The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Acetone
Posted by Jenny (Central, Nj) on 08/24/2012
★★★★★
At 33 years old I, for the first time developed a cold sore which started in the corner of my mouth but after a few days increased to the size of a silver dollar on my face. Desparate to make it go away I scoured the internet and found this page. Against my husbands wishes I tried the nail polish remover on a test section of the sore by applying twice within an hour to a small section of the sore. To my surprise I woke up the next morning and it was dried up and left a very small scab in that location. I was shocked so of course I did this to the whole sore by washing it with peroxide and then applying nail polish remover after with a cotton swab. Even though it stings, it was well worth it because the next morning it was all dried up and left small scabs. I followed it up with another treatment of nail polish remover that evening just to make sure the sucker was dead. The next morning I put first aid ointment on a few times and in two days later all scabs are gone and I am back to normal.
My best advice is to apply the nail polish remover instantly and not wait the five agonizing days that I did before I found this wonderful site!!!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Geri (Seattle, Washington) on 08/09/2012
What the best combination of supplements is to permanently eliminate dormant herpes from the nervous system? What is the dosage, and for how long should the herbs and supplements be taken?
L-Lysine
Posted by Robyn (Melbourne, Australia) on 08/02/2012
Becky, I suffer too. Viral, manic, bad fibro, whacko immune sysem. What about garlic, lemon, BHT, olive leaf extract - these help. wheat grass sprouts as someone suggested to me. Dont think you can OD on lysine.
L-Lysine
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Ky, Usa) on 08/01/2012 2048 posts
Becky, the herb St John's Wort is both antiviral and antidepressant. Outside of the typical vit/min used to boost immunity, of which some it seems he's taking, try the Thymus Gland support I posted a few days ago, here:
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/lyme_disease.html#MR_71105
Cold Showers or Cold Baths or swimming is a powerful whole body/mind booster w/ immediate as well as long-term benefits; you can find it in the "remedies" section at the top of the E. C. page.
Hope this helps and good luck.
L-Lysine
Posted by Becky (Fulton, Ny ) on 07/31/2012
My husband was diagnosed Bipolar 2 about 1.5 yrs ago after a manic episode possibly brought on by the huge amount of stress he was under. I read here about bipolar being caused by the herpes virus and it clicked because my husband had Rheumatoid Arthritis caused by the herpes zoster virus.... After a yr. on metronidazole he is completely healed of RA but was taking 2,000mg a day of Lysine to keep the virus in check.
He is in a depressed state now having come down from a manic eposide about a month ago. On day 1 he took 1,000mg Lysine every hour for 12 hrs...... Day 2 he took 1,000mg Lysine every hr. for 10 hrs. He felt less depressed the middle of day 2. On day 3 he took 1,000mg every hr. for 8 hrs and he felt much better but he woke up depressed on morning of day 4.... Which is today.... He started taking the Lysine at 8am then every hour so far......
Should he keep going every hour? How long should he keep doing this?
He is also taking.... Gelatin multi-vitamin 2x, vit c 1,000mg 4x, Vit. B6, 12, folic acid, Selenium 2x, Vit. D 5,000iu a day, Niacin 500mg 3x, choline 400mg, Inositol 650mg, zinc 50mg 2x, MSM 1,000mg 3x, Vit. A, Milk Thistle and he has taken various amino acids to help with mood.
I really do believe this could be cause by the herpes zoster virus because it caused his RA but dont want him to OD on lysine. Can this much lysine damage his liver? Seems like this virus is really holding on but I do see hope but not sure where to go from here? Is there anything else that can knock this virus out? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks, Becky
L-Lysine
Posted by Susan (Bklyn, Ny) on 07/21/2012
Well, Well, I feel your pain but you do not have to live this way. Do not listen to the doctors, there is help out there. The problem is people do not want to change their diet. If u read my post on the "onion family" cure u would c that two people were cured passing on info to the next. I just found out that one of them had it for 7 yrs before she got cured. Upon finding out she immediately chnaged her diet, ate organic produce( only from the land and NOTHING processed). She does not use deodorant but makes her own from fresh lemons/limes. Drinks distilled water/minearl water. She takes cold pressed coconut oil daily and has been retested multiple times and the result is still negative. She has stopped taking the onion drink after her kidneys were messed up(she drank it excessively). She still maintains an extremely healthy lifestyle. Her shower has a filter and so is her tap. She uses no flour, rice etc. But this is what cured her. She also used lots of herbal stuff, no pill nor capsule.
