Is it true that having cold sores means you’ve got herpes in your mouth?
--asks Anonymous from Horseshoe Beach, Florida.
Julie Leibach • September 18, 2006
![So much for lipstick! [CREDIT: CDC]](https://scienceline.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/cold-sore-crop.JPG)
So much for lipstick! [CREDIT: CDC]
Well, yes, that is true. But it’s not necessarily the same herpes that causes problems in one’s nether regions.
Cold sores, or fever blisters, are fluid-filled blisters that appear on or around the lips and sometimes on the nostrils or chin. They’re different from canker sores, which are ulcers that occur in the soft tissue inside the mouth.
The culprit responsible for cold sores is the herpes simplex virus, which comes in two flavors. Garden variety cold sores are usually caused by type 1, while type 2 is commonly the villain behind genital sores. But either strain can lead to sores on the face or on the genitals. Over 85 percent of adults are infected with herpes simplex type 1, although they may not show any symptoms at first exposure.
The herpes simplex virus that causes herpes labialis (that’s the medical name for cold sores) is a sneaky sucker. It infects by entering through skin or mucous-coated surfaces and sets up house in your nerve cells. It’s a latent virus, meaning once it’s infected you, it remains dormant between outbreaks.
The life of a cold sore involves several stages. Warning signs that one is about to raise its blistery head include itching, tingling, and burning. Then the blister appears, starting small and often growing to a bulbous mass. After a few days, the mass breaks and may ooze—this is called the “weeping” stage—after which it scabs over a few times and eventually flakes off to reveal pinkish, healing skin. Generally, cold sores don’t leave scars. On average, lesions last 7-10 days if left untreated.
The bad news is that once you’ve got the cold sore virus, you’re stuck with it. But there are ways to keep it in hibernation longer, and you can also take steps to reduce the amount of time cold sores taint your kisser.
First of all, herpes labialis is most contagious when cold sores are in their weeping stage, so don’t go around sharing utensils, cups, or kisses with someone who has a cold sore. Second, fever, menstruation, stress, and even sun exposure can cause outbreaks, so leading a healthy lifestyle—which includes getting enough sleep and wearing sunscreen—can help.
There are over-the-counter and prescription topical creams and oral medications available that can help reduce the lifespan of a cold sore. Acyclovir is one prescription oral drug that is sometimes used. It works by interfering with viral replication, which happens before a cold sore appears. But viral replication generally occurs before a person shows symptoms, so it’s difficult to judge when acyclovir should be taken. If a cold sore is already present, it may be too late for acyclovir to help, and you’ll just have to ride it out.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 less commonly causes other problems besides cold sores. While it can lead to sores anywhere on the skin, as well as on the eye, in rare cases it can also cause neurological disorders, including encephalitis and Bell’s palsy, a type of facial paralysis. Given these alternatives, a little cold sore doesn’t seem too bad, does it?
——
Got a question for us? ASK!
Filed To
Share
About the Author
Julie Leibach
BAs in biology/Spanish, from Washington University in St. Louis. Florida-born (ACR, 20+ years!). Love: Hawaii, chocolate, sleep. And also science.
231 Comments
I have just began using finger nail polish and I swear the stuff works. The sores last a day.
I just got back from Hawaii and forgot to use SPF on my lips. Of course, here come the cold sores. Luckily, I already had a prescription of Denavir and some Abreva. I’ve been trying them together although I haven’t found any studies that show using them at the same time helps, the pain has subsided after only one day of use and they aren’t getting as puffy as usual. I also like the Camphor lip balm. In any case, I would suggest using SPF on your lips any time you go out into the sun. Wish I had remembered!!
l got my first cold sore at 16,since then can get them as often as one a month. A few years ago started to get them in my eye about every 3 or 4 months. i wear contact lenses so it made it worse. They come on really quickly in the eye starts a feeling like a bit of dust in your eye, within 4 hours eye all red can’t open it and pain like having a knife in one eye and out the back of your head! I have to stay in a dark room, lots of pain killers put zovirax eye cream in eye, and this lasts three full days! Last year i nearly lost my eye with this problem..my sight has been damaged due to scarring on my corena, was told i needed a transplant.. not worth the risk of that thou, if i had another cold sore attack would ruin transplant taking. valtrex is the only thing that seems to work but as a single mother of two i cant afford it, and the Dr cant give this this script to me on the PBS as i don’t have fu##ing genital herpies!!!
