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.
Ice
Posted by Jjkrmom (Sayville, Ny, Usa) on 08/17/2010
★★★★★
Herpes No More!!!
Ice, Ice, Ice is the best thing you can do. I have tried every remedy here with no luck whatsoever. I have even tried the prescription you take on a daily basis, also with no luck. I have been getting cold sores (herpes) on my upper lip as long as I can remember. It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I actually had it diagnosed by a doctor. I used otc products for years and they just seemed to make matters worse. After having four children I became obsessed with natural remedies as I was no longer looking out for just myself. I read a wonderful book on natural cures and it gave me a lot of insight. The most important thing you can do to never have an outbreak again is to keep your immune system strong. Eat a healthy diet loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed foods and avoid fast food altogether. Also avoid tomatoes, nuts and caffine. When you start to feel that tingle, (oh that dreded tingle)head for the freezer and grab an ice cube. Hold the ice on the spot until it melts, repeat, again and again and again. It works wonders, the sore will not even have a chance of coming to the surface. You will be able to tell when to stop, the tingle will go away. Ice will even help with an already full blown sore. It will reduce the swelling and speed healing time. About 2 1/2 years ago I was so stressed I kept getting sores over and over trying every remedy in here for about 6 months. I was so embaressed to go anywhere especially work. After that horrible 6 months finally I tried the ice. I have not had an outbreak, or even felt I was about to since.
Homeopathic Remedies
Posted by Nutrtionistmom (Carlsbad, Ca) on 08/07/2010
★★★★★
I have gotten cold sores since I was a young child. My moms standard cure works great. Homeopathic cold sore medicine. Well-known brand carries it. Start taking as soon as you feel tingle or bump. Take several(just put under your tongue and it will dissolve) every few hours. It encapsulates the virus and stops it cold. If you didn't catch it quickly add in L-lysine 2000mg several times a day. Natural, chemical free and safe. If you catch it right away it never becomes more than a bump. I haven't had a full blown cold sore in years. Good luck
Acetone
Posted by Jazzy103 (Yardley, Pa) on 07/31/2010
★★★★★
I applied 100% acetone on onset of my oral herpes and much to my surprise it worked!! I suffer from breakouts 1-2 times per month and have tried many things with no success of stopping a full blown blister. I kept applying acetone about every half hour on the first day and about every hour on the second day, then a few times per day until I was sure it was gone. I only experienced some redness and dryness but no ugly yellow blisters!!!! I hope this can help someone who is suffering from this agressive and ugly virus!!
General Feedback
Posted by Fmh (Dallas, Tx) on 07/09/2010
I have genital herpes but also get them on my mouth. I get them on my mouth about once a month or more. About 5 years ago driving home from a vacation with my boyfriend I was driving and asked him to light me a cigarette. He did, but handed it to me backwards and I stuck the hot end directly on my mouth. It blistered up and turned into a horrible herpes outbreak as well. But for some reason I never had an outbreak on my mouth again!! Maybe I accidently figured something out. I do still have genital outbreaks and am too chicken to go down in that area and burn myself.
Blue Glass and Sunlight Therapy
Posted by John (Pahoa, Hawaii) on 07/09/2010
★★★★★
I first started getting cold sores whenI was 15 and they were miserable. Burning blister that eventually broke and then hurt for days and the skin cracked. When I was about 40, a naturalpath MD in Sedona AZ. Told me to get a piece of blue glass and as soon as I felt the burning sensation on my lips, let the sunlight filter through the blue glass onto the coldsore. Ever since I've done that, I have not had one coldsore form into a blister. It may take a day or two of putting the filtered sunlight on the cold sore ( I do it for about 3 minutes or until the pain or burning sensation subsides, and I'll do that 3 or 4 times the first day or whenever it begins to burn or hurt again). Usually, after about two days (sometimes three if it is a bad breakout), the cold sore will have simply vanished, without ever blistering and popping. I find it is important to get the blue light therapy started as soon as I feel the coldsore coming on, although even if I miss it or there is no sunlight, this therapy works even if it advances to a blister--it shrinks the blister without it ever breaking. I found my piece of blue glass in the ocean and used that piece for 18 years now. Just this year I bought a set of blue glass dishes from walmart and tried it with the small cup saucer plate and it worked. It actually was easier because I didn't have to center my small piece of glass over the coldsore. I do cover my eyes so I don't get sunlight in my eyes while doing the blueglass therapy. I hope this will help someone. I was just telling my wife that I was surprised that this therapy wasn't in the prescription for natural healing or more widespread in the alternative healing community. It has made my life alot less painful.