Acetone
Posted by Victorsfriend (Northeast, Florida, Us) on 07/20/2012
I've had breakouts for about 10 years, and I've never found anything that really helps. Whatever I do or don't do, nothing seems to make a difference, and, when I get a cold sore, it lasts for about 10-14 days. I've tried almost everything I've heard of, and I was on Valtrex for awhile, but it didn't seem to make a difference, so I stopped that. No matter what, I still get a nasty breakout every so often (used to be about every 2 months, now about 2 times a year). The only thing that "helped" was being pregnant, where I didn't have one during the whole pregnancy, but that's not exactly a medication I want to take again. LOL.
When I got a breakout around January, it was BAD, and I had to go to work and have everyone make a big deal out of it, and I have a professional job where it just doesn't look good. I read about the acetone nail polish remover about 5 days into it, and it helped, but it didn't really shorten the time it lasted. Plus, my boyfriend thought I was crazy. He doesn't get cold sores, and I don't want him to start, nor does my son who is almost 2. So it really freaks me out when I get one.
Yesterday afternoon, I get home from work, start chatting with the boyfriend, and I feel it come on out of nowhere. Sure enough, I look in the mirror, and there's a huge blistery bump in the crease of my mouth. I can tell it's gonna be bad. I immediately grab the nail polish remover, figuring that I'll try it again in this early stage to see if it shortens the length any. I did a Q-tip for about 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes about 30 minutes later, then another 5 about 2 hours later.
The first thing I did when I was half awake this morning was open my mouth to see how sore I was... And I felt nothing. It actually made me hop out of bed and look in the bathroom mirror. This HUGE cluster of blisters was practically gone. It was just a little red mark, not even a little sore. I Q-tipped with acetone three times throughout the day, and I predict it will be 100% healed by tomorrow morning.
I know it's probably not the best thing for me, and maybe it's a little dangerous, and there are probably ways I can change my diet (I've tried, but I haven't found anything that kept breakouts away completely) but I'm in sales, and, if I can help it, I need to not have this on my face. If nothing else, I need to at least not be in horrific pain when I open my mouth to talk. I feel like this is a miracle solution, and I had to share.
Ear Wax
Posted by Latonia (Marshallville, Ga, United States) on 07/19/2012
★★★★★
I was told many years ago from a friend that ear wax works well for cold sores. I thought it was a grotesque thing to do but it worked instantly. The minute I felt one coming, I would apply my ear wax or the residue if you didn't have any wax to pull from your ear. That worked as well. It will heal a cold sore in one to two days. It doesn't burn at all. It's very safe and economical!
Lemon Balm
Posted by Crys (Ventura, Ca) on 07/15/2012
★★★★★
YAY! It worked great!
Ear Wax
Posted by Kylie (Whitianga, New Zealand) on 07/11/2012
★★★★★
Up in the Cook Islands a couple of years back I met an Australian woman who worked for a big pharmaceutical company in Aussie. We were talking about traditional remedies vs drugs, and she told me about a time that she had a massive cold sore and an Aboriginal woman stopped her on the street and told her to put ear wax on it. She admitted she didn't want to try it but I filed it away in my brain. Was surprised to see so many others on earthclinic have tried it and had success with it. I have no doubt if the Aboriginies use it that it must work, so just wanted to add a "yea" to the debate! Haven't tried it myself as fortunately I don't get cold sores but if I did I'd totally try ear wax first.
Geranium Oil
Posted by Janet (Fernley, Nevada) on 07/11/2012
★★★★★
I was just told about using Geranium oil on cold sores and will never use anything else it worked fast!!! I had 2 cold sores and a 3rd one on its way. The 2 had popped already and were starting to scab, I put a drop of Geranium oil on my finger and dabbed it on the sores 2 or 3 times through out the day. It doesn't taste great if it gets in your mouth but oh well. I would put on carmex inbetween Geranium oil applications. The next day the 3rd sore never came, the smaller sore was gone and the bigger sore was much smaller!! My sister in law says she puts it on before the blisters pop and it clears right up, mine were open already and it still worked super fast! It is now day 3 I have not put anymore Geranium oil on it since day 1 and my cold sores are all almost GONE! I love it!!!