HERPES IS NOT “GENETIC.” it does not “so happen to be passed down from one generation to the next.” your grandparents and your parents have it, so it’s obvious that you will too, right? WRONG. It is a VIRUS that you CONTRACT from another person. usually, if your mother has it, and kisses you when you’re a baby, that’s how you get it early. or you can get it from sharing food with someone in grade school, or from kissing someone later in life.
the point being, it may be in your genetics to have a higher chance of contracting herpes once you’re exposed to it, but it is definitely something that, if never come in contact with, you will never get.
ALSO, there are different kinds of herpes I. this means that if you have a cold sore, and someone else gets cold sores too, it is still NOT OKAY to share food or kiss. they may have a different type than you, and it would suck to carry around different kinds of viruses that tend to blister at different times. and you wouldn’t want to be a virus warehouse, would you?
so BE CAREFUL. but life is short, and you’ve got to live a little. people carrying it might not even know they have it. so kiss whomever you want while being as careful as you can, and dont worry TOO much about having blisters — 1 in 5 americans get them!!
I have the WORST outbreak right now. I’m only 18 but I have been getting them since I was about 6 or 7. But anyway. I got a really bad sunburn (because I didn’t wear sunscreen) I know shame on me. But I broke out all over my lips, my nose, chin, and about the size of a half dollar on my cheek. My Spring Break is SUCKING right now. But my 3 bestfriends came over today and we hung out and watched movies but yea. lol. If u go to the doctor you can get over the conter medicine called: Zovirax…This is the best I have used I have had the fever blisters for only 2 days and it is already healing it.
People, you should try some Calendula’s tincture, it works quite nicely. It doesn’t prevent the cold sores, but it does help to remove them quickly, in only a matter of a day or two.
See on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula_officinalis
i mostly used to get cold sores when i was in my teens , im 32 now and recently on 2 occasions ive noticed a pattern where i was kinda stressed during one weekend and around thursday-friday following that stressful weekend i had developed a cold sore.. i used Zorvirax and this new stuff the Pharmacy girl said is better called Vectavir which helps to heal the sore quicker, which it did, i only had the sore for about 4 days max… but my issue with all of this is when i get these sores which is very rare, the sneaky little virus does its tingling and dancing while im sleeping thus not even giving me a chance to haul out the cream and stop the bugger… so this morning when i woke up the right hand side of my upper lip felt warm and i said “oh crap!” (the mirror copped a few more choice words) and i applied the cream but the virus still went to town on my lip during the day anyway.. i think most of the creams out there are good at healing the “wound” but not stopping the virus from replicating and getting vicious!! ..when i was younger someone told me to hold an ice cube on the warm/tingly area before the outbreak until you cant take it anymore or you run out of ice cubes to stop the virus from replicating and setting up shop. I havnt tried it in recent years but will try if it happens again. …on a positive side.. maybe in one respect (not all cases) the virus is a mechanism for our body to use as a tool tell us we are leading stressful lives ???
i just got cold sore’s in and around my right nostril i’m 26 first time i ever got them even tho my parents had them very mildly threw my lifetime[i never notice it but they said they had it befor i was born].
earlier this year in febuary, i got real sick havn’t been sick like this since i was 12 for almost a month straight i couldn’t get out of my bed, i got no type of sores what so ever the time
i was sick but afterwards i been feeling fatigue with headache and slight naussea all the way to now and still feeling it
then like 5 days ago i saw a friend shook hes hand then not thinking picked my nose right nostril area, it was like 2:00 p.m. 6 hours later my nose started to itch didn’t look at it that night but the next morning i saw blisters
i was wondering if the virus can infect and spread that fast or if i could of always had it and it just appeared from bad luck???
