Going on vacation in 4 days and I've got a cold sore!! HELP
 

I don't know if it was the worry about hurricanes in New Orleans or what, but I just started getting a doozy! Any good remedies out there? Thanks for any help you can give!!

Abreva.

It is sold at most drugstores OTC. It is not cheap (like $10 a tube) but it WORKS FAST!

Cold sores are kinda like a cold: If you take xyz med, you will be well in about 2 weeks; however, if you do nothing, it will last about 14 days. That said, I am exceptionally prone to developing cold sores and have tried everything over the years. The only thing I have found that has any affect on them is alcohol. I just dab a bit on them whenever I think about it. It dries them up and they eventually go away. BTW, alcohol (the rubbing kind I am talking about...LOL) is also a good preventative for bruises. If you bump into something and just KNOW you are gonna have a doozy, grab some cotton balls and a bottle of alcohol; take about 10 minutes to do nothing but keep the site wet with alcohol by continually drenching it; then, throughout the rest of the day, do so when you think of it. Most likely there will be no bruise.

Thanks to you both! I'd heard of Abreva and will go ahead and pick some up.

pollyvw: LOLOLOL - and you're probably right about the time period thing, but I'm "fussed" and will pick up the Abreva. I do like your tip about alcohol for bruises. That one will be put to good use, I'm sure.

Thanks to you both!

Take a bunch of Lysine, about six (it is an amino acid found in the vitamin section of your drug store) and call your dentist or GP and ask them to call you in a script for Zovorax.

It is the only thing that clears them up after they've broken the skin.

IT may sound crazy,but try putting an ice cube on it.

Just a little FYI, while ZOVIRAX is commonly prescribed for genital herpes and while its the same virus found in cold sores, most physicians will not write it for that indication. I guess its worth a try however.

WRONG wanderluster, both are herpes and I get scripts for it whenever my lip breaks out. Zovorax is prescribed for both.

DO NOT get the cold sore wet. A cold sore is a moving organism and getting it wet will cause it to spread. The ice cube is not a good idea.

My doctor gives me scripts for Zovorax so that I always have it on hand and can use it as soon as I feel a cold sore coming on. I have both oral and topical and it is a Godsend.

Hmm, interesting. Must depend on the doc and or area where you live.

Ice cube works for me.

Zovirax in the tube...a modern miracle...expensive, but it truly works when you catch the cold sore in its earliest stage.

I rarely get one, so I usually have to buy a new tube each time, but it's worth it.

judy

wanderluster, that is how I found out about Zovorax because my dentist prescribed it for me.

Oh please. ccolor, do you have a doctor? Because I can't imagine why you would prefer Fodorites' advice on this over hers/his.

E: It's been ohhhhhhh - probably 3 years since I've seen my doctor - shoot, I'm not sure if he's even still practicing! ;)

Anyway, I'm going with the Abreva and trying to convince myself, "it's really very small and nobody else will see it....." yada, yada, yada

It sure beats the hurricane though, I guess I'll take it and be happy just to be able to go to New Orleans!

But everybody's still welcome to give some input - I'm sure there's a miracle cure out there somewhere.........or maybe not...

ccolor, there is no cure. If the skin is broken you need Zovorax. If the skin isn't broken an over the counter med will work.

Go ahead and eat 5 or 6 lysine. It is an ameno acid and they start to repair the sore.

VERY interesting. I can't wait to speak with my doctor on monday.

Zovirax (by the way, it's spelled with an 'i') generic name Acyclovir, is available without a script online. Apparently 'they' will write a script for you. As I said, very interesting indeed.

http://www.zovirax.org/zovirax_howitworks.htm#3

GoTravel: K - It's still under the skin so I'm on my way to the store now. Thanks to all for help and I wish you all many vacations without cold sores and hurricanes!!

wanderluster, out of curiousity, what makes you say most MD's will not write a script for zorvirax for a cold sore?

Several posters and I have written that it is what our doctors give us for a cold sore.

Both are herpes.

My best working remedy is to use an ice cube right on the cold sore as soon as you feel that little initial pain and leave the ice on for about 10 minutes every hour or so . I alternate that with Zovirax ( Acyclovir). Over the years, I have found this combo to be the most successful in keeping the cold sore small. I use the ice on day 1, 2 and sometimes 3, whenever feasible

I got my very first cold sore during my trip in New Orleans. But my husband swears by Abreva and I used it and it helped. He says the trick is to apply it every 2-3 hours, and to start immediately upon suspicion of one starting.
Have a great trip, and try not to worry about it!

Seems like a website like WebMD would be more likely to find you an accurate answer then fodors TRAVEL TALK.

TROLL!!!!!! Don;t think so? Then go to the Europe board and read the one about having a cold!

I'm guessing that some doctors may be reluctant to prescribe Zovirax for a cold sore because it's an antiviral, and those medications have lots of side effects. Perhaps the practitioners that are reluctant to prescribe it are thinking that it should only be used in more "serious" situations like genital herpes - it's also prescribed a lot for people with shingles and HIV-related infections. On the other hand, a cold sore can be pretty painful and certainly contagious, so other doctors don't hesitate about prescribing Zovirax. Just a guess, but I'm an RN and have a bit of familiarity with some of these meds.

Meesthare, sounds like an educated and correct guess to me. My physician is extremely conservative and rightly so as medical lawsuits are not only a major problem in America but also a political issue. I can't speak for my doctor but to her, the Zovirax issue may be similar to the anti-biotic overuse - abuse issue.

I heard from a doctor on a morning TV show that cold sores are a form of the herpees virus and have nothing to do with a cold. Watch out for who you kiss.

Meetshare, a cold sore IS herpes. That is why I am curious as to why a physician would be hesitant to prescribe Zorvirax.

It is highly contagious and very painful. If you don't clear them up, they can spread to your face and scar.