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Post by dancingqueen on Aug 20, 2015 20:02:31 GMT
This is what I use, or something similar. Most people say to dry out the cold sores, but I honestly believe that makes them hurt more and scab over... When I use the patch, it doesn't scab - it just goes away after about 4 days.
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Post by maryland on Aug 20, 2015 20:23:47 GMT
If she's prone to them, start her on l-lysine supplements. It's an amino-acid and it has been shown to have an affect on preventing outbreaks. She'll need to take it everyday and you can just buy it OTC because it's not a medication, just get it from the healthfood store. It really doesn't do anything to help when you already have an outbreak, the main use is to prevent one.
link
Most people don't know that "cat flu" is actually a herpes virus so they even make l-lysine cat chews, my cat has been on 250mg daily for at least 5 years...so it's quite safe. We get the l-lysine at Target and the pills are pretty big (my opinion!). Ask the pharmacist if you can cut the pills in half and she can take it that way. Especially since she is so young. I guess make sure the dose is safe for her age. So sorry she is going through this!
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Aug 20, 2015 22:52:31 GMT
First, I religiously use sunblock on my lips... the slightest burn will allow the virus to activate. I have lip balm with so in every purse, pocket, bag! I also have found abbreva has prevented many of them if I begin using it as soon as i feel it coming on. I feel for her! I high school I played the clarinet and was pretty miserable with sores that took forever to heall!
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Post by PNWMom on Aug 21, 2015 1:01:17 GMT
I swear by Abreva. I apply it every few hours as soon as I feel a tingle of a cold sore coming on. If I catch it early enough, I never actually get the cold sore. If I do end up getting an actual cold sore, I keep applying the Abreva multiple times a day and it really speeds up the process. Basically, you get some swelling, then the clear fluid-filled pustules. Those eventually break and you get a clearish/yellowish scabby area. That eventually stops weeping and becomes just like a cut, which heals up and all is well.
These are definitely triggered by trauma to the lips. Either by biting your lips (my biggest issue), having severely dry lips, or getting them sunburned. The key is to prevent the trauma in the first place.
Herpes is not curable, and is very contagious. It can be dangerous for certain populations (newborn babies, immunocompromised peolple, etc). It is important to be very careful about handwashing and not touching the sore. Also about being aware of what your lip touches--don't share cups, etc.
I personally got this virus in high school. People were fond of having/using Carmex--the little jars of lip balm where you use your finger to apply the product. One of the popular but very nice girls shared her Carmex with lots of people. Nice girl who had cold sores. Then lots of us had cold sores every so often. Boo.
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Post by maryland on Aug 21, 2015 3:37:18 GMT
I used the valacyclovir prescrip. 4 pills right away, then 4 more 12 hrs later. I don't blister at all, and it dries up. I definetly have triggers. One of them is sun, which sucks. I suspect that is one of your dd's. Another is stress, and my period. Overexposure to sun is one of my triggers as well so I have no doubt that it's one of hers too. She lives outside when it's nice out...she plays soccer and swims. Hopefully if I can get her started on the Lysine it'll help with the flares. Have her use chapstick with spf too. I got sunburned on my lips a year ago at a July 4th parade, and got a fever blister a few days later. I was so mad, I used sunscreen all over my face, and forgot my lips.
This probably isn't a good idea, but I use the water babies pink face stick on my lips. I used to use the chapstick with sunscreen but I couldn't stand the way it tasted. The face stick works great for me. And I put the sun bum spf 30 flavored chapstick on top for extra protection. I used both every 30-60 min. at the beach and wore a hat with wide visor and sat under an umbrella!
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Post by maryland on Aug 21, 2015 3:39:43 GMT
So I bought something called Releev - GUARANTEED to help heal. The abreva did nothing but so far this Releev has definitely helped. With one treatment, her top lip went back to normal size and her bottom lip went down drastically. She's going to keep using this to see how it works. I'll keep all of you sufferers updated with how it works long term. It was expensive though. $20 for a small little bottle. Where did you find it? Sounds worth trying, and to at least have on hand!
If you have the prescription, maybe keep one dose with you all the time. That way she can take it as soon as she feels she is getting another one. Make sure to remind her never to touch it and to wash her hands often. And never to touch her eyes. So hard for a young child!
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Post by maryland on Aug 21, 2015 3:42:37 GMT
use the blistex in the pot and apply with a clean finger. annabella is correct about reinfecting herself i take 2 pills when i tingle..then two 12 hours later.... and please, keep reminding her to wash her hands - so she doesn't infect her eyes or gential region gina To be extra cautious, maybe she should use a q-tip to apply. I may be extra paranoid though!
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,402
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Aug 21, 2015 4:02:13 GMT
I get them from the sun too. I use blistex in the white little squeezy tube. I also made my own "stick" with coconut oil, beeswax, and peppermint EO. It's AMAZING on cold sores! When I feel one coming on, I start slathering it on. They don't ever materialize. As for, reinfecting...... You already have the virus in your body. You cannot reinfect your body with it.