im praying to god its not cold sores from herpes but hoping its a staff infection like impetigo or something like that i feel like i have leprosy all because it’s uncurable i feel so desressed about it i don’t know what to do also feel guilty thinking like this
truth is im very scared about it because i live basically a unhealthy lifestyle but i eat good, im an insomniac and work all day in the sun doing construction[plus sometimes get really dirty working] normally very stressed from every day life also get nervous twitches and itch [reason why i scratch/pick my nose that day]
i don’t think i can handle break outs few times a year without mentally breaking down myself i’m just so scared and everyone that i told about it tell me nothing is wrong but i just can’t let it go i protect myself from stuff like this my whole life and thinking a lil slip up by scratching my nose can bring a viruse that will never leave me is making me sick as i type
sorry i’m letting my feeling out like this i just cant help from feeling so lost and empty now
That is a pretty gross photo but great explanation and makes sense! Thanks for the info.
ive been getting cold sores ever since i was about 8 years old, i agree… they SUCK majorly!! I get them when i’m stressed out, before or after i’ve been sick, or from the sun. everyday i use HERPECIN L. its a lip protectant/sunscreen. i use it as chapstick and its constantly on my lips when i’m in the sun. its AWESOME. i havent had an outbreak in about a year or so. when i would get one tho, i used CAMPHO-PHENIQUE. its a gel that relieves pain and speeds up the healing process.
hopes this helps someone….
Three CONSECUTIVE (literally, one day of completely clear lips between them) cold sores, 1) upper left, 2) right side, 3) right in the middle of the bottom lip. Over a month and a half of continuous cold sores–some days I don’t go to class because its just that bad. Count it.
I want to rip my lips off–im a handsome dude, but this shit just sucks balls.
Painful, ugly, repulsive. Spent a nice Saturday afternoon at the beach, SPF-ed everything except my lips and oh boy did I pay the price. A cluster of 4/5 in the middle of my bottom lip. I am using Champo-Phenique right now but I am buying Desitin as soon as I’m out of work so I can go home to curl up in a ball and cry.
Heyya (:
i frikkn get these things too.
there ruining my life.
when i get one i refuse to leave the house
no school, no partys, no sport.
its the worst thing in the world.
&& i have tried everything imaginable to stop them && to heal them but nothing seems to work.
ARRRRRGGGH
This sucks arseee
!!
x x
I had cold sores since I was a child. Possibly from sharing a utensil cup by someone who was going through an active episode.
Try Lysine treatments and/or BHT. Now my episodes are very few and far between and no where near the severity they once were.
I have never had a cold sore in my life. I think the herpes numbers are blown outta proportion.
Who knows though.
I kissed a guy two days ago, just a couple of light kisses. Then a couple hours later he sends me a text message saying he felt guilty for not telling me that he has herp1. (wether i get it or not, im never kissing him again, he should have told me.) but im not running a fever, im a little tired but thats from lack of sleep. But what worries me is that every now and then my lip kind of tingles, but i know im a slight hypocondrac. So im not 100% sure if im immaging it or not. i also have a slightly raw spot on the top of my mouth, but i get that whenever i eat chips or something hard, and i did yesterday. So it might be because of that. Either way im worried…What do you guys think?
Everyone needs to understand that having herpes simplex 1 is normal. Nothing wrong with having it. Its just like having a cold. It is very contagious when there is a cold sore or if its developing. If somebody has herpes simplex 1 but doesn’t have a cold sore, you will not get it. Also you may think you don’t have it because you have never had a cold sore, it is likely that you do have it but it is dormant. The last time I had a cold sore was when I was 9 and I am currently 14 and i have not had a cold sore in 5 years.
Hey everyone!
