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.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Noone (Nowhere, USA) on 04/22/2008
I just wanted to say that I am so AMAZED and the info that i received here. I just recently found out that i was exposed to herpes (whatever that means) and i have lil to no outbreaks. I have been paying very close attention to what triggers them. I just so happened to come across this website and was snooping around and found the section where they discuss the outbreaks from artifical sweetners. I was in the midst of drinking sugar free red-bull and had been drinking those for two days prior to reading this. Low and behold, the follwing day i was having slight pains "down there" and i could not believe it..i was living proof that the reaction is VERY REAL!! so to anyone new to this page and are reading this..trust that this section is true and validated!!!
I also wanted to say that i have been drinking my ACV and i haven't felt a differenct yet, but i am glad just knowing that i am taking the steps needed to obtain the best health possible! thanks you all!!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Dexter (Philly, USA) on 04/13/2008
I have experienced cold sores since I was a child. They are the kind that starts at the corner and spread across the whole lip. So naturally it affected my life in a very negative way, but there is hope. I recently saw that sunlight causes 1 in 4 cases so I used sunscreen on my face and lips, and I was cold sore free for almost 2 years. I say almost because at the end of september, I got a really bad cold and decided to take sugar free cough drops instead of regular cough drops. And Whoa, the next morning a fever blister was starting to form. I got upset and thought that the sunscreen was a hoax and there was nothing I could do to help my self. But I also knew that I have never got any past september so it made me investigate. Thank GOD, I did. I put 2 and 2 together and realized that the cough drops that were sugar free had sucralose(Splena) in them. And I almost ate the whole bag trying to rid my sore throat. So now I look at everything, as someone said before evern gum had sucralose in it. I hope this helps.
Maria Treben's Recipe
Posted by Christine (Virginia Beach, USA) on 04/10/2008
★★★★★
When I tried using apple cider vinegar on cold sores, I found that it burned my skin if I left the compress on too long.
So I am using Maria Treben's recipe for homemade calendula ointment instead. Take a pint of lard or beef tallow and melt it in a stainless steel or glass pot. Raise it to a boil and add as much calendula floers as you can pack in it, plus comfrey leaves (a handful).Turn down the heat and let simmer for a half an hour. Strain out the herb material and pour into jars. Let cool to room temperature and then refridgerate.
The mixture is greasy and will stain your clothes if you are not careful. Wear an old tee shirt if you can. Apply the ointment to your lips, face, and beneath the jawline to reach affected lymph nodes. The lard acts as a carrier for the calendula, which crosses the skim membrane readily.
Acetone
Posted by Tom (Panama) on 03/29/2009
Even if it has poison, the Acetone, a few q-tip strokes won't kill anyone. The trick though is to have the virus controlled.
Been reading a lot about foods containing arginine, which is pro herpes virus, and lysine if not mistaken, which works against the virus. If the food balance if maintained you can naturally keep the virus away. Also, I use Valtr ex 500ml 1 day, wait 1 or two more days, and have anotherone. This combination of steps food/medicine if you want to use it, has helped me stay months without even small wart coming; at the same tiem keeping me fro taking too much chemical drugs.
You may try using the food balance method and IT will work I tried it for two three months but it has it's ups and downs, that's why Im combining it with the medication and have gotten very lasting results.
Stress is a main factor also, good sleep and excersice.
You may find information about foods with argine vs lysine in diverse web sites. ( IF you have not seen this comparison already)
Sorry if I wrote too much hope it is useful to all!
PS
Love the Acetone and Apple Vinagger methods will test them when the nasty friend comes by to visit!
Blessings to all.
Tom
Acetone
Posted by Lee (Phoenix, Az Usa) on 12/02/2009
★★★★★
Not only is acetone produced by the body naturally in small amounts, it breaks down and is metabolized as fuel.
Acetone works well!!! If you are burned, you are either too wimpy or have some odd allergy.
If the smell bothers you, get the real stuff from HomeDepot. The nail polish smell and bitters is to deter winos from drinking it.
This is the first technique that I've found that actually helps. I get them from too much sun or windburn.
