To not want to go out socialising with 5 massive cold sores on my face - trivial I know

[Spice17]

So, a big group of couples and single friends are due to go out Fri night for a meal, we see each other about once a month. Have 5 massive horrific and painful coldsores that have spread all over my mouth and also one on my chin (nice!)

It's bad enough being at work, feel like a skank but the thought of even bothering to try and look nice and go out is horrible. I'm used to it, have had them for years but a massive breakout like this makes me feel like a freak and that people are staring at my mouth.

DH says I'm letting friends down (I don't think they'd lose any sleep over it) but I think I'd would also be letting him down as I was driving because I'm pregnant.

I know this is a trivial silly thing but please don't have a go at me for it - am feeling pregnant and hormonal as well :)

Dear god I wouldn't go in your situation - if dh carries on being a pratt, bung him a tenner for taxis and tell him to sod off!

No, I'd stay in.

Cold sores are the work of satan and they feckin hurt. A night out is supposed to be fun, not torture.

its only trivial to people who don't get them - and I speak as someone with a stonking huge one on my cheek, 50p piece size ...

I nearly cancelled going to a birthday dinner that a new friend had invited me to on Sat, and only went cos it was the cold sore's first day and it wasn't yet looking too horrendous. Though did get some double-takes from other people at the table ...

Cold sores are just horrible and I think if you're feeling crappy it might be best to give the night out a miss, stay in and rest up instead in the hope of healing faster. I coincidentally saw a pic of me yesterday, taken years ago on a night out with huge chin cold sore and I cringed. It looked awful ...

Hope yours heal up and bugger off fast - the only consolation of them is you know they don't stay forever ...

Not trivial, very contagious. As immunity is lower when you are preg, it's common to get coldsores when preg if you have had them before.

Get your self off to the nearest 24hr tesco/chemist and buy a couple of tubes of Acyclovier (spelling?) it's about £1 a tube - start treating tonight and they will be much better by friday night! No one need suffer coldsores for long with anti-viral medication now available so cheaply.

However, if they are "spreading" are you sure it is coldsores..... if the coldsore got infected, it may be that you have impetigo and require swift antibiotic treatment.... again, this is very, very infectious - don't share towels or touch anyone without hand washing.

I feel your pain, at the moment I have the world's biggest a cold sore on the side of my mouth which is making it hard to speak (can you hear the sound of DH cheering?) or eat. I don't want to leave the house to do the school run never mind have a night out!
Definitly YANBU.

Poor you.
Stay at home, make DH go out, and have a lovely pamper evening at home. xx

I'd stay in. Sounds like a night in on your own will be just the thing to help them heal as well.

I don't blame you, it's time of month for me and I suddenly have 6 massive painful spots on my face. I can cope with day stuff as have to but it's annoying when people keep looking at them and touching their face, wouldn't inflict that upon myself for fun. Chill out at home and hopefully it will clear up soon, also rest will do you good :)

yanbu

all people would say all night is "whats that" knowing full well

totally see where your coming from,poor you and hope the buggers go soon for you

Acyclovir! All of you, don't suffer for the sake of a few pence worth of antiviral cream, it's amazing stuff. Myself and 2 of my dc get occasional coldsores, so I always have an unopened tube in my 1st aid box - it works really fast and stops any further development of the sore pretty much within hours (obviously the sooner you put it on, the better). Acyclocir is the only thing which will actually treat the virus - other treatments are symptomatic.

It's not trivial at all, I get the bastard things too and I wouldn't go out.

YANBU but your OH is, would I be right in assuming he doesn't get them?

Yanbu, poor you. I wouldn't go either, they are really awful things and if you'd feel more comfortable and have a better night at home then definately do that.