I know exactly how you all feel! I am 24 years old and had never had a cold sore in my life! I was very foolish and went to a party with a lot of alcohol and kissed a boy who apparently had an old healing wound on his lip. He tells me he told me before we kissed. I don’t remember this. But even if I had been sober I really didn’t understand fully what cold sores were. I know again foolish. But I guess I had never really worried about it. Sure you hear about it in class from others picking on someone about have herps…but I never thought it was the real deal. It is isn’t it?!! I was extremely depressed and mad at myself for allowing something like that to happen. I even took it as far as thinking I was being punished for my actions. Which really I know is not true. But I did deserve punishment. Boy did I get it!! I will NEVER NEVER EVER kiss someone I don’t know well, eat after someone, etc for the rest of my life. Even though I have it now and apparently will carry it forever :( who knows what else you can get by simply drinking a sip out of someones cup! I am sorry that all of you are experiencing this too. If it makes you feel better (which is doubtful, I know) you are not alone. 85% of adults have this virus!!! Wow. I didn’t know diddly about this until I got it. How sad eh? Education is important about STD’s etc. I will remember this. Now I have a partner that I will spend the rest of my life with and I will never be that ‘party girl’ again. Not that I was “slutty” to begin with…just had a good time without fully thinking things through. Its so scary the word forever. But what can ya do huh? So don’t beat yourself up about it friends, it doesn’t make you a bad person, or a “trashy” person, or ugly…or anything else you can think of to put yourself down when you start feeling bad about it!! I am a beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted, and easy-going woman (no not self-absorbed LoL just confident) and so are you! Man or woman whatever. You just have to get through the outbreaks with your head high!! If hibernating feels better for you (me too, lol) than so be it!! But don’t beat yourself up too much, remember stress is a trigger!! ..who doesn’t stress though huh? Also wear chapstick with a high SPF always. Carry it in your purse, pocket, booksac, car, etc. And if someone gives you crap about it–ignore them. Tell em it must be nice to be so flippin perfect!!! (cause no one is nor ever will be) Now that we have it–educate others..your children, friends, co-workers so that you can do your part. Cause I was the girl who had no clue!! And always protect yourself when having sex or kissing someone (exchanging any fluids really lol) because if we have this on our lips occasionally and are upset just imagine how much worse it could be!! By the way, I am so happy to have come across this site, to see that others can discuss and provide info for those in need is a beautiful thing. All the while no one is being mean or rude…wonderful!! I don’t feel so alone now…even though they say 85% – which is a a lot, when you break out you feel completely alone!! I know. Anyways I know this is waaaaay tooooooo long but I just wanted to share. Sharing is caring–(kinda ironic huh?) :D
Well God Bless and Goodnight.
REMEMBER: You are alllll beautiful & be careful out there…………..
Peace Out!
P.S. Sorry for the minor typos…
OCD (obsessive complusive disorder) made me put this ‘p.s’!!!!! LoL
Great example of the stress that triggers these boogers!! :) Ok-I’m gone now. Goodnight.
I have my 2nd cold sore in 6 weeks – stress and right before my period are 2 consistent occurrences. I usually only get one every 6-8 months but lately it’s been worse since my classes & 2 jobs stress me out & I’ve spent a lot of time outside (NASCAR & 2 NFL games) lately without sunscreen. Been getting them since I was 21 – my friend D gave me a kiss when he was on the tail end of a “healing” cold sore and assured me he was not contagious. Ha. That was 15 years ago.
I use Rx Zovirax cream 4-5x a day for a week and Rx Valtrex 2x a day for 10 days. Those are the only remedies that seem to help. Goldenseal & lysine do help as maintenance supplements, but my sores get so vicious, that it does not matter. My upper lip gets bigger than a gumball – looks like someone punched me – and the pain just throbs and radiates across my face. I take 600 mg ibuprofen every 3-4 hours just to cope. The nasty part is when the sore looks like cauliflower then pops & oozes, I have to butter my lip 4x a day with extra Zovirax, covering it with a band-aid and clean it twice a day in the shower. Very annoying.
yay, i dont have it! i guess that makes me special in the 15% range.
Even if you don’t ever have a cold sore, you could still have the virus in its latent stage. No, that doesn’t make you just “a carrier”, this isn’t a genetic disease. You have HSV-1, it just is never active, which is something that could possibly change within your lifetime.
Most people get the virus before the age of ten. How many times do you share drinks, eating utensils, chapstick, or lip gloss at that age? A ton, because that “ew germs” thing hasn’t quite been ingrained yet.
My girlfriend of a year just broke up with me because she is terrified of getting cold sores. we were great together, she just couldn’t stop worrying. life sucks.
have had cold sores since i was about 6 months old honestly i thought it was possible to get them but not have the virus.
Yes, it means having herpes on your mouth.