Acetone
Posted by Lee (Phoenix, Az) on 01/05/2010
FOLLOWUP: this has been amazing! After 40 years of this: I've been using Acetone after activities that would normally guarantee cold-sores, ie hard outside work and getting windburn/sun exposure combined, and I have not had any coldsores since using this method.
Found in the Journol of Virology:
1% acetone to have a 97% reduction of replication:
http://jvi.highwire.org/cgi/reprint/9/2/251
Acetone
Posted by Suzy (Houston, Tx) on 03/17/2011
I have tried prescirption creams and cold sore over the counter drugs which have NOT worked for me at all. Also the ice cube thing made a blister I had worse, so that's out of the picture as well.
I hear that vinegar is GREAT! Like a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips =)
Once more, clear nail polish and nail polish remover worked best for me. After I slept over ight with clear nail polish, then cleaned it off the next morning with nail polish remover, I also repeatedly applied a pimple cream which consists of a gel: 10% benzoyl peroxide gel that helps keep it dried up and moisturized at the same time.
I also used a scar cream after the blister dried up to help it heal nicely without scar or redness.
Acetone
Posted by Art (Victoria Bc, Canada) on 03/21/2012
★☆☆☆☆
Why would anyone want to control something they can get rid of? You are not informed if you are using chemicals to treat cold sores. Cold sores is a form of Herpes like it or not. Herpes is a lipid coated virus. Now Butylated HydroxyToluene (BHT) is a food preservative that kills these viruses. Don't take my word for it, do your own research. The BHT is available ay Vitamin Reseach Products online. My cold sore or spot that usualy breaks out every year is now gone after 2 months of taking one 350mg capsule every day on an empty stomach with a gulp of fruit juice. Pamper your pet cold sore or kill it, the choice is your. Knowledge is power. Art.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Berks (London, England) on 04/06/2008
Hi all. I have been searching the net for days hoping i could find info beyond al the official sites etc. I have never had an outbreak of genital herpes before and was surprised to say the least when diagnosed. This has happened in the last few weeks and i have accepted the disease. After having the outbreak, i searched my brain for any changes in diet or anything that had possible changed. Sad as it sounds, i have not had sex for 3 years and did not know the virus could lay dormant for so long. When i saw this site, it hit me like a bolt of thunder! DIET PEPSI. I bought a few crates from a local whole sale store as i was on a diet and found that it prevent me eating late at night. After drinking 5 cans of this a night, it looks like it triggered something to cause an outbreak. Needless to say, i have switched back to sugar and will never go near sweetners again. My genital sore is now clearing up and i will report back in a few months to see if stopping sweetner prevents further outbreaks. Take care all. Berks
L-Lysine, Nail Polish Remover
Posted by Michelle (Brooklyn, N.Y.) on 04/01/2008
★★★★★
I have been suffering from cold sores since I was a kid. As long as I wear sunscreen on my lips when I leave the house day or night I do not get them. Occasionally I forget, and that is what happened a week ago. I decided to try this wonderful site and tried the lysine pill and the nail polish remover. Now I do not know which one worked but that nasty cold sore was completly gone in 2 days. This has NEVER happened before. I am so glad this site exist. I will no longer worry when I get a cold sore because i now found an instant cure. I will use both remedies since I do not know which one worked and I also take one lysine pill a day. Thanks!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Johnnie (Teaneck, New Jersey) on 03/30/2008
Please help me, I am desperaste and going insane. I diagnosed myself with Herpes yesteday. For about a year I would occasionally experience a tingling sensation on one side of my genitailia( I do suffer from nerve damage from a spinal injury ). I would also feel iritated. Call me nieve but I would think maybe I scratched myself when bating or some pubic hair had been pulled out causing this discomfort. When I did try to look to see what was going on I din't notice anything suspicious. I guess I didn't know what to look for I don't make it a habit of visiting that area with a mirror. Anyway, three days ago I was feeling very iritated and yesterday I woke up with major discomfrot. I looked with a mirror and noticed three very small cicular sores. Exactly like the ones I have been getting in my mouth since I was 5 or 6 years old ( and my granmother would tell me my stomach was out of order ).Something clicked and I searched the internet for picures of Genital Herpes. How did I get this? Is this what I have been feeling for the past year? I have been married for 15 years and have never been unfaithful. I can't say the same for my husband, but I am certain that for the past five years neither of us has had sex outside of our marriage. Could the Splenda that I have been using religiously for the past year or so be the culprit? Do I have Herpes or don't I? Has it always been in my system? Is my husband lying to me? I need some answers I am about to lose mind.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Katie (Tulsa, Oklahoma) on 05/31/2008
Dear Johnnie from Teaneck, Don't freakout about your hubby running around yet. You said you have been getting cold sores on your mouth for several years, well those cold sores are exactly the same as genital herpes. your hubby could have got them from you, (kissing or otherwise) either on his mouth or the nether regions and then passed them right on to you. What you described does sound like genital herpes, and in most people it can actually take years to show up and in men they may never know they have it. So you both could have just passed it back and forth starting at the top and then to the bottom. Now I'm not say'n your hubby is innocent, I cant possible know that but don't hang him yet. I hope this has helped, good luck sugar.