Acetone
Posted by Susan (Bklyn, Ny) on 07/11/2012
Eat flounder and you will never have an OB again. In the mean time work on finding a cure. Flounder, like cod and some other fish is loaded with lysine and the body knows the difference with it and the lysine pills. Look at my post that say "flounder" so u can prepare it. Do not settle there, while you treat, focus on getting a cure and change your diet. You do not want to live this way for the rest of your life. Also read my post on onion/garlic drink where two people got cured. The followed a strict diet, ate organic and only food from the land. Nothing processed, no meat etc.
Acetone
Posted by Susan (Bklyn, Ny) on 07/11/2012
Eat flounder weekly and u will never have an OB again. In the meantime focus on changing your diet to get cure. I am living proof of flounder while I work on cure. Read my post how to prepare. Look for "flounder".
Acetone
Posted by Lorik (Walden, Ny) on 06/23/2012
I use to use pure Spirit of Camphor, the same way you said you use acetone. I never used the vaseline on top of it. The spirit of camphor did indeed do the trick in a short time frame. But now I only use L-Lysine at the very first sign of itching, bubbling, puffiness. I take it 3-4 times a day for several days.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Miserable_in_bama (Oneonta, Alabama, United States) on 06/10/2012
try L-lysine 1, 000mg 2x a day, morning and night, and you shouldn't have another outbreak. As for healing what you have, echinacea/goldenseal, red clover, burdock root, pau d' arco, elderberry, acidolphilus. Ech/goldenseal is best, but take acidolphilus or you will get a yeast infection, it is like an antibiotic. Keep it clean and dry. Use witch hazel or tea tree oil to help it heal up. Tea tree oil will dry it out, give you pain relief, and it feels cooling to me.
L-lysine is cheap and I haven't had an outbreak in 2 yrs. I used to get them so bad I passed in and out of consciousness, high fever, extreme joint and muscle aches, dizziness, you name it. Take me a month to heal.
Good luck and God Bless
L-Lysine
Posted by Miserable_in_bama (Oneonta, Alabama, United States) on 06/09/2012
★★★★★
I've suffered from it horribly for 28 yrs. What works and is guaranteed to work is L-lysine. I take 1,000mg morning and night in powdered veg caps. I haven't had an outbreak in 2 yrs or since I started taking it diligently. If you do have an outbreak, take echinacea/goldenseal combo, red clover (helps with fever & inflammation), elderberry, acidolphilus, pau d'arco, burdock. I don't know about Ted and the snake oil things he's talking about. I know L-lysine is inexpensive, and easy. You cannot cure yourself of HSV, it's in your DNA, there's no way to remove it, sorry to tell you. I would get so sick, have horrid fevers, be in and out of consiousness, bad sick. Females have it worse with mucous membranes down there. I use tea tree oil on sores, it dries them out. Tea tree is absorbed into the layers of skin and helps keep it from getting infected, and dries them out fast. It's also cooling to me. You can also use witch hazel, it has antiseptic and pain killing properties. Most importantly, keep it clean and dry. I used aloe baby wipes. Something else I figured out after a few years of hell with this....... Ibuprofen can take away not only the fever, but that sick, puking feeling, and seems to help it heal faster. I found immediate relief, but for me ibuprofen is a no no these days, I have gastritis from taking it for many years. So eat when taking it, never take on an empty stomach.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Emily (Alameda, Ca) on 06/06/2012
I have never heard of such a thing, but if you're going to try it.. I wouldn't take that much, ESPECIALLY all at once.. if you have any negative side effects, they will come on way stronger than you'd appreciate.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Please Help (Fort Wayne, In) on 06/06/2012
So if I take 2-3 tablespoos of vinegar a day will this cure the hsv2 virus or do I have to add something else to it?
Acetone, Aloe Vera
Posted by Merrin (Perth, West Australia) on 05/30/2012
G'day! After suffering from unsightly coldsores due to stress a friend recommended Lysine, an amino acid. I take a 500mg tablet every day or two. If I feel the "tingle" I increase the dose and that seems to do the trick, stopping the nasty beast in its tracks.
Acetone
Posted by Anonymous Birthday Girl (Newark, Nj) on 05/29/2012
Hi everyone, I got a cold sore today without tingling, just kind of burning and a bit of itching, and then all of a sudden a bunch of small bumps on my mouth. I have been taking Lysine for over a year since my last outbreak, so I have a feeling it will not be as bad as it was in the past. BUT, my birthday is in 2 days and its a milestone age, so desperate for solutions, I found this site. I just bought the acetone nail polish remover... I'm skeptical about its use but willing to try anything! Just have one question, this may sound kinda dumb, but are you supposed to wash it off a few minutes after you use it, or just let it stay on your skin? If you eat or drink throughout the day, couldn't drops of it get in your mouth if the area gets wet? Thanks!