HVP1, not 2, which means 2 is genital.
you can spread it to genital if you don’t wash your hands while you have a outbreak on your lip.
I have had “fever blisters”, “cold sores” since i was just a child, starting at age 4, 5.
They are terrible, however i must say i used to have them BAD i would sometimes get 4 on my lips at one time will being sick, and i couldn’t even eat because they would crack and bleed.
Throughout the years i can honestly say they have gotten ALOT better, in highschool i would get 2-3 a year, first year of college i would get one, and now its been a year and haven’t had one, just recently i got one and its almost halloweeen :(, but a year with out a cold sore was like a miracle!
their horrible, hurt and itch like crazy.
the only thing i’ve ever really used is carmex, it helps, but not really.
mine would usually last 7-14 days, terrible terrible.
i started taking L-LYSINE 1000 MG, popping them like candies (you can’t over dose)
but mostly meds and pills only really help if you FIRST feel the tingle.
i am now going to start taking Valtrex after this cold sore is gone & see if it helps any and going to use L-LYSINE in my everyday life, to help prevent.
i have had a boyfriend for 4 years and he doesn’t understand why i get them!
he’s just lucky he doesn’t have to deal with them, i REFUSE to kiss him or touch my lip anywhere on him, because being cursed with this sucks, i believe everyone has it in their body, and something is just bound to trigger it, whether it be someone, or its just their time.
goodluck every one who gets them.
why are WE the ones cursed and others aren’t.
it SUCKS.
sorry every one i meant HSV 1 ***
WELL.. I HAVE HAD COLD SORES SINCE I WAS ABOUT 14 YEARS OLD.. I HATE THEM WITH A PASSION.. I COULDNT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW AWFUL THEY MAKE ME FEEL. I AM 25 YEARS OLD NOW AND STILL GET THEM EVERY ONCE IN A BLUE MOON.. MAYBE ONCE A YEAR OR ONCE EVERY COUPLE YEARS.. LAST YEAR I GOT A GIGANTIC ONE FROM BEING IN THE SUN TOO LONG WHICH PROVOKED THE OUTBREAK.. AND NOW I HAVE BEEN UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AND ONE CAME OUT ON FRIDAY HALLOWEEN HOW LOVELY. RIGHT NOW IM IN THE SCABBING STAGE AND FEEL AWFUL. I HATE THE STARES PEOPLE GIVE YOU LIKE IF YOU ARE ONE DIRTY HUMAN BEING.. ANYONE KNOW WHATS A GOOD WAY TO GET THIS SCAB TO FALL ASAP?? I HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW AND CANT BARE THE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE LOOKING AT ME. DEPENDING ON HOW IT LOOKS WILL DETERMINE IF I GO IN OR NOT!! WHY CANT THEY FIND A CURE FOR THIS!?!?!?
Herpes (HSV 1) is a virus, typically the hardest of all to “cure”. The virus, once it ‘activates’, if you will, it creates a sore. The problem though is that it retreats back into the nervous system where it goes dormant – essentially asleep. When the virus is dormant it is next to impossible to get at. However, there has been some research done and they think that they could activate the virus (give you a cold sore), one could do this on march break, for example or when one wouldn’t have plans. So, you would have to hibernate for a weak, lol, and the virus would come up. Then, you would take medicine to stop the virus from going back into the nervous system. There is hope yet.
Here is the article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25511729/
Good luck.
Arggh cold sores have become such a 4 letter word in my life. I have been getting them since I was a young girl. My mom and brother also get them and the outbreaks range from mild to pretty severe. A few years ago I got 3 bad outbreaks in 3 months with two of the OBs being multiple lesions on my lips and nose. After that I did a ton of research and started religiously taking a lysine supplement a multivitamin and a vitamin B and C stress tab as well as modifying my diet in such a way as to restrict foods high in arginine (coffee, chocolate, nuts) and eating more foods naturally high in lysine (mango, milk, cheese, eggs). This resulted in my being OB free for a while. In the past year my cold sores came back about once every 2-3 months, but they were much less severe and smaller than before, also at this time I was going through a lot of emotional stress. I havent had one in the last 6 months. However my husband starting getting them with alarming frequency. His are almost always in the same spot on his upper lip and his cold sore is very small and hardly noticeable, in fact to most people its probably not notceable. At the same time its puzzling that they keep coming back. He uses abreva and that works, but then 2-3 weeks later the culprit is back. I now have him taking supplements and I guess I should be on top of him to change his toothbrush etc.,
Do you hve to throw out any lipglosses you use when you have cold sore, becuse I just bought a relly expensive one nd I didn’t know I hd a cold sore since it is my first one.