Acetone
Posted by Neeya (Norfolk, VA) on 05/12/2009
Nail polish, really??? Is that safe? Also, has anyone experienced cold sores moving from one end of the mouth to the other? I have, and it's a pain. I read that these sores usually last up to three weeks in some cases! I am ready for this to be done.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by A (USA) on 03/17/2008
Just some feedback, I have genital herpes but rarely get more then one very tiny blister. The other night I had a Slim Fast diet bar, almost immediately I had the feeling of irritation. By the following day I had the most severe outbreak of blisters I have ever had since contracting the virus. I normally never consume diet products as a rule and wonder if the Slim Fast bar caused such an unusually severe outbreak.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Jenn (Covington, Louisiana) on 02/22/2008
re: herpes: I am so glad I found this site!! I have totally quit eating or drinking anything with artifical sweetners in it. No more OB!!! I have learned to read EVERY label, did you know gum had artifical sweetner in it, even if it is not sugar free! Bonus I lost inches when I quit ingesting the junk, went from a size 16 to a 12!!!
Ice
Posted by Rian (Portland, Oregon) on 02/01/2008
★★★★★
Everytime I get the tingle, or the first little hint of a blister on my lip. I get an Ice cube, stick it in a bag and hold it on the bump til it is totally disolved. Sometimes you may need to use 1-3 ice cubes. But it works without fail. The next morning, the cold sore is already gone. And usually the scab is small and gone in a day or two. This is the fasted way to stop em. Try it.
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 secondch@nce (Phuket, Thailand) on 08/05/2008
I was just wondering, How do you apply apple cider vinegar if it's Genital herpes? You know, the sores and all in the insides? does it also, like, heal or helps to keep it from too much itching and burning?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Anonymous (Canada) on 12/20/2016
This is probably what I should have done. Instead I held the cotton ball on my lip for 5 minutes or more. My lip swelled and it's still swollen a day later. I'll try this again in the future if I get another sore, but definitely will use it carefully. I used organic apple cider vinegar.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Ray (Bda) on 12/14/2007
After 19 years with herpes i saw this website and I thought hmmm. I have never been able to go more than a week without having an outbreak so I thought id take a look at my diet. 'Over all these years I have been going to the gym and using shakes that all have artifical sweetners in them. When i stopped going to the gym I found that i still used many products that had ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER. It has been about 2 months since I first saw this site and I now look at everything I eat to make sure I dont ingest any sweetner. I haven`t had an outbreak in this time. Please give this a try. And im using fresh lemons as a natural cleanser. I have a fresh glass of lemon juice everyday.
Acidophilus
Posted by John (Sandpoint, Idaho USA) on 11/27/2007
★★★★★
At first sign of a COLD SORE take two acidofillus capsules with water three times a day. These bowel friendly bacteria used to be available in yogurt and/or goats milk but are now usually removed. I believe that the friendly bacteria helps balance the ph of the colon and eliminates the cold sores. I have used this on myself and my family and a dozen other people in the last 25 years and never seen it fail. Results almost immediate and it never takes more than 24 hrs.
