Cold sores

[juneau]

I have a few questions about these, if anyone knows the answers. I've had two in the past month, having never had one before in my life (to my knowledge). My DH is a carrier of the herpes simplex virus and he gets an occasional one, but hasn't had one for at least a couple of years. So:

1. If my DH doesn't have a cold sore could he have still passed on the virus to me?
2. If the answer to question one is no, could this virus have lain dormant in my system for the last 10+ years (the last time I snogged anyone other than DH), and just appeared as a cold sore now?
3. Is there anything that triggers them? I've been a bit run down and stressed this past month - could that have caused them to erupt? I've been run down and stressed before and yet I never got one then.

Thanks!

I don't know answers to 1 or 2, but being run-down and exposure to sunlight and eating chocolate may be triggers.

More useful to you may be how to prevent them. If you get any kind of sensitivity in your lip and you think you're getting one, then take a couple of thousand milligrams of Lysine twice a day. Also a zinc supplement. Lysine is just a protein, it won't harm you. Go buy some from your health food store or pharmacy. Even if you have already broken out it will assist with recovery.

Penciclovir is also much better as a treatment than aciclovir for many people.

Hi, even if he hasnt seemed to have a cold sore, there is a chance he had the start of one that didn't actually flare up - and it 'shed' to you (invisibly).

Big thing - dont kiss the babies if you have cold sores as it is highly contagious -the virus can be transferred to eyes, mouths, nose, genitals etc.

Cold sores can easily be transferred to genital area, and genital herpes can easily appear on your face too if you happened to be 'down there' and he happened to have a lesion on his privates (unless you are a Doctor with a swab there isn't a difference to the naked eye).

Luckily the virus isn't that robust - it doesnt survive long outside the warmth of a human body - so normal washing your hands and not touching the cold sore when you have it will probably prevent you transmitting it elsewhere.

Stress, getting sunburnt (which is also a form of stress), and general immune problems are all likely to trigger an outbreak. There are good medicines that you can take if it becomes a recurring problem.

Thanks for your answers. But chocolate being a trigger? Noooooo!!!! I can't do without chocolate

I'll stop kissing the kids immediately and hope I haven't passed it on already. I never kiss them on the lips or eyes (and certainly not genitals!), so hopefully it will be okay.

Is the Penciclovir available only on prescription? I'm not finding the aciclovir very good, tbh. It helps with the soreness, but doesn't seem to be healing it any faster than doing nothing. I'll see if I can get some lysine. I take zinc in my daily vitamin already, I think. Might need to take some extra - I'll check.

Yes, you can by penciclovir over the counter - it's marketed as Fenistil in the UK and Boots will have it. Definitely try it I'm sure you will find it better than zovirax.

Honestly, the lysine is the best thing aside from penciclovir.

Agree re sunlight and being run down being triggers. Chocolate hasn't been for me though .

The other important thing is to treat the minute you first feel that suspicious tingling. Even waiting an hour or two can be the difference between it breaking out and it not breaking out - and keep treating. I always carry a tube of aclovir in my handbag in case.

Right - so it looks like I need to always be prepared and have a stock of these things at the ready! I'll hit Boots tomorrow. Thanks again.