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March 26th, 2009
12:57 PM ET
Is a cold sore always permanent?As a new feature of CNNhealth.com, our team of expert doctors will answer readers’ questions. Here’s a question for Dr. Gupta. Asked by Kaley, Tucson, Arizona “Dr. Gupta, My roommate has been getting cold sores around her mouth since she was a little girl. I have never had one until very recently. Is it true that once you get a cold sores, you’ll get them for the rest of your life? What can I do to avoid getting another one? Thanks.” Answer: Hi Kaley. Thanks for writing in. Cold sores – also known as fever blisters – are highly contagious. The virus can live on towels, razors, cooking utensils, cups among other everyday household places. So you can imagine how easy it is to pass to a roommate, as in your situation, or to a family member. Fever blisters are the result of virus known as herpes simplex virus one (HSV-1). While the thought of the virus infecting your body may seem really serious, its actually relatively harmless and quite common. Eight in 10 Americans are HSV-1 carriers, according to the National Institutes of Health. There is no currently no cure for cold sores. Once you have the virus, you have it for life. HSV-1 moves around your body and “sleeps” in your nerves cells until something triggers it to “wake up.” The virus will then move to the surface. Some people will go years without having an infection, while other people will experience them frequently. You can limit your overall risk by identifying what triggers your cold sores. The most common reasons are exposure to the sun, stress, a low immune system or toothache. Even certain foods can be the trigger. Some believe foods such as olive oil, citrus fruits, sea salt, garlic, asparagus as well as soft drinks and chocolate can trigger a cold sore. If your cold sore already is already formed, some of these foods may aggravate the infection. The best thing to do is eat a balance of these foods. Eating or drinking any of these items from time to time is not problematic, just be mindful of the triggers and eat a balanced diet. And it’s worth noting that your body will give you warning signals when the cold sore is on the way. The infected area will feel warm, tingling, perhaps even itchy up to two full days before you see the physical signs. If you begin treatment during this early stage, you’ll limit the severity of the outbreak. When the small red blisters bumps begin to surface on your lip, or corner of your mouth, it’s critical to not touch the area at all. This is most contagious stage and the fluid in those bumps will infect other areas of your body and the people around you. The best treatment option in the early stages is a prescription antiviral medication. These come in pill or ointment form and will help limit the growth of the virus. There are some ointments to help relieve the pain and itchy senstations available over the counter. People often get relieve from a cool compress on the area for about 20 minutes. So Kaley, although cold sores are often a nuisance phyiscally, there are several ways to limit the frequency or severity of a potential outbreak. Your doctor can help determin the best treatment option for you.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments  |
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I have been getting cold sores for years. My husband of 25 years has never had them. My three sons-21,19,15- never have had them. However, when I was pregnant with all three, I got the blisters. I strongly believe that I passed on some type of immunity to them for this ailment.
HSV1 can also be transferred to the genitals as well. There is also asymptomatic shedding in those who are affected. You do not need to have a lesion to transmit the virus.
HSV1 and HSV2 can be located anywhere on the body. Although there are classic locations and symptoms. Most people do not get symptoms but will shed the virus.
Doctors do not include HSV testing in your standard STD screening exams. This is why the prevalence of HSV is increasing. Women and kids are most affected by this disease. Women can pass it vaginally while giving birth as well.
It is important to support HSV research as much as you can. Cutting edge technology is not funded by NIH nor are they supported by Big Pharma.
I started getting cold sores when I was 20 years old (I am now 50). I was getting at least 2 cold sores every year. 3 years ago I started taking L-Lysine. I have not had ANY cold sores since taking this supplement. It's an amino acid and is available OTC.
I take 500 mg of L-Lysine every day with no side effects. This works well for me!
I had never gotten fever blisters until a couple of years ago and then the outbreak on my mouth was so severe I had to go through 5 doctors just to have number 6 figure out that it was fever blisters. My lips were completely swollen and weeping. The final doctor recognized what the problem was and he bombarded my system with Valtrex for 6 months and they went away. Now if I sense an outbreak is coming on I take Valtrex for a few days and I barely have any symptoms. I do notice that exposure to sun or a tanning bed can provoke an outbreak so I'm on the look out for a good lip sunscreen.
I have cold sore for the last 40 years and my daughter too.
But not my son and my husband.