Head and Shoulders Shampoo
Posted by Ronda (Shelburne, Canada) on 11/25/2007
★★★★★
I have found that breaking the sores (with fingernail clippers) to open them and applying Head & Shoulders shampoo is an incredible way to get rid of cold sores fast. You must open the sores, though, to get the shampoo directly inside them. Warning, it hurts like peroxide on cuts but it's worth it. If you do this at the first tingle, you can usually keep the sores from developing at all. Apply it often. Then, once the sores are scabs, use polysporin to heal them very quickly.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Heather (Boulder, Colorado) on 11/23/2007
Can not say what a relief it was to find this web site. I eat and drink allot of sugar substitutes. I had no idea it could cause break outs. Right before I logged on tonight I drank a diet soda, with in minutes I felt an outbreak comeing on. This is a very difficult subject to talk about even with my doctors. The worst was having to tell my obgyn when I found out I was pregnant. So great to have a place to go. As of tonight out goes the sugar subs. and I will take into account all the other helpful diet suggestions.
BHT
Posted by Lucky (Durban, South Africa) on 11/01/2007
★★★★★
Hi my name is Lucky Phoswa, from South Africa I'm busy experimenting with BHT, to try and control my cold sore outbreaks and documenting it all on my blog at:
bht-coldsores.blogspot.com. I want to give users first hand information on the use of BHT, with results and it's side effects. Many thanks,
BHT
Posted by Lee (Fremont, OH) on 06/11/2008
★☆☆☆☆
Ok after reading the above blog on BHT, I thought I would give it a try. So I began taking 250mg per day and over the course of a week or two ramped it up to 1000 mg per day. i continued this for 2 months not always taking 1000mg but varying between the 250 and 1000, and during this time I had far more (3 to be exact) and more severe outbreaks than I'd had in the 5 years since first realizing I had genital herpes. So, I would say BHT is an emphatic NO. I even combined it with ST. Johns Wart (hipericin). I have been outbreak free since quitting the BHT and thought well maybe this stuff actually worked and I had rid myself of the virus, but just last night I began feeling the familiar pain, like somebody punched me in the vag and it has continued onto today. No blisters yet but I'm sure they are coming. Since quitting the BHT, I have been boosting my immune system with extra zink, resveratrol, flax seed oil, mega doses of vitamin b, vitamins a+d, vitamin c. The boosting of the immune system seems to be the only effective therapy.
BHT
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 06/15/2008 490 posts
Genital Herpes, For herpes of any kind I would be taking 2000 (2grams) of l-lysine mealtime and bedtime. As a matter of fact I would rely on this for any virus. When I start taking it when the fever blister first starts, it is already drying up by the next day after starting it.
BHT
Posted by Surfcity (Orange County, Ca) on 12/06/2010
★★★★★
BHT works. I read about it and immediately tried it for a year, everyday (without fail). Combined with my normally strict diet, no nuts, no alcohol, no chocolate, no soda, no caffeine. Started with 500mg then moving up to 750mg a day and sometimes 1000. I never had a outbreak during this time. My year long experiment ended roughly 2 years ago and I'd say I've had 3 minor outbreaks since the experiment ended, although I have started to occasionally enjoy alcohol again and chocolate and some seeds and nuts, but no caffeine. My opinion is BHT has greatly reduced my outbreaks and improved my life.
BHT
Posted by Art. (Bc Canada) on 09/08/2016
BHT if taken with other supplements will not work, as these other supplements interfere with the metabolism of BHT. Sounds like your problem.
If you feel a break out happening take the BHT again for a while. Oscar takes it every day and says it will intensify the effects of alcohol.
Art.
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Becky (Carbondale, IL) on 10/22/2007
I just read about artificial sweeteners and it's expediting effects of the herpes virus. This is very interesting to me because three days ago I bought a box of splenda,(I usually use regular sugar). I have such a sweet tooth that I've been putting splenda on everything! Today, I woke up with cold sores on my lips. Could it just be a coincidence? or maybe artificial sweeteners actually do cause outbreaks...I'm giving it up to see if this is true! Damn you splenda