Ice
Posted by Paula (Perth, Wa, Australia) on 07/01/2010
★★★★★
I've used the ice cube method also & it worked really well for me. I did it about 4 or 5 times per day for the first 3 days with only a single ice cube wrapped in a tissue. The longer you can tolerate the cold on your lip, the quicker it heals or the less severe the coldsore ends up. It seems to reduce swelling to almost non-existent & the virus really doesn't like the ice at all. A good follow-up is some fresh aloe vera dabbed on it straight after the ice treatment.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ella (Roanoke, Va) on 06/24/2010
I have suffered with 6 or 7 cold sore outbreaks within one year, and this remedy is the ONLY thing that has made my sores disappear so quickly! I usually use popular over the counter topical meds (like Abreva)and take acyclovir (aka Valtrex). It's hard to tell how much those really shorten the duration of an episode. But with this remedy, it's very clear that the "life" of my sores has been shortened. I broke out 2 days ago, began applying ACV with a Q-tip to the sores. First time it helped the sores to burst and begin the healing process. Since then I've been applying several times a day, followed by a Q-tip with organic tea tree oil to help soothe the burning and dry them out. My episodes usually last at LEAST a week, but at the rate these sores are healing it's looking like it'll be closer to 3-4 days. What a difference! I highly reccomend this remedy.
Bentonite Clay and Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Benjamin (Scottsdale, Arizona) on 06/17/2010
★★★★★
I`ve had good results using cosmetic bentonite clay mixed with apple cider vinegar on a fever blister.This is something I normally use as a facial.But I discovered if I applied a small amount of the mixture to the fever blister covering it completely and leave on overnight, it would reduce and start to heal.
Lecithin
Posted by Curious (San Francisco, Ca, Usa) on 06/17/2010
Did you take the lecithin one month only, or do you take it consistently?
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Eric (Central, Florida) on 06/08/2010
WOW, I can't believe you were taking that for any reason, let alone in a dose like that. You can thank Donald Rumsfeld for the aspartame push. If you have netflix, watch The Beautiful Truth, there's some good stuff in there about this subject and msg etc. and what it does to your brain. Good luck.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Paul (Durban, South Africa) on 05/26/2010
Do not touch anything with "aspartame" or phenylalanine on the label !!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Ivan (Tampa, Fl) on 05/23/2010
I have been sick with low grade fever and swolen neck glands for about a month. I also have been having tingling sensation inside my pennis.
I went to the doctor and they tested me for STDs and all negative.
Now, this week I started a military exersise working long hours, I don't drink soda but I needed something to drink during the long hours and I went for Coke One. And, surprise! My, first outbreak of genital herpes. So I had the Herpes with no outbreak until now. That explains a lot.
Well, my outbreak was quickly fading away and I hit the Coke One like 3 times yesterday. And today I wake up with a 2 new small blister in the same area!!!!
I hate you Coke One!!!
Triggers
Posted by Sb (Rockland, Me) on 05/19/2010
I found that an Apple allergy causes open sores around the mouth. So far I know at least a dozen people have checked to see if their cold sores are related to apples and agree that apples bring on the sores.
Acidophilus
Posted by Gina (Wichita, Ks) on 05/11/2010
★★★★★
I suggest taking acidophilus for herpes. Start at the first tingle. A pharmacist told me about this and I have not had a cold sore fully develop in years.
Acetone
Posted by David (New York City, Ny) on 05/03/2010
★★★★★
Acetone Nail Polish Remover is now my best friend. It works wonders! As soon as you start getting that tingly feeling, put some on with a q-tip or some cotton swab. It burns a bit. But you can really feel it work. I kept doing this for about 5 minutes every couple of hours and what used to be a cold sore from hell that lasted at least two weeks is now a tiny mark that lasted only a couple of days. This really works! Thank you SO much!
