
Submitted by Shawna at 2010-03-27 13:38:04
Okay, this is for all those people who, like me, never seem to catch a cold sore before it's already an ugly blister that makes your face look like you are growing another lip.I've suffered from periodic cold sores all my life and was always told to leave it alone and it would heal by itself. Most of the people who get them can't leave them be and will do almost anything to make them go away. I've tried most of the remedies listed on this sight and the following are what I have found to be most effective (and which ones don't work).The most important thing to remember when you get a cold sore is, DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH YOUR TONGUE! You will introduce the virus into your already bacteria ridden mouth and end up with them all over the inside of your mouth as well. I speak from experience here! It is far worse than just leaving it alone and looking like a leper!
1st: DO NOT use any petroleum jelly based products, like Carmex, MelaGel, and the like. The petroleum jelly traps the virus and will spread it around to the rest of your mouth.
2nd: Once the blister has formed, you will have to 'pop' it with a sterilized needle. You can sterilize a needle using alcohol or burning the end of it with a lighter or match. If you have several blisters in one spot, you only need to open one of them.
3rd: Immediately apply any alcohol based product such as rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Using a q-tip, aplly the alcohol liberally to the open blister. This step burns like the fires of Hades, but, it only lasts until you stop the application. Continue applying for 30 seconds to 1 minute (the longer the better). You also want to apply to the area around the blister to kill any of the virus that has escaped. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BLEACH! Although it kills virtually every virus and bacteria known to man, it causes you lip to swell to 3 times the size and causes more latent pain than alcohol.
4th: Immediately apply ice wrapped in a wash cloth that you are not concerned about bleaching afterward. Keep the ice compress on for at least 15 minutes to stop the inflammation.
5th: Cut or crush a peeled garlic clove and place it directly onto the affected area for at least 5 minutes. It will burn something awful for about 30 seconds, but, then it begins to subside quickly.
6th: The minute you have finished with the garlic compress, apply the ice compress again for another 15 minutes.
7th: Repeat these steps approximately every hour (or as often as you are able) for an entire day. By the end of the 1st treatment, the blister will have dried up and be significantly less painful. By the end of the day, you will have a small scab. Apply a small amount of moisturizing cream directly to the scab using a q-tip and by morning, the scab will be almost unnoticeable.
I've had this cold sore for 3 days without doing anything to it othere than applying MelaGel like Carmex BEFORE I tried this, so, I know it works. My sore was already a full blown blistered mess on my lower lip and by the end of the 4th day, it was almost completely gone. As a point of reference, I did try the ear wax, body oils, and the like. I also tried the bleach and I looked like I was punched right in my mouth! These steps worked well and I look totally normal today!
rating: 2 (17 votes)
Submitted by Brittney at 2009-10-20 12:05:12
Today is Tuesday. Sunday, I had gotten out of the shower, and as I scratched my upper lip with my teeth, I felt the bump and tingle of an on coming cold sore. Monday morning came and it had already started to blister to the point my boyfriend didn't want to kiss me. I went to his house and spent the evening with him. I had went to the bathroom and saw just how much it had blistered... It was disgusting. So I popped it, cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide and applied campho phenoque (the cold sore remedy I was raised on). When i went home i was determind to dry this sucker out, so i added some rubbing alcohol and called it a night However, I woke up this morning and it had gotten worse. The blistering wasn't all that bad but my lip had swollen up. I was seriously thinking about not showing up to school but came anyways. I started looking up remedies for cold sores and found this site. After reading a few pages I decided to try one. Hand santizer. I just so happn to have a small bottle with me. Not even 10 minutes after putting it on, I squished my lips together and can already feel the swelling going down. Once I get home though, I'm totally trying the ice cube, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover and garlic. Those seem to be the best bet. Thanks for the help you guys!
rating: 2 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2011-04-06 04:39:43
i can't have orange juice or oranges or i'll get a cold sore. it's the citric acid i'm allergic too from it. so not too many pickles or tomatoes etc. it sucks. but when i get cold sores i get them really really bad. my whole lip swells up and i can barely talk. they last 2-3 weeks!! :'( They're painful! and embarassing! ugly! & hurt!! Abreva, Campo-Phenique, ice, anything and everything i've tried and it doesn't work! i take Lysine pills right away when i get it. it says 2 a day. but i take 4 a day to get it in my system. i also use a cream, Denavir i had to get from a Doctor. and also take acyclovir.
rating: 2 (9 votes)
Submitted at 2009-07-10 10:42:30
During the worst outbreak I've ever had, I some how spread the large cold sore on my lip to other parts of my mouth. My first advice is be overly careful, really do use Qtips and still wash your hands. However, when the second one started to form I immediately put nail polish remover, the juices from a fresh garlic clove, and salt/water paste on it. YES, it burns. I then applied Abreva and continued this treatment several times a day for two days. The sore was already at the fluid filled stage though I did not pop it (highly recommended), and it's pretty much gone today. As for the big guy, I should have just left it alone as time is sometimes the only healer. I think I prolonged healing by messing with it.
So- use salt and water paste on the sore unless it's already scabbing, then keep it moist- you want the cells to regenerate- but not too wet as you don't want a friendly environment for the virus.
Also, you are NOT alone!
rating: 2 (2 votes)
Submitted at 2009-03-13 02:54:26
USING BUBBLE GUM FLAVORED CHAPSTICK FROM AVON HELPS CLEAR UP COLD SORES. DON'T KNOW HOW BUT IT DOES! APPLY TO COLD SORE ON LIP SEVERAL TIMES A DAY AND U SHOULD GET RELIEF IN A DAY OR 2.
rating: 1 (6 votes)
Submitted at 2012-02-02 00:03:19
This is what I do when The blister appears BEFORE it becomes a sore, at the early stage...
Throughout the day I first put on Crushed Garlic, making sure there is lots of juice... this helps ALOT with the itch too. this burns and makes your skin all red but it is good and helps. After the Garlic I put on abreva for 30 minutes, and then after the Abreva I take an Asprin, Crush a little of it with some water to make some paste; Apply that to the blister, let it dry all the way REPEAT every step for 30 min a piece all day, Maybe sit for a little while with nothing, Or maybe Some ICE instead occasionally. Cold Blister will be GONE in 2 days.
rating: 0 (0 votes)
Copyright © 2003-2004 - Webmaster