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Post by scrappyoutlaw on Aug 21, 2015 4:24:52 GMT
A lot of great suggestions here, I just wanted to add that if since you got the swelling down and it's scabbed over (or soon will be) you might want to grab some abreva patches for when she starts school. They are clear, non-medicated patches that you can put a bit of make-up over so it will be concealed. Just remember not to apply anything topical before putting the patch on, or it won't stick.
As a grown adult I am super embarrassed when I have to go out in public with a cold sore, I can't imagine having to face my first day of school with one. Poor girl, give her lots of hugs from all of us!
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Post by PEArfect on Aug 21, 2015 5:09:42 GMT
My youngest daughter started getting cold sores a few years ago. I wanted something natural for her so I tried pure aloe gel. It worked quick and dried them up. Now when she feels a tingle we rub aloe gel on that area right away before a sore forms.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 28, 2024 5:35:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2015 5:27:51 GMT
Lysine definitely helps. As for a topical, I use Campo Phenique. When I apply it, I always use a toothpick. I tried using a q-tip but the ointment gets absorbed by the cotton. This And call a relative tell them you have one. I had a boss that did this. Well the whole family did it. The person that was told always got the sore.
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Post by Miss Ang on Aug 21, 2015 12:04:52 GMT
Poor girl. My son used to get them often and we were given several sample packs from the doctor that worked wonders. We are out right now but if he ever gets another I'm going to look this product up as it dried his out pretty quickly. It was called Zilactin and it was rusty-brown colored ointment that stunk something awful and you can also see it on the mouth. We only applied it when he was out and then generously over the area at night. Within a few days of this routine it dried out every time. Good luck!
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Post by pjaye on Aug 21, 2015 12:28:23 GMT
True - but I don't think that's what they meant, I think be 'reinfect' they mean spreading it to a different area.
Once you have the virus, you have it - it's permanent and it never goes away, that part is correct.
However the virus infects and lives along one nerve and during an outbreak, it travels back down the nerve and causes the sore...that's why most people get a cold sore in the same spot each time. However if you are unlucky you can have multiple nerves affected, and those are the people who get several cold sores all at once or get cold sores in different areas.
However it is possible to "reinfect" yourself to a different area from an existing sore. For example if a person always gets a cold sore on their top lip on the right side, and they currently have an active cold sore and they rub a chapstick or a finger over the active/oozing sore and along the rest of their lips and there is a small break in the skin on their bottom lip...then that can spread the virus to that new area - and from then on they can get cold sores also on their bottom lip as well as the existing spot on their top lip. So yes, you still have the virus from the original infection, but you can 'spread' it to another area of your body and create another spot/s where sores can now break out.
Mostly the virus infects areas where there are mucous membranes and especially if there is already a break in the skin. So if a person isn't careful with hand washing etc, they could spread fluid from their existing sore and create new sores in the eye, in their nose (if they pick their nose after touching the sore) or even on to on their own genitals (there are two HSV viruses one mainly causes lip sores and the other mainly genital herpes...but the viruses aren't too fussy about where they grow and will happily create sores in the other 'territory' as well). So as other posters have already mentioned she does need to be aware the importance of good hygiene when she has an outbreak and that she can spread the virus and create sores in other areas if she isn't careful (and those other areas then become permanent sites for future outbreaks, it's not just a 'one off')
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Post by maryland on Aug 21, 2015 15:43:59 GMT
Lysine definitely helps. As for a topical, I use Campo Phenique. When I apply it, I always use a toothpick. I tried using a q-tip but the ointment gets absorbed by the cotton. This And call a relative tell them you have one. I had a boss that did this. Well the whole family did it. The person that was told always got the sore. I am confused about the calling a relative. Am I missing something?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 28, 2024 5:35:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2015 15:54:31 GMT
This And call a relative tell them you have one. I had a boss that did this. Well the whole family did it. The person that was told always got the sore. I am confused about the calling a relative. Am I missing something? Really I am not sure why this call thing worked either? One would start a cold sore then call a relative and say. " I am giving you my cold sore" and hang up quickly. The first person would never get the cold sore and the second one would start calling other relatives. Then they all would avoid answering the phine for a few days. Yes they were a bizarre family. B
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Post by bingcherry on Aug 22, 2015 2:24:22 GMT
It looks like you've gotten some good advice but I'll throw in my recommendation. My daughter has suffered with cold sores since the age of 4.. He pediatrician gave me a recurring prescription for Denavir which is an antiviral cream and works wonders for her. I always keep a tube in the house and start using it as soon as I see the redness coming on.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,402
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Aug 22, 2015 3:10:07 GMT
Funny/sad cold sore story..... I am a teacher at a k-8 school. One year, many many many years ago, we had a little 4th grade girl. Found out she was kissing boys. Busted her for it. She had cold sores. Soon the whole 4th grade class of boys were getting cold sores. Lol. "Herpes Mary"! (no, her name is not Mary.). I teach my junior high kids about the herps. I tell them that it's the gift that keeps on giving long after your forgotten the person who gave it to you,
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