I have core sore or mouth ulcer almost every month and it lasts for more than 10 days.
It hurts when I eat, drink and even at night.
Two years ago, my Dermatologist prescribed Valtrex 1GM for both of us.
My daughter and I have been noiticed that cold sore doesn't come that often any more and it lasts for a shorter period.
L-Lysine! L-Lysine! L-Lysine! L-Lysine.!!!!! This supplement is great for cold soars. I've had really bad outbreaks since I was 4 years old and L-Lysine is one of the few things that is really effective in both prevention and healing. If you take it once you already have a sore, it tends to slow the growth and start the scabbing sooner.
The other thing I find effective but difficult to do is relaxing. When I feel a cold sore coming on I tend to start worrying about how big and ugly it will be, who I have to see in the next week with it, going to work with it, etc. If I am able to just relax and completely forget about the impending sore, it will often not develop.
Cold sores are a curse for sure- but they are a manageable one as well.
L-lysine does help for prevention and healing. Take early as possible after outbreak. Also one ingredient that Dr. Gupta didn't mention is caffine. Caffine can trigger the cold sore outbreak. Next time you get one try to remember if you drank too much caffine hours before the outbreak. Then stay away from it for prevention.
I started getting fever blisters at a very young age. How embarassing to attend school or just being in public in general, not to mention the discomfort that goes along with them. I am now well into my seventies and have not had an outbreak in many years. Several years ago, someone told me the very minute I felt one coming on, to wrap a couple of ice cubes in a wash cloth and hold it on the affected area for at least thirty minutes. The longer the better. Not once since I have been doing this, have I ever had the sores break out. Hope this turns out to work as well with all as it has for me.
My son and I have had cold sores for years, my husband who doesn't mentioned eating a couple of pieces of broccoli a day. The only time we get them now is if we don't eat broccoli for a couple of weeks
A friend of mine has a 13 year old son who gets cold sores. She gives him Xocai which is "healthy" chocolate made from Caucao and the Acai berry which are two of the worlds Antioxidant super foods. She noticed that before he was taking the chocolate the cold sores would last 10-14 days and after taking the chocolate his "outbreaks" are less frequent and tend to last only 3-4 days...check out turningpointchocolate.com for more information.
What has worked for me is Oil of Oregano and Bitter Melon supplements.
You forgot one important item – when taking L-Lysine, you should also take vitamin C tablets with it to make it the most effective. Also, I strongly agree that stress contributes to it. I lived with an abusive husband for eight years and constantly had cold sores.
When I woke up and smelled the coffee and realized he wasn't going to change, I divorced the jerk and have not had a cold sore ever since. (That was seven years ago!)
Something else that prevents outbreaks is eating spinach once a week. I have not had one in over 10 years since practicing this.
But if I forget and I feel one coming on, I take 2 tylenol and use abrevo and if I have an outbreak at all, it is so small and short that it is not noticable.
I have been getting cold sores since I was in grammer school. Aloe is a natraul anti viral and aids in the prevention of virus multiplication. In any health food store there is a drinkable form of Aloe. I also increase my vitamin C and drinks with anti oxidents (llike black tea). L-Lycene also helps. It has been almost a year since my last out break.
I have had cold sores since i can remember. I have been marrid for 22 years and anytime I even thought I might be getting one I would refrain from kissing my husband until it was completely gone. I have 4 children ages 20-14 and none of them have gotten a cold sore either. Since they were little they have known not to drink from mom's cup no matter what without asking. I also refrained from kisses goodnight when i thought I might have one but could still give hugs. While cold sores are highly contagious the spread of them can be avoided with diligence.
I have had cold sores since I was a kid. So has my mom. When I noticed a cold sore coming on, I take Valtrex. This prevents the cold sore from surfacing. The only draw back to Valtrex is that it is expensive and requires an Rx. Also putting OTC cold sore medicines before it surfaces helps as well. I am 24 and still get cold sores at least 4 times a year.
My daughter has had cold sores since a little girl also. We went on L-lysine and she broke out like she had measles. It was very scary for her, and we discovered she can not use it at all. So be careful!
I've been getting cold sores since I was 5 years old. I am now 50 years old and the last 10 years I have been taking L-lysine and I rarely ever get them. It really works!