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Marie (Crowthorne, Uk) on 04/15/2010
I have gotten all excited about the great responses to using HP for cold sores, however not one comment states if it is 3% solution or 35%. Please could someone let me know. Many thanks.
Elderberry
Posted by Carynllewellyn (Edgewater, Maryland) on 04/14/2010
★★★★★
for over 15 years, I used to have back to back out breaks of genital herpes...I tried prescription meds to no avail...these meds gave me headaches...so I stopped taking them & just suffered.
Then I tried taking B-Complex w/C twice daily...this helped a lot...but not completely but at least I was down to one or two outbreaks a month usually around my menstrual cycle as opposed to chronic outbreaks...so I did a little research & found that Elderberry was an anti viral herbal (see notes below) I gave it a try...
To my Amazement WITHIN DAYS, I was free of any outbreaks at all...and the only outbreak I've had in the past few years was due to running out of the elderberry...it's an amazing little fruit.
Of course now, I make sure to have a little extra on hand...I am able to eat citrus again, this used to aggrevate my outbreaks, so much so that I had to avoid all citrus or suffer the consequences.
NOTES:
The research I read said that Elderberry is an anti-viral fruit... The way it works is that it actually encapsulates the virus and thus it is kept from attacking the body so it is flushed out in the urine/waste products. Regardless of how it works that little berry is another of Mother Nature's blessings. Before discovering it, I was in such bad shape from chronic outbreaks that I really couldn't have relations for fear of spreading that nasty little virus to my spouse.
I would Imagine since it is an anti-viral, it would work with regards to ANY VIRUS, which would make it especially helpful during cold & flu season & I would imagine (in my unprofessional opinion) that it would help those suffering from the HIV Virus as well. Please pass this info on to help others suffering as I was.
I recently began growing my own Elderberry Bush to make jams & pies, juice etc...the birds seem to love it as well...hope they leave some for me...hahaha...anyway, There is an Online shop that sells it at a very affordable price...and it's worth mentioning this because they sell it at 1/2 the cost of what one would pay at the local herb shop.
Thanks for Reading & Blessings to All, Caryn
Tinactin (Foot Spray)
Posted by Birdy (Ankeny, Iowa, Usa) on 04/08/2010
★★★★☆
I must agree with this. I use an off brand of this athletes foot spray that has the same medicine it it and BHT. It also is the spray that has some talc. If I feel a tingle I apply this and just leave it on for a while at home. It will wipe right off when I want it to. It has stopped all cold sores from developing for 5 months. If I feel a scare I just put it on. Dont wait until you get one, prevention is the best way to deal with these.
Avoid Caffeine
Posted by Lou-lou (Adelaide, Sa) on 04/01/2010
★★★★☆
Hi, I have posted here before but not for oral herpes which I also suffer from. Mine occur on the inside or outside of my nose, sometimes extending towards my mouth. Needless to say, not a pretty site :( and I have battled for years to try and improve the sores asap. What I hadn't looked into much before though was how to avoid getting them in the first place. There are always triggers for things and our bodies try to tell us this by giving us a rash, or a sore or spots etc. I too have also found a link with artificial sweeteners but what I have discovered through my own testings is CAFFEINE! It's a huge NO NO, well at least for me. I have cut out all caffeine products such as coffee, chocolate, coke etc. I loved all 3 but the alternative (a sore) is not worth it. I have found a coffee substitute called Caro and there is also one called Ecco. They are a cereal beverage and are sold in supermarkets right next to coffee. I usually mix that with decaf coffee. There is still caffeine in decaf but a very low percentage. I used to get outbreaks just about every month. I have been sore-free for 3 months now and counting :) Also as most of you would know, both Lysine and Arginine are amino acids. Most, if not all foods have each of these in them. Lysine is good for us herpes sufferers but arginine is very bad. Nuts, especially peanuts are at the top of the list for arginine properties. I printed a list from the web of foods high in arginine. The key is to ensure your diet has far more lysine. Plain yogurt and cheese top the list there. Also important is to know that the ratio of lysine in a food far out weighs the arginine content. If you don't think you are getting enough lysine, then you can always take a supplement. If any of you out there are staph carriers and suffer from severe infections around the nose towards the mouth area, I have an idea about that too so let me know if you are interested.