Acetone, Aloe Vera
Posted by Grace (London, Uk) on 05/28/2012
★★★★★
I get shingles or facial herpes on my cheeks and chin.
I do not get it on my lips but either next to my eyes or around my nose or below my lips. The doctors have never determined which form of herpes it is. Valtrex has not helped.
Two things have really helped me. I want to share them with people so they can hopefully really improve this painful and unpleasant condition keeping the suffering to a minimum and the scars to next to nothing. The aloe vera also works for boils so I am going to post there too.
I am so grateful for having found these amazing solutions.
Acetone for the early stages, if you feel a tingling and you manage to get it on soon enough, it can stop the sore(s) dead in its tracks. I find putting it on an ear-bud (Q-tip) and applying every hour or so, is the best. Then overnight put a glob of Abreva cream on the sore(s) and by morning it is gone or on its way out.
If the sore does develop I find Fresh Aloe Vera straight from the plant is the most amazing thing for drying it up. I often end up popping the blisters, as I find the swelling so painful. Once the sore(s) is gross and oozing you want to dry it up as fast as possible, avoid wetting the sore or taking long showers and baths.
You should apply fresh aloe vera- the juicy part- straight from the plant every half an hour or so until the sore turns into a scab and then keep on applying as often as you can. Only fresh aloe vera from the plant works, I have tried the bottled stuff and it just does not work the same. I always have an aloe vera plant in the house for these needs and have been known when travelling to bring parts of leaves with me in a ziplock bag!
The best thing is to slice a small amount off the plant and keep it in the bathroom and just keep on applying the juicy liquid as often as you can. Eventually you'll need a fresh piece as the juicy part will dry out.
I have found I can 'cure' a sore in 3 days if I am lucky, with only a minor red mark at the end that is easy to cover with concealer. Usually on the 3rd day of applying the aloe vera the scab is so tight and dry it easily falls off or peels off. I advise you: do NOT pull it off if it is still stuck on too tight or shows no signs of peeling off as you will have a scar and the sore may not be healed properly underneath yet. If this is the case just keep on applying aloe vera until the sore is completely dried out and has no bump underneath or swelling at all. The aloe vera really stops inflammation as well as drying out the sore.
If you are sure the sore is really dead and dried out and all scabbed up, another thing that helps the healing is to apply -only when you are 100% sure it is all dried up! Or else you will reactive it- some neosporin. This will help humidify the skin underneath so it heals nicely without leaving a big scar.
Aloe vera, straight from mother nature, from the fresh plant is heaven sent and I thank beautiful nature and mother earth for giving us this wonderful miracle!
I really advise you try this; I have tried everything over the course of 4 years of suffering from these sores now, baking soda, salt, vinegar, various creams, lotions, to dry out a sore but nothing works like fresh aloe vera.
I have not yet found a preventative measure yet despite trying nearly all the remedies suggested here but when I do I will post about it.
Acetone
Posted by Bright Eyed Girl (Oyster Bay, Ny, Usa) on 05/27/2012
★★★★★
Hi Everyone, Just wanted to pop in and comment as I usually don't give feedback, but I realize how important it is for people to see the success or failure of a certain recommendation. I know I have found earth clinic's posters to be informative and helpful so I figure I should add on to possibly be helpful to a new sufferer.
When I first read about Acetone, I thought, humm that's strange. Then I said oh well if I use it on my nails then it's seeping into my body anyhow. Maybe not the best attitude, but it always marvels me when I hear people say they can't use something on their skin, but they use it other ways.
Anyhow, I found this info after I had an attack and it pretty much resolved itself. I told myself I have to remember this Acetone method and use it the next time I have an episode. So pow, another episode on Thursday, about 3 days ago. I ran for the Acetone instead of the common brand I use and started to apply it. The particular brand I buy at my local pharmacy did work, but never quickly, never stopped the sore from becoming a sore and I would spend about $22.00 bucks for a small tube which I would use only until the sore was gone and then put it away. By the time I would get another flare-up the cream would have expired - URGH--and then off to spend another $22 bucks!!! So I decided, what the heck, let me try this while praying and see if it works. Well surprise, surprise, IT WORKED!!!!!!!