I've had cold sores for years. As soon as you feel it, apply ice, the longer the better. I'll get a bowl of ice and a towel, turn on the TV and sit there for an hour with ice on the blister. Regardless of how far the blister is advanced it will stop it and begin healing from that point.
When I workout heavy with weights I tend to get them more frequent. The only stuff I have ever seen really work to heal the blisters is Viroxyn.
Foods are a huge trigger for me. Lysine is wonderful, but I really noticed a difference when I stopped eating peanuts.
As Dr Gupta said, although not "serious" per se, cold sores are an extremely annoying, embarrassing condition. And as someone else smartly pointed out, great care should be taken while an outbreak is in progress, in order to not spread it to the genital region (either your own, or your partner's).
I unfortunately drank from the same cup as my mother when I was 5 yrs old, and caught her cold sores accidentally. I get them about 2-3 times per year...mostly after a bad cold, but sometimes at random. Could be worse – one poor fellow I used to work with would get them every 2-3 MONTHS! He eventually got some prescription ointment and meds from a physician.
It really is a shame that medicine hasn't yet been able to isolate and destroy this virus that lives in our nerve cells.
I have always had cold sores and I have found the best way to eliminate them quickly. I take a hair dryer and blow the hot air onto the cold sore for a short period of time. The cold sore then generally goes to the last stage of it's infection in about a day. Without doing this, it can last and be contagious for several days.
You must heat the cold sore several times a day for the first day and continue if it appears to be a stuborn one.
Do not put hot or cold water on the cold sore as this may make it spread, only hot air. Also, be careful not to breath the air from the hair dryer (use a tissue to cover your nose) or you might dry out your nose and create other problems. Also, be careful not to burn yourself, but try and get the cold sore as hot as possible for about 10 seconds.
I have had cold sores for most of my life and only discovered this about 10 years ago. It really works fo move the cold sore to its final stage.
Lysine is an amino acid that fights the virus causing cold sores, and arginine is the the amino acid that aggravates it. Lysine is found abundantly in dairy products, and arginine is especially abundant in nuts. Increase dairy and cut back or omit nuts when you feel an pending outbreak.
L-LYSINE 1000mg Tablets.
It amazes me that no doctor ever promotes the use of this Vitamin. Take 3 or 4 of these tablets daily and it will slam that cold sore into remission. Take one daily for life to dramatically reduce their recurrence. The antiviral meds take weeks! The tablets are seriously miraculous.
I take 2,000mg Lysine daily. Since I started this regimen about five years ago, I went from getting cold sores every 2-3 months like clockwork (since I was a kid), to having only one cold sore - ONE - in the past five years. And that one time was when I had gone a week without taking Lysine after running out and forgetting to buy more.
I have a Valtrex script as well on hand, which is good to make outbreaks really short if you get one, but I haven't even needed to refill that in years.
Lysine is the best cold sore suppressant available, no question.
Cold sores occur due to herpes simplex virus. The symptoms are itching, tenderness, soreness in skin. Some herbs are effective in treating it like, echinacea, liquorice, goldseal, chapparel and lomatium. Many prefer vitamin E oil, alcohol or ice. Lysine, Vitamin B, arginine is also effective. But one should always consult doctor first before using mentioned all above remedies. To get more tips on infant cold sores, refer http://www.zippy-health.com/innate-cures-to-infant-cold-sores/
The simplest and quickest cure is to dab the sore with a q-tip dipped in acetone. This dehydrates the virus and it clears up in just a day or two.
I've heard that cold sores can be 'woken up' by a Vitimin C deficency. I've been getting them ever since I was a little kid, and as a musician they can be really annoying.
Problem is, some doctors believe that cold sores are actually micro-ulsers, so citric acid seems to make them worse, like in oranges. (hey, I could be wrong- I'm no doctor.)
But I started taking once-daily Vitimins a while ago and haven't had one since, so I'd really sugest taking just a simple vitimin your can buy at your local drug store, no perscription neccary.
Worked for me, hope it helps you!
I never any cold sores till recently (am 53). have had one since July though and it refuses to go away. it is not an opn sore, just red, bit tingly and feels tight. Have tried heat treatment, aromathreapy, supplements, over the counter antiviral remedies, but nothing works so far. Will try the Lysine, but most stuff seems to only work when you first get it. or on open sores. I did not know it was a cold sore for ages as thought it was eczema or something like that and that is why i did nothing about it initially. Has anyone experience cold sores that have gone on for months? Will lysine work if you have had a cold sore for such a long time?