Acetone
Posted by Katylady82 (Katy, Tx, Usa) on 03/08/2010
I'm from Katy, too :) i'll definitely try this next time i feel like i'm going to get a cold sore!
The Rip-Em-Off Method for Cold Sores!
Posted by Lisa (Boulder, Colorado) on 03/05/2010
Apply Aloe Vera whenever you feel a cold sore coming on. Most the time you will not have an outbreak at all. You can also take Aloe Vera by mouth, too! If you do get a cold sore, pop the blister with a needle, then apply the Aloe Vera. You won't even see it after about 2 hours! Good luck....works for me!
Oregano Oil
Posted by J. (Minneapolis, Mn) on 03/03/2010
★★★★★
I have been a cold sore sufferer for about 20 years and I usually get between 10-35 or so a year and they range from the size of a pea to a quarter. They are usually in my nose or on the skin between my nose and lip...so it is safe to say I'm a chronic cold sore sufferer, especially during cold weather and I live up north. I honestly don't know what is worse, the pain or the humiliation as both are almost unbearable. I have tried every single prescription on the market over the years, every single over the counter treatment, and home remedies like daily lysine, ice, acetone fingernail polish...you name it.
For me there is one prescription (blue pill) that always worked best but the sore is still extremely painful for 2-3 days and then I have a scorched area of skin that turns scaly and then stays red for weeks afterword. Anyway, I have been trying to find a natural way to control or eliminate my cold sores and I came across Oil of Oregano so I thought I would give it a shot. (I am also taking 2 billion live cultures of acidopholis per day to strengthen my immune system.) And I am so so thankful that I did.
I started taking the OoO twice a day by putting 3-4 drops under my tongue and holding it for about 1-2 minutes and washing it down with 8-10 oz water. Before bed I also rub several drops on the base of my spine (where the virus lives) because OoO is supposed to penetrate the skin to directly combat the virus. (I have read that you might get a bad outbreak as the OoO clears the virus from your system so I was prepared for that.) Anyway, I have taken it for several weeks and I hadn't gotten a cold sore until I forgot to take it two days ago. Yesterday morning I felt the tingle of a cold sore coming on and immediately took a ____ and put Oil of Oregano on it and reapplied it 3-4x throughout the day. I noticed that the sore stayed very small and the Oil of Oregano reduced the usually unbearable burning pain and itching to almost nothing. I did get some blisters, but the sore was about 25% to 35% of the normal size of a cold sore for me with almost zero swelling, burning pain, or itching. It has now been around 36 hours since the first tingle and it is almost completely healed...and it was easily covered with a little powder when I was out shopping yesterday so no one else even knew. This stuff is AMAZING!!!! I also took a couple extra drops orally throughout the day so I was taking it orally and applying it to the sore directly.
Usually within 5-10 hours of the first tingle I have MAJOR burning and itching and there is always a lot of swelling the next morning when I wake up even if I take my prescription the second I feel the first tingle and another before bed. The sore usually lasts a couple of days and then I am left with the burned skin from the blisters which turns into a scab and then red skin for a couple of weeks afterward. With the Oil of Oregano I was able to keep the sore very small and nearly painless and it is almost healed within 36 hours. I am thrilled!! Every time I started to feel a bit of burning pain and itching I would gently reapply 1 drop of oil to the sore and it would immediately help a lot. The second day of a cold sore for me has always been full of serious burning pain, lots of swelling, and finally it is very very itchy as the virus starts to retreat. With Oil of Oregano I experienced almost nothing except a bit of redness and a warm sensation over my lip where the sore was. I can't say enough good things about Oil of Oregano and cold sores. I understand that I have only been using this product for about two weeks and this is my first cold sore that I have treated with it, but I can't tell you just how different this cold sore looked and felt from any other in the past 20 years. My husband couldn't believe it either. This is so much better than my prescription alone. Hopefully it will be a long time before I get another one since I'm taking the OoO to prevent them, but if/when I get the next one I will try OoO without my prescription at all. Hopefully I will have the same results as I really think it was the OoO alone that made the amazing difference in the pain and duration of this sore. I am going to check into how long I can take it daily. I don't want to do any damage to my liver or anything else by taking it for too long, but for now I am going to keep taking it for several months to try to eliminate my cold sores completely. If anyone has information on how long you can take it I would love to hear about it. I asked my pharmacist yesterday and he said that there has been no long-term research on daily usage of OoO, but he personally thinks this is much safer than almost anything else people use for cold sores.
