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Health & Beauty
Home > Health & Beauty > Topics:  Oral Care
How to Get Rid of Cold Sores - Cold Sore Remedies

Submitted by: Tip Hero  01/31/2010 9:20 PM
 
When we asked the Tip Hero community Do You Have a Favorite Home Remedy?, we received over 40 helpful tips from the Tip Hero community on remedies for everything from upset stomachs to congestion to topical burns with 9 of the tips related to getting rid of cold sores fast:

  1. When I feel a cold sore coming on, I reach for the lysine tablets. I'll initially take one or two tablets and maybe do that again once more the next day, and then take one a day afterwards for a couple of days. I no longer get huge cold sores any more and when they do come on, they're gone really fast with this tactic. Posted by anonymous

  2. i take 1000 mg l-lysine daily and do not get them at all! Posted by anonymous

  3. I used to take l-lysine daily and it did prevented cold sores, but I found I had to increase the dosage every year in order for it be effective. But when it began demanding 3000 mg a day I decided to quit. Posted by anonymous

    Instead, I quit using caffeine and now the breakouts (without l-lysine) are only 3-4 times a year.

    To help them dry out faster apply salt water; or eat salted, in-the-shell sunflower seeds. Posted by anonymous

  4. When I feel a cold sore coming on, I apply an ice cube wrapped in a paper towel to the area (for about a 1 minute at a time). It really slows the progress of the sore so I usually don't need any topical medicine at all! Posted by Terri C.


  5. a great way to heal sores in the mouth. Use equal parts liquid Benydryl and Mylex, or any generic brand. Shake well and rinse mouth several times a day. It works! Posted by anonymous

  6. Apply Hydrogen Peroxide on a cold sore it will stop it. At the first sign of a cold sore, I take a needle and poke the skin and apply the hydrogen peroxide, a few times during the day and it will not be sore, goes away quickly. Posted by anonymous

  7. When I am feeling a cold sore coming on, I put a dab of Pepto-Bismol on. Let it dry and put on again in about a hour or so. It will turn your lip a lovely pink. Posted by Helen

  8. For cold sores go to a health food store and buy lavendar oil for around ten dollars for a bottle that last a very long time. At the first sign of a cold sore rub a drop or two on. Do this several times a day. The cold sore will disappear in a day or two. It is unbelieveable... Posted by anonymous

  9. For the cold sores, I only take the lysine tabs when I feel a cold sore coming on, not all year round. That's too much work, effort, etc. Posted by Zoe


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Comments:
 
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I have a prescription for valtrex that I take as soon as I feel symptoms and that works as long as you take it right away. otherwise herpicin works pretty well.
 
Posted by l.smith on February 05, 2010 1:16 PM
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My sister who is a nurse swears by Abreva - works pretty well but you need a prescription for that too.
 
Posted by abby11 on February 05, 2010 1:21 PM
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For over the counter cure for cold sores, nothing beats good old fashioned Campho-Phenique. (sp?)
 
Posted by ldenny58 on February 09, 2010 1:25 PM
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I use a vitamine C tablet .
Slightly damp on the cold sore for about a minute.Do this 2-3 times a day works very well
 
Posted by anonymous on February 14, 2010 2:18 PM
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When I feel a cold sore coming (that tingling feeling) I spray a very small amount of Lysol on my finger and gently dab it on the area where I feel or see the cold sore. Doing this several times a day usually prevents the blisters from even forming. Lysol kills the herpes virus (it's written on the front of the can!).
 
Posted by anonymous on February 18, 2010 9:25 PM
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Hold ice on the sore when you feel one coming on. Do it as often as you can throughout the day. Hold it on at least 20 minutes.

It's free and it has worked the best for me.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 25, 2010 1:06 PM
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abby11---Abreva is actually over the counter--you don't need a prescription..
 
Posted by anonymous on February 25, 2010 2:18 PM
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YOU TAKE A COMBINATION OF ZINC LOZENGES, LYSINE AND VITAMIN C only had 3 outbreaks in the 7 years since being exposed and those were in the very beginning. You can feel a fever in you mouth even before any other symptoms show up. Thats when you dose your self. I just take zinc as a preventative and went 3 years with no colds or flu or outbreak.
 
Posted by Terry on February 25, 2010 4:23 PM
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garlic works very well - use either a bit of fresh garlic or the oil from a garlic herbal supplement.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 25, 2010 10:12 PM
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Prevention Magazine has touted L-Lysine, an amino acid, as a treatment for cold sores for 25 years. You don't have to take it all the time - only when you feel a cold sore coming on. I take 2 tablets every 4 hours, and by the second dose, the burning feels less intense. Usually the sore is gone by the next morning. Hey - Lysine helps Shingles, too!! You'll find Lysine in the vitamin aisle of the drugstore.

When the amino acid balance between Argenine and Lysine is tilted toward Argenine, (often by eating too much red meat, chocolate, or cheese,) the herpes virus is able to replicate and flourish. The Lysine tablets make the body's environment less hospitable to the virus, and your natural immune system can move in for the kill.

 
Posted by Pam on February 25, 2010 10:26 PM
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Does anyone get cold sores inside their nose? Can these home remedies be applied there too?
 