I been getting cold sores since I was 12. So imagine the horror goin to high school and dealing with it.....Frist thing to prevent the things is L-Lysine, 1000mg twice a day.....If you feel the tingling take 5 or 7 , 1000 mgs a day. and apply ice for ten minutes on and ten minutes off and keep applying for an hour......Trust me this works......
Thanks Jes. Am on on the L-Lysine but does not work so far. Problem is that Idid not take anything early enough as i thought it was eczema. Am going to get anti viral drugs from GP which will hopefully remove it for a while. Will keep taking the Lysine and will try the ice next time it i feel the first sign as will know what it is!
Sandra, be sure and check to see if your diabetic or not. With diabetes it seems that all healing slows down. NOTE: Diabetes runs in my family and so I kept having my urine check every time I went to the doctor. The results were always negative. Then I spoke with an aunt who has it and she told me that it never showed up in her urine either, but when she had a glucose test done, it was confirmed. Good luck as I am sitting here with a red nose right now and worried that I didn't realize the cold sore was coming on and may have transmitted to my husband. My throat feels weird too. Has anyone ever had a cold sore in their throat? Geez, I'm so scared and doing a lot of praying it is not there too. My nose had been itchy, but I thought is was just a cold.
To Sandra,
If you haven't been to your doctor about your cold sore, please do so. It may not be a cold sore at all, and could potentially be something much more serious. Best to rule anything else out and not just continue to assume it's a harmless cold sore before moving on to some of the strategies listed above.
dhey im a 26 yr old male and got cold sores since high school. usually two a year and for whatever reason, i have had once since early 2008. has anyone else experienced this or have any knowledge of this? i really havent hange anything either as far as my diet and i always used abreva when infecte
Sorry meant to say havent had any since early 2008
I have been getting cold sores for as long as I can remember, I am now 33. I usually take Valtrex to prevent them when I first feel tingling, but lately it has not worked at all. Could I have developed a resistance? I am going to try the Lysine therapy everyday to see if this helps.
I have had cold sores like many of you for years.. and I found a remedy that you don't have to go out a buy! You MUST do this as soon as you feel tingling! You can't wait until it has become full blown. Take an ice cube (make sure you hold it with a rag or something so you wont freeze your fingers) And keep it on the area where it tingles. Rub it continuously for as long as you can. I usually do it at least 15 minutes at at time throughout the day. For some reason it seems to freeze it from forming. It works for me. I hope it works for you. Just remember to do it as soon as you feel tingling!!! No drugs–
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I'm 19 and have never had a cold sore until a little over a week ago. I felt a bump under my lip just before bed. I thought it might be a pimple so i thought nothing of it. The next morning it exploded into several little blisters. No one in my family gets them, i havent kissed anyone, i haven't been in too much sun, i haven't been under much undue stress. How on Earth did i get one?!
The idea that I'm stuck with the viruse, the potential to break out again, of passing the virus on, and the thought of needing daily medications to keep it at bay made me cry but after reading the comments, how something as simple as applying ice could keep the sore from surfacing, made me feel so much better. Thank you Kaley for asking this question and thank all of you who posted your own experiences. I hope that in the future ice is all I will ever need.
im kinda scared. iv been dating this girl which iv recently broke up with. after our first kiss a few days later i got a cold sore. i thought it was just a pimple and so i touched it. im 15 years old and i never had a cold sore in my life until that happened. what does this mean.is it normal. will i ever be able to kiss anyone again. please i would really be pleased if you gave me advice
I have been having cold sores since I was a child too. In my late teens they were the worse (because of stress I think) and I even got fever blisters in my mouth too, like 30 at once having to go to the ER. I decided to do research online and noticed that many foods and drinks I like many cold sore sufferes said were triggers. So, I stopped drinking any citrus sodas like 7 up, mountain dew, orange and none of the same juices. I never eat any citrus fruits either (I miss oranges and orange juice). Also nuts are a big trigger for me, too much caffeine and any alcohol. If I have alcohol today, I will have a sore tomorrow. However, I do get them with stress. If there is something traumatic going on, the next day I will have one.