YES! Absolutely throw out your toothbrush & lipsticks, and any other makeup that has touched the skin in or near your cold sores! Many have been infected–myself included–through infected makeup. (My makeup consultant sharpened & reused *gag!!* lip liner sample pencils–infecting me! I would NEVER have used them had I known that!) My doctor has confirmed that the herpes virus does indeed live in moist makeup. While yours can’t “reinfect” you if you’re already infected, they can certainly cause a new flare-up (outbreak). I actually bleach my toothbrush daily during an outbreak (rinse next time before using), then throw it out when the OB is over.
uuuuuugh.
i have one right now and it pretty much SUCKS.
whenever i go to school they’re like ew
you have herpes!
and i’m like…um no i don’t its a cold sore.
and they’re like oh
and i’m like yeeeeeah.
haha
but anywyas i use abreva to make it go away fasterrr.
I get c.s’s too.
I hate it becuase I am ashamed and people think you ae a walking VD. I have been commented on as being gross so yes I hybernate, I even have almost lost my job before because of it. the doctor says I dont have the genital symplex 2 but I am still not happy with why I have this. I can say this, when I get a fever and not fell well or bite my lip perfusely is when I have the c.s. I do the same things you all do to get it gone quick but I am in need of support because it truely affects me. I hate it and want to cut my lips off.
I just can’t believe that we all have herpes simplex one…which we nick named the cold sore…if you have a cold sore be careful not to preform oral sex for it will lead to herpes simplex two…Genital herpes. This virus is indeedly elegant for when you are clear from the visable symptoms there still may be shedding which results to spreading. I feel like killing my ignorant parents for spreading this virus to me…when I was 7 my mother was sick and shared drinks with me…I wondered what was on her lips and now I have to deal with whats on mine. I hate germs. I get out breaks once or twice a year while my boyfriend gets none…asshole. I am a very attractive woman and fortunately many boys would try to kiss me knowing I have the virus plus herpes simplex one is common in 80 percent of our population… I am so upset because they said a vaccine will be created within 3 to 5 years but will only be effective to those un infected…fucken bummer!!! I hate being 19 youthful and infected although its only a week out of my life in a year. My boyfriend was back home two weeks during the summer when he lives out of state and because of cold sores i did not kiss him although he tries to kiss me….well i guess we broke the rules by kissing a little towards the end of the breakout…I hate this…god is evil for letting us have this….I am going on with this too long…sea lions main cause of decrease in their population was due to herpes…what a bitch…hopefully one day this nightmare will end. We’ll make it through you guys.
Well my boyfriend came over a couple of weeks ago and when i tried 2 kiss him he was acting really weird as if he didnt wanna kiss me!!! N i was thinkin dat it was sum wit me but he told me he had a cold sore…we had sex that night but but we didnt kiss he told me it usually goes away in about a day or soooo but its been a week n he still has it n today i drunk after him n now im gettin paranoid i jux hate dis cold sore shit it is messing up my sex life!!!!
i cant believe that i found this website i thought that i was the only one in the WORLD who has this. ok hers my story: i have had cold sores since i was 6. and god i hate them so much!!!! i am now 15 and when i usually get them (which differs greatly. some times i get them every few years and them sometimes i get them 3 times every 2 months.) i put vinegar on it. it burns like hell and it smells but it really works. it usually scabs in about 3-4 days. but this time is different. i got this one about a week ago. my usual methods of getting rid of them is not working. (my methods are to use vinegar and pick the scab. i know i shouldnt pick the scab. but it helps.) now it has scabbed twice and it seems thst when it scabs if it comes in contact with moisture it unscabs itself if that makes sense. and it is finally looking that its going away. but when i pick at it, it looks like it might scar. so my questions are: is there any way that i can stop it from scarring??? and is there something that can get rid of it in a few days or if possible overnight??? actually any advice on them can help.
