I've got my first cold sore ever and I'm about to get married

[febrezy]

My toddler got a cold sore at nursery and I tried so hard but I've just woken up and the middle of my top lip is swollen and tingly. It's big. I'm about to get married and I'm in tears. I've never had one before. Will I get lots? I keep seeing outbreak online. Will it just be this one? How often am I likely to get more? I'm so upset

L-lysine holland and Barrett sell both the lotion form and tablet form. Has it started to dry out yet? Holding an ice cube when it first starts to appear can vastly reduce the swelling too. I get them regularly mostly brought on by stress or if I'm run down.

It doesn't seem swollen anymore and does seem smaller too, thankfully. It's red but doesn't look blistered yet. Ridiculously itchy. The lots of little white dots I could see I can't see anymore. So far done nothing except tea tree oil/Vaseline and Zovirax. Getting the tablets and lysine later. I did slather my whole face in moisturiser last night including my lips so if it was contagious then I've rubbed if literally everywhere so I'm low paralysed with fear it's going to spread all over my face. I've washed my hands 50 times today!

Don't know if it's already been posted but honey really helps. It has helped my cold sores in the past. Apply it on throughout the day.
I was a bit skeptical when someone suggested it to me but worked like magic.

Have you got any of those clear gel plasters you get for scars or spits? Might be worth temporarily putting one on it if you do (might need to cut it to size and shape), to help stop you touching it. I've currently got a huge mosquito bite on my cheek and I've got one of those over it to stop me scratching it and hopefully help it to heal. It's less obvious than a normal plaster.

Will an anti histamine tablet help reduce the itching maybe?

It definitely looks better already :)

This is it now - it is still itchy and it feels tight. Is the worst yet to come? You can be honest.

Hi, a bit controversial but works for me each time. I actually clean my coldsores wit nail polish remover, obviously dab at it with cotton wool and then apply whatever treatment you use sounds like it would sting like mad but it really doesn't! Smell isn't the best but it heals a lot quicker than when I don't use this method. Hope it helps

Unless you are super run down the chances of it spreading to other parts of your face is mega slim. In the 15 or so years I've suffered with them it's happened to me once and it wasn't caused by touching the coldsore and then the rest of my face. The most annoying part is remembering once it's dried not to scrub your face too hard with a towel after showering so you don't knock the scab off it. Not sure if they still do it but another good one aside L-lysine is something called Pickles lotion. Stings like a bitch but is bloody fantastic. It's years since I've used it though so it might be discontinued. Did once by accident put nail varnish remover on mine whilst taking some nail varnish off. Nearly went through the roof but dried it up pretty quickly not recommended though. If you get one again a dab of aftershave on the first tingle helps dry it up quicker as well

It actually looks better now than it did earlier - you might have got away with it!

Along with the pp saying be careful not to touch the skin around the cold sore because you'll spread it, please can I add: whatever you do, do not touch your eyes if you've touched your cold sore. If you transfer it to your eye, the one on your lip will be the least of your worries.

Cold sore ulcers in your eye can damage your eyesight (even causing loss of sight in bad cases), and even at best will take weeks and weeks of 5 times a day acyclovir ointment, and then regular (every few weeks at first, then twice a year for a couple of years, then annually for pretty much ever) eye check ups with dye and specialist equipment to track the level of healing. And then there's the pain. The pain of an eye ulcer is like nothing you've ever experienced.

Can you tell I've had one in my eye? Luckily I've never triggered another one in my eye, but it took several years for my eye to settle, and I'll never be able to wear contact lenses. The scarring covers almost 20% of my cornea. I was very lucky not to lose my sight, and the specialist treating me said he'd seen grown men with smaller ulcers than mine literally rolling on the floor in pain.

OP, be aware too, going forward, that sunlight can also be a trigger - so sunblock on your lip/between your lip and your nose. (I wear sunglasses all year round to protect my eyes) And keep a supply of cold sore patches in so you're ready if another one ever takes you by surprise.

Good luck!

I’ve had enough cold sores in my 56 years to know the diffeeence between a cold sore and impetigo. It followed a heavy cold and was located to the sore area where I had been blowing my nose for a week. It didn’t spread beyond that area and had all the cold sore signs, tingle, blister, weeping followed by scabs. It needed no treatment and has followed the natural cold sore cycle.

but thanks for your armchair diagnosis.

That's terrifying.. how easy is it to spread to your eyes? I definitely did last night when I moisturised. Ahh.

PLEASE get your hands on some L-lysine. It's an amino acid supplement. I found out about it on here - it will clear it up SUPER fast and you will likely never get them again if you regularly take the supplements. I suffered with them chronically whenever I had my period and I haven't had one since I started this supplement.

I think there's one coming at the bottom now too look

Oh no

I get horrendous cold sores and other last two times I’ve been a bridesmaid I’ve had bad ones that have been between my nose and lips. The make up artist managed to totally cover them and you can’t tell at all on the photos. Please try not to stress too much, keep taking your aciclovir tablets and have a fantastic wedding day

The one at the bottom feels very unfair I've taken my first dose of the acyclovir, I've got a compeed patch on one bit, zovirax and tea tree oil on the rest and I've taken some multi vitamins too. I get the lycine tomorrow from Amazon

Partner keeps saying he can't believe the fuss I'm making apparently he just whacks some Vaseline on and they're gone in 2 days and I'm spending ££ dashing around pharmacies and throwing everything at it. I did have to say well we are getting married in 3 days!!

Vaseline irritates mine so avoid. No cream, just compede. I now take lysine daily and have (touches the wooden table) only had one in two years.

Take a antihistamine, it can really help with swelling

Get some blistex relief cream on it. As soon as you feel the tingling. I use it and it goes straight away. A blister never appears. It seems to attack it straight away if you get there in time.

I've put another compeed on top and also put one on the bottom where it feels like one is coming. Is that a good idea or is it better to keep getting that one with the cream before it sets in? I'm in hell!

Put the cream on a few times before the plaster, leave the plaster on overnight.

Blistex is no good for most people, you need the proper anti viral.

Just want to say you have lovely lips and teeth

No one warned me the patches make them itch even worse. Gah!!