I tried all the medications for it and none worked for me. One person mentioned that Neosporin plus Pain worked great for speedy healing and the plus Pain part numbs it so in the first day when it is tingling you dont have to feel that. I apply this whever I feel one coming on and when one is starting every hour or two. Before I got to bed a put a big glop on and then sleep all night. This stops the growing in 1 days and starts the healing which makes sense because that is what Neosporin does, remember the commercials with the kids owie under the bandaid and the comparison of quick healing.
Other triggers are sun exposure and even heating. I tried this last vacation to use a lip sunblock but I still got one. I was put on Valtrexn as a teen fromt he ER but this was daily and it gave me a sore throat every day so I dont use it. I wonder if it would prevent one if take before and during vacation because I like the sun and drinking alcohol and would like to do that for once in my life again.
These things hurt and are icky so I never kiss or anything else sexual while i have one. My husband never got it but one of my kids does since he was a kid.
Good post, I will be waiting for more.
I am 19 and i have been getting coldsores since i was 4. I get online and research every time i get a cold sore and thats about once a month or once every two months, usually depends on my stress level. here is a process i use to dry the cold sore out to get it in its final stages sooner
1. when u feel the tingle or notice a bump immediately apply ice for 15 minutes
2 then i apply campho phenique.
3 when the bumps fill with liquid i use a needle to release the liquid and then use peroxide.
4. after using peroxide i use nail polish remover.
5. This dries the cold sore out, after i do this i wait a while and then shower, immediately after my shower i apply salt to the sore while i get ready.
This dries the coldsore out, ALSO! take lysine and vitamin C.
I was wondering if there are any ways that fall into the How to get rid of cold sores overnight category. I hate my cold sores and I want to get rid of them as fast as I can.
Can anyone explain some more briefly about L-Lysine please.
Looking forward for your reply.
Amanda Nelson
Get Rid of Cold Sores
Great news for all cold sore sufferers I have discoverd a prevention method it even works better than all medications it will work if you have a sore, blisters or just feel the tingle or burn it doesn't cost you much at all send two dollars to VG P.O. Box 153 Belleville NJ 07109 w/a self addressed envelope for confidential purposes say C.S.H. and I will send you the information that will change your life and stop your suffering it works on any area of the body no more worries of meds or creams.....
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When my husband and I went visiting Christmas Eve, I put on my Lip Venom. It stings your lips and makes them plump and super shiny. My lips are always dry and peeling like crazy and I have a bad habit of picking at them.
Anyway, Christmas morning I woke up with a swollen, sore bottom left lip. It wasn't so noticable, but if you looked very close there were tiny blisters clustered together that leaked out clear fluid when I started picking at them. I am concerned that it could be a cold sore since they are quite common, but the pictures I looked at of cold sores are bright red sores that you can spot on someone 10 feet away. Whatever it is has been healing nicely. This is day two and its feels and looks as if it could be gone tomorrow. I ended up throwing away my $16 tiny tube of lip venom because if it's a trigger for whatever is on my lip then I'd rather do without. Carmex seems to keep my lips from chapping real bad but it doesn't work for everyone.
I just thought that a cold sore would take much longer to heal because this happened rather quick and I never had the tingle that people feel before a cold sore comes out. And also it is not scabby. The blisters feel a little rough like dry skin now that they dried out. Could it be just a irritated lip with a cluster of water-filled blisters due to allergic reaction? If this happens again I will get it tested to make sure.
I'm just wondering since I've never really had cold sores before, what are your thoughts? (I'm 35 also.) It is not noticable unless you look real close at the little blisters. It seems to be healing rather quickly for me with no scabs and I have a weak immune system due to Crohn's and Thalassemia (a blood disorder) This is the second time this has happened but the first time it happened I'm not sure if it was due to my lip gloss.
Are all cold sores the same? Is all healing time the same? Are there always tingling symptoms before it appears?
HELP!! My husband and I are in the middle of separation and during that time he got a cold sore. I havent seen him much and didnt remember and last night i kissed him on the lips very gently and this morning he kissed me on the lips maybe one to five times (i was sleeping so i dont really remember) but no making out or saliva. I noticed his cold sore scab tonight and I am extremely worried. I believe he may have gotten it about two weeks ago. I'm wondering if I will DEFINITELY get it or if it is just a possibility. I have a small scab on my mouth from when he accidentally bumped me and busted my lip open but that was last week and it is not open.