Posted by anonymous on February 26, 2010 12:01 AM
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Wow! These suggestions are great! I have been battling cold sores FOREVER! I found Neosporin for cold sores a couple of years ago and I works really well. Within a week its usually gone. I have tried the Abreva but it didn't work very well, it dried it up and made a big red scab on my lip for almost 2 weeks. I didn't realize the lysine could work so well, I will go get some today, because I am sporting a cold sore as I type this.
 
Posted by Nicole on February 26, 2010 7:30 AM
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I use rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and hold it on the affected area for about 30 minutes. Works like a charm !!
 
Posted by Sheila on February 26, 2010 12:09 PM
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I agree with using L-Lysine. If i take 2 500mg 3-4 times a day when i feel tingly the next day it will be gone, no blister no scab. I will take it for the next 2-3 days after too.
 
Posted by Shannon on February 26, 2010 5:59 PM
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take L-lysin as soon as i feel the tingle. if it progresses i've been using tea tree oil to dry it up.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 26, 2010 7:48 PM
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Abreva is usually the only thing that has worked for me. Ice does help give relief. But blisters always form.
The first time that I got facial herpes, my Dr. had me scrub the sores using rough gauze pads to open and clean the blisters. He wanted to get them to bleed so they would heal more quickly. The herpes erupted and took a long time to heal I have the scars to prove it!!!! By the way, I got my dose from my boyfriend whisker burns!
I definitely will try LYSOL!
 
Posted by anonymous on February 26, 2010 8:04 PM
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Yes, I have gotten cold sores in my nose! I don't know if these same methods would work in the nose, and the nose is the only place I've ever gotten them. I finally got a prescription for Bactroban. It is VERY expensive ointment, but my doctor gave me little sample packets to try first and it worked, so then I got a tube of it.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 27, 2010 11:07 AM
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I used a dab of pepto bismol. It dried up the sore, but I looked like I had pink icing on my lip. I used a pink lipstick near it to blend in. I took lysine to help control further break-outs.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 27, 2010 12:44 PM
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Your boyfriends whisker burns????? Have you considered just where your boyfriends whiskers have been? Just a thought.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 27, 2010 1:40 PM
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I heard recently that taking Lysine does help with fever blisters. Also, there is a topical treatment called Morgan's Lysine Lip Balm that's supposed to help as well. I don't know how easy it is to find. Check with your local pharmacy.
 
Posted by anonymous on February 28, 2010 1:03 PM
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Witch hazel on a cotton swab or ball speeds the healing process and dries the sore quickly. Apply twice a day.
 
Posted by anonymous on March 01, 2010 2:51 PM
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I get them on the inside of my lip, they get swollen, then I inadvertantly bite myself - again and again! The L-Lysine helps a lot but the bitten area is white and takes days or weeks to resolve, especially since I keep sinking my teeth into it.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Catherine
 
Posted by Catherine on March 08, 2010 8:35 PM
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Valtrex daily for about a month cleared up the cold sores in my nose - for good! The minute we feel the tingly feeling, we go to Walgreens and get Lactinex chewable tablets - granules if that's all they have. Stops it in it's tracks! I believe it works like buttermilk, usually recommended by older folks who can tolerate buttermilk.
 
Posted by Gail on March 24, 2010 1:31 AM
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I understand the whisker burns concept. I think thats where mine came from. And as for "where the boyfriends whiskers have been" thats not the point. Trauma can cause cold sores and rough whiskers can cause trauma to your lips. I currently have 5, yes 5, cold sores all around my lips, right where his whiskers were scratching me a couple of days ago! And btw, I swear by Abreva. Without it, my lips would be the size of golf balls right now. Instead, 2 days into the cold sores, they are almost gone.
 
Posted by Dawnie on May 22, 2010 8:11 AM
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I think I have tried most of the above but found that a moistened, til falling apart,aspirin applied to the blister when it first starts to tingle or shortly thereafter works like a miracle use it several times a day. I was plagued by them for years.

 
Posted by Merlie on July 08, 2010 6:09 PM
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lysol kills blisters. dab a little lysol on effected area. a day or two later, should be gone
 
Posted by Rick on July 11, 2010 7:57 PM
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im 17 and i get cold sores a few times a year at the most. and i really gets in the way of school so i try to get the best remedies as possible. and what ive found that is amazing is omega 3-6-9 vitamins. theres fish flax and borage oil inside. break open a tablet. dab alot on your lips where the cold sore is and your get instand relief and fast healing. i have on right right now and yesterday i woke up and it was HUGE. it was swollen alot and i put the stuff on it and a few hours later i looked in the mirror and you could barley see it. its still there today a tiny bit but its just a little scab. :) hope i helped!
 
Posted by ilovepink27@yahoo.com on January 06, 2011 2:01 PM
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I read that applying a damp tea bag to the cold sore area will help it heal, so the last time when I had one, I thought, what the heck, and I gave it a try.... by the next day it was completely gone!
I just dampened the tea bag and taped it to the corner of my mouth where I could feel the cold sore beginning.
Worked for me!
 
Posted by Jolly Lollie on October 20, 2011 7:40 PM
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