...to not send my child to school because he has coldsores

[Yorkshiremummyof1]

Every since my son was tiny he's has flare ups of coldsores and they get pretty bad. I mean half of his mouth, they used to spread down his chin, up towards his nose. Doctor has never helped bar telling us to use Zovirax. Hopefully today on our telephone appointment we might get virus suppressants but I don't know if children are allowed those.

Anyway he had a flare up at the weekend, and I know the NHS advice is children can go to school but I don't trust his hygiene management and he was quite distressed with how he looks. Children can be mean and he'd have been really upset if he was being teased. To make matters worse, on Monday he did that thing where you suck your lip into a bottle and end up with a massive bruise on his top lip so his face looks a state. I mean he looks like he's been punched and has blisters all over his mouth.

I'm usually strict with going to school, he rarely has any time off. It's now Wednesday and he still doesn't want to go back. His blisters have split so are scans (blood) and his bruise hasn't faded. It doesn't look AS bad but he thinks children will say he's the coronavirus monster.

His dad and my exmil are saying he's fine from photos but I also know how hard it was for him to settle into his new school and he had major anxiety for the first year after I left his dad.

I want to protect him from people associating him with the "lurgy" but education is important. He's been off two days and I'm just not sure, should I send him back today even if it would upset him? Do I wait for it to completely clear?

I am a doctor and usually very pro sending kids to school unless absolutely necessary to have a sick day. I think you should keep him at home for a few days

I used to get some whopping coldsores. I looked like I had a cauliflower shoved under my top and bottom lips, and the PAIN!! It does make you feel completely crap, plus if it get knocked or brushed against the tiniest bit is agonising! Keep him off. Kids can be very cruel

I’d stop with the vaseline.

I am also prone to cold sores- vaseline is petroleum based and actually dries skin out over time. It’s awful on cold sores as while it seems to give immediate relief, after a while it feels much worse, so you put more on, vicious cycle.

Find a tub of non petroleum lip salve or moisturiser- lanolin, beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil. For me once they have split, are weeping or are newly scabbed it’s better to leave them alone to dry up naturally, before using lip balm.

I’d keep him off too. Help him learn at home this week.
I remember going to school when I had impetigo aged 7. I was so miserable and spent every lunchtime hiding in the toilet in tears.

I suffer badly with cold sores and have had the piss taken out of me and horrified looks as an adult so I can totally understand why you would want to keep your ds off. It's bad enough how painful they are never mind people being nasty

Try a dose of L-lysine every day. More when he feels a cold sore coming. You can buy from Amazon.

They're quite large tablets, though.

Don't send him to school, do some studying with him at home instead and get him checked with a proper doctor. There must be a reason for such frequent and large cold sores. He needs his immune system checked

Poor kid. I'd keep him off this time.
You need to stop the vaseline though as it really doesn't help. Try a cream like blisteeze (check it's ok for kids) as it's a cream for sore lips rather than a petroleum based one. I get awful cold sores and the only time I can't use vaseline is when I have them as it makes them more painful.

I second the L-lysine if he's allowed to take it. I've been using it for a few years now and it really works.

Hi @Yorkshiremummyof1 no advice on school but for cold sores L-Lysine is excellent. Once I even get a tingle I start taking it and sometimes it stops them or it makes them also quicker to heal. If he prone to outbreaks he should take it every day - I always take over the recommended dose when I have a breakout. Maybe just check with Dr it’s ok for a child to take but I don’t see why not as it’s a natural supplements. I rarely get cold sores now.

I was going to say dont use vaseline on them too. I think it makes them worse.
I generally feel ill with coldsores, in fact i often get a temperature and they are painful so i dont think its that unreasonable to keep him home.

I used to be on long term aciclovir when I was about the same age, maybe a few years older. I used to get them at least once a month and they'd last 10-14 days a time. I was put on 200mg daily (or twice a day, can't quite remember now) for about a year with a dose of 400mg if I got a flare up. Completely changed my life. I still get them now (at 30) but only 2, maybe 3 times a year max and nowhere near as full on as they used to be. Really push for this if it's still an option!