If you suffer from cold sores, I hope this helps you as much as it has me!
In addition to the cold sores, I have used it to stop a sore throat within minutes, relieve my husband's migraine that his medication wouldn't touch, relieve my friend's bronchitis within 24-48 hours after two weeks on antibiotics weren't helping, clear an under the skin acne problem I wasn't even aware I had (experienced a bad breakout for a couple of days) and now my skin looks healthier than it ever has, shrink a cyst that my dermatologist wouldn't remove because it was too deep (within 2 weeks it has shrunk to half the size and is now flat), stop the pain and redness overnight from a hangnail that was really sore...and this is only after using this stuff for only a few weeks. I can't say enough amazing things about Oil of Oregano!! It is like a cure all for everything and that is just crazy!! Had I only know about this 20 years ago I could have saved myself thousands of dollars and years of pain and humiliation!!
Tomato Juice
Posted by Puddles (Regina, Canada) on 02/28/2010
★★★★★
Tomato juice is an excellent cure for cold sores. Dab generously directly on the sore and also drink about three glasses a day for at least a week. I have known some people to never get another cold sore with this remedy. I hope it works for you!
Acetone
Posted by Den (Katy, Texas, Usa) on 02/25/2010
★★★★★
First of all I love this website!
I recently had a GV outbreak after going almost 1 year without. I immediately came to this website. Looking at the last days before I felt the terrible tingling. I tried a new sweetener. Didn't like and only drank half the cup, but it was enough!!! I have been working on getting off of sugar. So I knew the only change was the artificial sweetener! NEVER AGAIN! So it was the very next day I woke up with the tingling. I dabbed a cotton ball with Acetone Polish Remover and held it to the area. OMG!! It burned!!! After the initial shock, it felt better. For the next 3 days I did this 2 times a day. I never had a full outbreak. By day 4 it was gone!!!! Thanks Earth Clinic!!
Honey
Posted by American (Virginia Beach, Virginia) on 02/15/2010
Hello, You said on your website that apple cider vinegar works for cold sores. Sorry, it doesn't. At least, not for me.
What DOES work is honey, which is known for its ability to promote wound healing. Just keep smearing it on the cold sore - and yes, it is a sticky, gooey mess. But boy, does honey ever work!
DMSO
Posted by Beachgirl (Los Angeles, Ca) on 02/09/2010
★★★★★
DMSO also works for me. I use it any time I think I feel a tingle. But first I drank liquid oxygen for a few months and used the DMSO every day even though I was not having break outs. It has been years with no breakouts.
Acetone
Posted by Dan (Denver, Colorado) on 02/09/2010
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
I dabbed acetone on my face before going to bed one night and I woke up with chemical burns on my tongue and it triggered Bell's Palsy. Don't do it!
L-Theanine
Posted by Found Another Option (Columbus, Ohio) on 02/08/2010
★★★★☆
I have had cold sores since I was 6. L-Lysine never worked for me. Once I discovered that this virus is in your nerve endings, I thought of anything that would be a destresser. One day by accident I tried L-Theanine. When the tingling came, I had just taken one. It broke out but only stayed two days and did not have any redness. The tingling and soreness was never felt. Thought I'd put this one out there for anyone who might want to try this.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Hilde (Chicago, Il) on 02/03/2010
Aspartame is toxic. It not only, apparently, causes herpes outbreaks, but may be linked to all sorts of ailments that plague people today. Don't believe the FDA's and diet industry's lies! Research the dangers of aspartame and stop ingesting it already.
