I suffer with cold sores and get at least 1 a month. Has anyone got any remedies or treatments that they could recommend?? I'm desperate as I've tried stuff from the chemist but to no avail. Any help appreciated.
Chloé

I suffer from coldsores - but I haven't had one for quite some months (touch wood).

Try keeping your lips as moist as possible. Beauty treatment suggestion is this:
After you have brushed your teeth brush your lips gently. This removes dead skin. Then put a nice layer of lip blam or vaseline no them. This gets a good amount of moisture to them and keeps them kissable.

The only remedy I have found for actually treating them when they erupt is J.Pickles Colsor cream and lotion. I find the lotion is more effective as it has an instant drying effect with the alcohol in the lotion and doesn't leave silly cream marks on your lips.

Hope that helps a bit.

Moon Maiden

I hear there is a cheaper alternative to Zovirax, I was in a chemist recently and the Pharmacist said to a young girl asking for Zovirax,

"This is identical ingredients and half the price"

As I understand it cold sores can break out if your imune system becomes weak, the virus that causes them can be kept at bay by a strong imune system.
Eat well including plenty of fruit and veg.
Get as much sleep as you need and try to avoid stress.

All above very true, I used to get them in times of stress.

In comparison to other creams Zovirax is a rip off and is effective mainly if you are psychic! :P I wouldn't call it cheap.

The only way zovirax works is if you put it on at the first sign of 'the tingle', after the tingle has subsided it is useless. So if you happen to be out and your cream is at home when you get your 'tingle' waste of a fiver.

Just my experience with it!

Moon Maiden

Thanks to all who replied. Someone told me to put perfume on it but I think it will sting and I'm not going to risk it, lol. I'm going to try that one that Moon Maiden said though. My mum keeps saying it's "because you're run down" but I feel fine so it can't be that. I'm never ill so I guess that if I do get any ailments this is how it comes out - gastly coldsores!
Cheers everyone!
Chloé

i get them too. the only things that bring them out for me are coming into contact with other active coldsores on others, or UV.

i wear lip balm all year round, but especially in the summer. also when out at clubs it's best to keep whacking it on.

a few years ago during one summer i was getting them every two weeks. since i started using lip balm i have had ONE in THREE YEARS!

I use soothelip cream which always works for me, if that doesn't do the trick try T.C.P. ointment as that is very effective for most things.

I don't suffer from them so I've not tried this, but a friend of mine who does have them was told to put strong cold black coffee on them by a doctor. They swear by this now, don't know how it works or if indeed it works through power of the mind, but I've heard it mentioned by people a few times.

Put vinegar on it after pulling the scab off, works a treat

I haven't found a way to stop them appearing, but I've found a way to get me through the process without them spreading or looking so awful. I bought some Compeed patches from Boots and I'm really impressed.

It's a very fine plaster, almost like a piece of skin, that you put over the sore and you can't actually see the sore anymore. You can put lippy on top too, which is even better. And it stops me from touching it or catching it and therefore doesn't spread.

Because I'm a bit of a skinflint I actually go to the trouble of cutting them in half too so that they last twice as long :hihi:

Put vinegar on it after pulling the scab off, works a treat

Are you bored or summat?

Are you bored or summat?

Whadyameen Dozy :huh:

In comparison to other creams Zovirax is a rip off and is effective mainly if you are psychic! :P I wouldn't call it cheap.

The only way zovirax works is if you put it on at the first sign of 'the tingle', after the tingle has subsided it is useless. So if you happen to be out and your cream is at home when you get your 'tingle' waste of a fiver.

Just my experience with it!

Moon Maiden



I love this stuff, I use to suffer with sores on my lips and it use to spread to my nose for many years. Nothing the DR give me help has i kept getting attacks regular. But since i try zorvirax only one time a couple of years back and i have never had a bad attack since like i use to have.

Whadyameen Dozy :huh:

Don't try and act dafter than you are!! :hihi:

I use soothelip cream which always works for me, if that doesn't do the trick try T.C.P. ointment as that is very effective for most things.

T.C.P liquid is better but stings for a few seconds.

Taking L-Lyscine regularly can prevent coldsores.

get it from Health food stores 500mg a day is approx. £6 for 100 tablets.


we've used it with great success.

I find Zovirax useful. Maybe I'm just better at gauging my tingle? ;)

I suffer with cold sores and get at least 1 a month. Has anyone got any remedies or treatments that they could recommend?? I'm desperate as I've tried stuff from the chemist but to no avail. Any help appreciated.
Chloé

ive tried zovirax and compeed patch and none work just a waste of money..i now use blistex thats brilliant and only get the tingling of the coldsore for 1 day then starts to dissappear...just apply lots of cream every hour... and its only 99p from superdrug :o)

i have suffered from coldsores for more years than i care to remember. i have found that the thing that works best for me is to hold an ice cube on your sore for as long as you can stand it, do this several times a day. This works a treat for me, they are usually gone within 2 days.
julie x

i have had cold sores from a child and i find dabbing with surgcil spirits as soon as you notice it works realy well and keep doing it untill it heals

I agree with the ice cube trick. I suffer quite a lot with cold sores and as soon as I feel a tingle I press an ice cube on until it melts away. It normally works for me. I get them when I am run down or have had too much sun.

OOh .. ice cube .. good idea!

Hmm I did make a mistake once of spraying my lip with deoderant .. it does numb it .. but it also spreads it, so don't !

if you can stand it dab some aftershave on. Just be prepared for mega mega pain if its at the scab stage and the scab has come off!

YOWSERS does it bloody hurt! But it works!

i used to suffer so badly with them they used to come every month or 6 weeks and they used to be huge too! i found that once i changed my diet and generally started looking after myself i stopped getting them.

if im really ill i will still get one a week or so after i feel better or even if im just really knackerd from lack of sleep and stress brings them out too!

i find the only way too get rid of them once i have a full blown one is too remove the scab and apply either vinegar or aftershave to it and it does hurt like hell for a while but it seems to get rid of it quicker.

I bought this a few months ago after reading some really good reviews: http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Advanced-Electronic-Cold-Sore-Treatment_641526/

I know its very expensive, but since I used it at the beginning of the year, I havent had another outbreak and they used to be fairly regular for me if id had a lot of stress or late nights and what not.

I even use it every now and again even if I dont feel any tingling, just to sort of prevent an outbreak and so far its worked!

Hope this helps, I know how awful they can make you feel. :(

L-Lyscine tablets

I'm another one who recommends the perfume/aftershave method!

Not much use at the tingling stage, but at the first sign of the blisters popping I smother it in perfume - tastes vile, stings like hell, but it works for me! Seems to dry up really quickly after that.

it's normal when ur run down they break out. I've started taking berrocca every morning. It boosts your immune system. Try it:)