Poor kid. But no more vaseline! I just use zovirax.
I am a big one for 'send them to school', and covered in cold sores myself right now. I have to say though, wearing a mask with coldsores is a horrid experience.

Does he eat Nutella and chocolate? As a pp has said, lysine will help, and reducing foods high in arginine will also help (nuts and chocolate) as they work in balance together, so if arginine is high, lysine will be low. Google it.

Poor wee mite.

I’d keep him off

I wouldn’t send him like that

I don't think the suggestion of wearing a mask all fat is a good one. It would likely rub and make it more painful and potentially spread it further over the face. I do agree with ditching the Vaseline, I find it makes chapped lips more sore, and using the blistex in the little metal tube with the red lid. Warning, this will sting but it is amazing stuff. He really could have got it from anywhere so don't feel guilty, and with everything going on in the world a couple of days down time won't do any harm. I work in a school and tbh 80% of my class would benefit from a couple of extra days off and we are only 2 weeks in to a new term.

Another recommendation for the aciclovir tablets if they’re suitable for his age, also compeed cold sore patches. I’ve got one on now as I felt a tingle last night. Helps stop them developing if you get them on quick enough, (especially in conjunction with the tablets!) otherwise helps them heal quicker and keeps them covered so you can’t spread them. Sympathies with your DS, I used to get eczema on my face as a teen and was so self-conscious I barely ever came out from behind my hair.

Oh, and an ice cube in a sealed sandwich bag or similar will help if they’re throbbing for a bit of relief!

This was me as a teen it was awful.

Ask for home learning.

Also ask for Zovirax tablets. They changed my life

I’d keep him off too.

Have you tried Lysine?

I don’t know if children can take it, but it works for my husband who used to suffer with huge sores like you describe. He still gets them every now & again but you can barely see them now.

I’d keep him off.
For comfort in such a big outbreak compeed plasters are really great. They stop them drying out, getting itchy etc. Vaseline is not a good idea.
Can he start to learn the signs so that he can apply aciclovir cream before the cold sore even appears? This makes all the difference for me.

I have had a similar issue to your son since my teens (am early 30s now), flare ups all over the lower half of my face which if left to their own devices, can blister and crack and it is extremely painful to eat and drink, and painful in general. I also feel very lethargic during a flare up, I have a young child and work in a job that requires me to be available at various times in the day/night at the drop of a hat and I have never felt so tired doing any of that as when I have a massive cold sore flare up, it is a full on attack on the immune system, so for this reason I would agree that if he feels very unwell with it or is struggling to eat or drink then it is absolutely a valid reason to keep him off school until they improve. I can empathise with the worry of what other people will think or say, it's very easy for others to say he just needs to get on with it but in my experience it is very different in reality to have to face society with open weeping sores on your face! Can't offer any advice about the virus suppressants as I've only just found out about them myself so am yet to try them (can you believe no Dr has even mentioned them in all this time!) but I now know of a couple of people who use them pre-trigger situation and say they do help so definitely follow that avenue up with his GP as a potential solution for the future. If you haven't already worked out the trigger they can flare up for lots of different reasons (apologies if you're aware, one of your previous posts alludes to the fact you may suffer them too if you think he may have caught the virus from you originally, don't beat yourself up as a lot of people carry it and have no idea) so it is worthwhile finding out if he has a particular trigger. I get them very occasionally if I'm run down or got a cold, but my full on outbreaks occur in strong sunlight/hot weather. I hope your son is feeling better soon

Also, as well as aciclovir cream when the telltale tingle starts, try LipQ liquorice balm over the affected areas daily as a preventative measure, its a bit alternative but I have noticed a reduction in the number of flare ups I've had.

Also another voice to the lysine recommendations. It really does help.

I also got a manuka honey based gel from the doctor. It's a bit sticky but I find it really helps take the sting out of them and heals the cracks. That should be ok for a child.