I’m glad I found you guys. I’m 24 yours old, and I’ve been getting these things since I was 4 yrs old. I typically get them on average 1-2 times a year, and the longest that I have gone without a cold sore is 2 yrs. About a year ago I started getting them very often (1 every other month), so I decided to talk to my doctor about it. I used over the counter drugs like Abreva, which doesn’t do anything for me and Carmex, which seems to work better. My doctor presribed Acyclovir for me, and I take it when I get an outbreak. This antiviral drug works by inhibiting the virus from replicating, and works best when taken at the first signs of an itch. Yesterday I noticed that I had an itch (after flu-like symptoms over the past couple of days) and started taking the drug imediately. This go-round of cold sores seem to be more severe than usual, but the medicine is bringing the virus to a haul. I don’t mean to type too much, but my point is that if you suffer from cold sores, go see your doctor and ask about treatment. My doctor is a firm believer in taking antiviral meds for cold sores, and no one should have to suffer. Hopefully, they will make a vaccine soon…. I don’t know or think it will cure the people that already have the virus, but I hope that it will greatly reduce the frequency of outbreaks.
I have a c.s now and i only got it like half way through last night at a party, it’s on the top right side of my lip. I didn’t kiss anyone who’d had one and i’ve just finished my period. I’ve only had c.s’s a couple of times. I kissed my bf a couple of times last night aswell, but i dont think it touched his lip. Does that mean that he will get one too? Hes never had one before..And he said his parents never had either. Pleaseee helpp!?!?
had a bad c. s. o on lower lip,took me a day and a half to built the courage to see a dr. he gave me acyclovir cream and pills, sucks though 15 grams of da ointment will run u 200 dollars! anynway after a straight week of calling in sick to work, it finally getting over them just have one huge scab that wont stop bleeding now i have to show up to work with it and face the music, god bless everyone whose life is affected by this virus, keep your head up and remember there will be betters times soon
i start having cold sores a year ago. i bit the skin off my lip and then went roller scating in a cold wind/weather…so 2 days after i woke up from eatcing my lips really bad…on the morning all my litps were covered with bubbles…that night while i was asleep i eatched my lips and transfered it to both of my eyes…now i have a outburst around 4 times a year. the come all over my lips and around my eyes…the itch really really bad…i use abreva on my lips and around my eyes…on the eyes it goes faster away and doesnt have bubbles around the eyes if i put cream right when a little red around my eyes apears. for example yesterday morning i for sake pput some abreva on my lips, that night i got in fight with my bf. we went to the movie and i cried for an hour then an hour later my eye got puffy and little red…this morning i had red around both of my eyes but not lips…left eye got really puffy and now eatching…so i got cold sore bc i was stressed and bc i used cream on my lips it didnt burst there. idk what to do im tireed of having 4 to 5 outbreaks a year. they itch like crazy
You guys are lucky! I started getting them this June, and have since gotten 1 or 2 a month! I can’t handle it!!!
you guys i had oral with my boyfriend and i developed cold sres on my top lip. but my boyfriend hasnt been sexually active 2 other poeple, i kno because believe me he’s a virgin. so anyway, can you explain to me why i still had cold sores?
I’m dealing with a particularly nasty outbreak right now, the worst one I’ve ever had. Two of them at a time! That’s never happened to me before, it’s always been just one. I tend to get 2 or 3 outbreaks a year, and I’ve gotten them since childhood. I fricken hate them, they’re so disgusting!
2 days before Christmas too, no mistletoe for me :(
…and NO PICTURES ALLOWED!!!!!
I HAVE COLD SORES ON MY PENIS!!!!! OH NOES SOMEONE HAALLLPPP!!!!!
I am confused. Cold sores seems to run in my family. My mother had them, my sisters too, But my dad never caught one and Every single person I was with never caught the infection. What does it mean????? I have been tested and I AM CLEAN!!!
Hey all, this is a great website, makes me feel less alone and gives me some support through my outbreaks. Ive been getting these bastards since I was about 13 years old, they just happened one day and now i get them every few months. I have a few all over my top lip in the scabbing stages and was supposed to go to a party this weekend but i guess that wont be happening.