I've never heard of acyclovir, I've always used zovirax which is fab. If you have 5 at the same time though, it would be worth checking with gp that it's not impetigo.

oh poor you. yadnbu. make an excuse (some perks of pregnancy) and mind yourself. besides drinking out of glasses all night is not going to help or trying to cover them with makeup. stay in tell dh to bugger off and have a night in. get straws and some cream. mind yourself

You poor thing they sound horrid - I wouldnt go either - I feel ill when I have them really tired any my eye aches on the side the coldsore is. I always have a tube of Zovirax to hand.

you used to be able to get it on prescription - I went to GP as had some other ailment and happened to have a massive coldsore along the whole of one side of my top lip sticking out a foot cm - it was a monster! GP practically ignored what I had come about and grabbed me by the head and said oh you poor thing and wrote me a prescription for some heay duty Zovirax - clearly I looked a fright might be worth getting a GP to look as I am sure the stuff they gave me was stronger than you can buy now (it was ages ago though)

double check what you can take while pregnant too.

God you poor thinig. It's not trivial at all. Cold sores are awful nasty things I wouldn't want to go either. You sound like you could use a nice rest and a bit of pampering. Tell him to get a taxi.

Lots and lots of sympathy from me too. I wouldn't go out, in your position, especially if you say your friends won't mind too much. Tell your DH to bugger off, it would be different if it was his face! And you're pregnant - you need to think of yourself - have a cosy evening in (stress isn't good for you!)

On the Acyclovir thing - I am prone to coldsores and I never found acyclovir or zovirax to work at all. In fact, I feel zovirax makes me worse. The best thing I've found is lysine. I take tablets from the health food shop when I have an outbreak, and I find my coldsores go away within a few days - it's really amazing. I can't figure out links, but from the web:

"Lysine supplements (e.g. 1,000 mg taken three times a day) may help to shorten the duration of cold sores.

Lysine ointment - a pilot study by the Southern California University looked at the effectiveness of a lysine-containing ointment in 30 people. Researchers found that the ointment produced full resolution in 40% of participants by the third day and in 87 percent by the end of the sixth day. No adverse effects were reported."

It is absolutely worth a try. But in the meantime, I hope you manage to stay in and have a relaxing night.

Poor you, cold sores are vile! I got mine off one kiss and I've regretted it ever since!

Compeed patches help mine quite a lot and they also cover the sore which help prevent transmision.

besides doesnt stress make them flare up? so you need to de stress and stay at home.

I find Acyclovir works. Also, I use the Compeed patches, they don't make it go away any quicker but they make them virtually invisible, stop them crusting and catching on cups and food and reduce the itching. I get them on my forehead as well as my lips, use the cream and the patches on both.

As for going out, I'd give it a miss, if you see the friends every month it won't be long till next time.

Sorry, should have said - Acyclovir is the antiviral which is in the branded product, Zovirax. It is MUCH cheaper to buy it as "Acyclovir" - about £1 rather than £4. If you pay prescription charges, it;s cheaper just to buy over the counter, even if you get prescriptions free it's probably cheaper to buy some in your weekly shop than to take a trip to the Dr!

It really does work - but the earlier you use it, the better - put it on as soon as they start to erupt, and it stops them dead, they stop developing any further and quickly (within 24-48hrs), just look like a normal spot.

I second WHOKNOWS.... Acyclovir under a compeed patch, as it is looks better and keeps finger off them!

I hate having to out when this happens. I've not had them that bad for a long while now but am just getting rid of one now. I daren't use compeed on them with lipstick as I really don't want to contaminate the lipstick. I just look a washed out mess with a cold sore

Stay home, snuggle up on then sofa and watch telly or mumsnet.

I keep a sample tube (totally unused previously!) in my bag with the Boots version of Zovirax and cotton buds cut in half. I use the cotton buds to put the cream on so I don't touch the cold sore itself. I am paranoid about passing it to the children.

Hi OP, I suffer from these nasty bastards so I know how you feel! I have found that by taking these :

www.hollandandbarrett.ie/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=117&prodid=29&sid=94

They work wonders and sometimes won't even come up! I promise you it's not a gimmick and does the job. I swear by them. Hope you get cleared up soon :)