Cold sores

[irisheyes92]

Hi, wonder if anyone can offer advice. On Monday I woke up with a tingle on my lip so put some zovirax cream on thinking it would help and not get to blister stage... it did nothing! By the afternoon it had grew bigger and more painful. On Tuesday it had spread (even though I had been really careful applying cream) used ear buds to apply it, not my finger. On Wednesday it was creeping up my nose and I couldn't eat / drink so went to the Dr's and she prescribed aciclovir tablets. My question is does anyone know how long these taketo kick In? And are they good?
TIA

[CrumbsCrumbsEverywhere]

L-lysine. Miraculous.

[avamiah]

Hi OP,
You must of put the cream on the tingle too late as this happened to me but I didn’t go with the tablets as I just continued with the cream .
But I know how you feel as it’s the worst thing as once that blister starts it can take up to 10 days for it to go down .

[avamiah]

Hopefully with the tablets it will be half the time .
But I would keep on with the cream as well.

[Allovertheworld64]

The tablets are good but work best I find if you take them as soon as you feel the first hint that a cold sore might be appearing. Keep taking them, they do work and will reduce the healing time. Maybe keep on with the cream too as pp advised. When it does scab try to keep it moist so not to knock the scab off before it’s healed as it will keep scabbing over hence lengthening the healing time, Hope it’s gone soon. Such horrible things.

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

I use a cream called Fenestil https://www.chemist.co.uk/fenistil-cold-sore-crm-pack-of-2g.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3aDZoqOJ4wIVBrXtCh39lQegEAQYASABEgJU6PD_BwE

Usually buy it on line as they don't seem to sell it in the shops any more. Have always found it way better the Zovirax.

If I catch the cold sore early enough if seems to stop it in its tracks and if it does come out the cream really seems to speed up the healing.

I have had cold sores for years and have tried everything- lemon balm, liquorice balm, L-Lysine tablets, light zappers the lot. Fenestil is the only long term reliable over the counter treatment I have found that works.

One other thing I have found that helps to keep them away is using a really good quality lip sunscreen as mine are often triggered in the sun ( often get them on holiday.)

The acyclovir tablets prescribed by the doctor are also really good but some GPS won't prescribe them.

[Confused2021]

I agree with a pp about l-lysine. I take a supplement every day and haven’t had one in years now (used to get a bad one every month without fail from about the age of 12-26)