I was so amazed and excited! The first tingle was in the a.m. on Tursday so I used a Q-tip and kept applying the Acetone after the Acetone evaporated (using a new Q-tip each time of course). I did that for a bit. It got swollen and red, but that's it and yes it burned, but that was fine as long as it would work. Next morning I started again with the same process, but fewer applications because of schedule. By Saturday morning it was still a bit red, the swelling wnt down and a tiny bump remained. I didn't apply anymore and then today it scabbed over! Yup that was it. All gone now.
I couldn't believe my eyes! My friend was also amazed and said she's gonna try it when she has an outbreak. Thanks everyone for the suggestion. ACETONE WORKS!!!
Lemon Balm
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 05/24/2012
Angela, do you know if this would help for canker sores (inside the mouth) too?
Alcohol
Posted by Drmet (Orange, California, USA) on 05/20/2012
★★★★★
i have had herpes type 1 for over 30 years and yesturday i started to get a break out on my lip so i did what i have done for over 20 years.
warning!!! what i do is extreamly painfull, but it works!!!
1. when you feel you are breaking out wait about 8 to 12 hours for the sore to get 1/2 way to a head.
2. get a razor blade or sharp knife and scrape the outer skin from the sore.
(you will bleed a bit, this part hurts but continue)
3. get a tissue, cotton balls or a rag and dip it in rubbing alcohol.
4. place the alcohol swab on the open sore, do this 4 or 5 times.
(this hurts alot! but only for a few seconds then re apply when you are able)
as i stated above i allowed my cold sore to come to a small early head, then did my treatment and this morning my sore is not hurting, my glands did not become inflamed, do not have any pain from the sore!
i know this works for me, please remember if you choose to use my cure, it is painful for a very short time so i suggest if you start do it quick and get it over with.
doc
Lemon Balm
Posted by Irbgirl (Indian Rocks Beach, Fl USA) on 05/20/2012
Are you on any blood pressure med? There was a certain bp med my husband was on and it caused him to get cold sores. (I'm a nurse and that really doesn't make sense, but... ) He started taking Lysine to stop the cold sores and it worked. A few years went by and he got a new doctor who wanted him to use a newer, different bp med. My husband, being my husband, ran out of Lysine and never bothered to replace it. When I asked him about it, he told me he hadn't taken Lysine in a long time and really felt it was the old brand of bp med that had been causing the problem.
Vitamin C
Posted by Joe (Roseburg, Tx.) on 05/19/2012
Dear sirs, regarding herpes, I found a site, and it said to place the vit c directly on opened blister, and warned that it would burn like fire, so I bit down on a peice of leather {joke} and yes it did burn alot, plus I bled just a wee, but I have not had a problem since.
Thats been 2 years now, it was very unpleasant for about 1 to 2 wks while I healed, but Im very thankful it worked.
Red Marine Algae
Posted by Sue M. (Worden, Il, Usa) on 05/18/2012
★★★★★
I was also starting to get frequent cold sores... Every couple of months and I felt terrible with them. So, I was doing some research and read on Dr. Mercola's website that if you take Red Marine Algae( with gigartina/dumontacea in the formula) that this will help prevent you from getting the cold sores. So far, so good. It's been a couple of months and no signs of an episode.
Lemon Balm
Posted by Angela (Brisbane, Qld, Australia) on 05/17/2012
★★★★★
I have tried a number of remedies for cold sores with no success: ice, apple cider vinegar, lysine (was ok), crystal salt deoderant (only helped the blister dry up). I get cold sores every couple of months so was very keen to find a good cure. I recently attended a medicinal herb workshop and was told to try lemon balm. I happen to grow it in my garden so I made a tea of it and have been drinking it 3 times per day. I found that within a day the cold sore I had went down and all pain subsided. It is now healing well. Additionally I have put some goldenseal ointment onto the healing sore and that is also clearing up a lot faster than normal. The teacher at the herb workshop said her husband use to get regular cold sores and he now drinks lemon balm tea often. He has not had a cold sore in years.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Gina (Leeds, West Yorkshire) on 05/08/2012
★★★★★
Cleaning with diluted tea tree oil and regular dabbing of the affected area. Drys it right up.. The cold sore should be gone within about 4 days.