I recently started taking Lysine after i got one right after new years and thought it would help but then on monday my lips got really really dry and i didnt put and balm on them and realized i would be getting them. I find the lysine does help speed up the healing process. I take 2x 1500 mg daily while ive had it and 1000 mg daily for prevention. Maybe i need to take more on a daily basis.
Rubbing alcohol helps dry it up and also keep it clean. I use zilactin after the rubbing alcohol which forms a coating over the sore and also helps reduce the appearance of it. When it bubbles i use a safety pin and poke the heads of the bubbles to drain them. Then jus continue with the rubbing alcohol, zilactin, lysine and vitamin c. When it scabs be careful not to let the scab wash off because then it WILL scar! Apply polysporin to the scabs to help speed healing.
Ive been in hibernation for a few days and my brother tells me its not that big a deal but man it is. I feel like a leper and wish society wasnt so superficial where something like this was a big deal.
When I was between 5 and 10 years old i used to have cold sores right the next day after having fever, and since then i have been free of them. Now, all of a sudden after kissing a boy one appeared in my lip exactly on the same place i always used to have it. Is there explanation for this??
I’m a 20 year old, Female. (Pretty..hehe) Anyways,
Around two years ago I went to my gynecologist
to get tested for EVERYTHING– I came out negative in everything except Herpes
type 1 but I’ve NEVER EVER had ANYTHING ANYWHERE. Not even a tiny itty bit of anything. My question is I’ve had a BF since then and we’ve kissed, had sex, oral and he never had anything. About a year ago he had a small irritation by nostril with tiny red bumps…it went away in a few days, now the same thing, same place happened a week ago just slightly more irritated (This has to be pure coincidence but same month too) Once again I’ve NEVER had ANYTHING down there or on my face. Could this have been my fault?
Ok so I’m a 25 year old female and I’ve been getting cold sores since i was little. I always assumed it was hereditary cause my dad and my two brothers also get them. I have been reading some of these posts and some of you have said that possibly a parent can kiss you and give it to you. the only thing weird about that is my mom has never had one. Just wanted to point that out. In my house it’s a normal occurance for one of us to have a cold sore and we even make fun of each other for it. I just think people take it too seriously. I mean trust me I dont like getting them or having people outside my family seeing me with one, but we all have to live our lives. Besides, you would be surprised by how many people you know actually get them. My best friend gets them and so does her sister, both of which have been getting them since they were also kids. My other friend’s husband gets them and said she has even kissed him while he’s had one and has never gotten a cold sore. A few years ago I was embarrassed cause one side of my mouth was cold sore ridden. A guy I was seeing wanted to see me while I had this problem, but I told him I just couldn’t that I was sick. He wouldnt take no for an answer and in the end I decided to just tell him the truth. To my surprise he told me he gets them too even offered to give me his abreva hahaha, but I told him I aleready had my own. I guess I’m just telling all of this because I want people to realize it’s not the end of the world and that you’re not disgusting if you get them. By the way I only get a cold sore once maybe twice a year and I have never given any guy that i have ever kissed a cold sore. If you feel like you get them too often or they are really bad you should just go to your doctor’s office and get a perscription. Thanks for listening and good luck to those of you who have one right now cause I do lol.
As most of you said, I am so glad I found you! Im 18 and I currently have my first cold sore ever. I started yesterday and I got abreva first thing this morning. I was honestly just freaking out, and all of your posts made me feel SOO much better! I felt so alone and confused. As if I’m some dirty person or something! I was also trying to think of how to tell my boyfriend, which isn’t making this disgusting thing go away any sooner lol No surprise, the summer sun has finally arrived and I was outside all weekend. Not only that, but I’ve been stressing a lot because of graduation. Oh and the cherry on top of it all? Today would be day 1 of my period this month lol so thank you guys for making me feel a bit more normal and for all the amazing advice. I’m thinking camping out on my couch for the weekend to wait out this storm on my face isn’t such a bad idea after all. Telling my boyfriend is still a big question in my head right now though..ill try and be as nonchalant with it as possible. Thanks again guys!