topic Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores? in Wellness

Anyone Get Cold Sores?

flickerbulb — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:16:08 GMT

I have been plagued with cold sores for most of my life and there was not much in the way of treatment for them.

I have had prescriptions for Acyclivor and it is expensive and does not work that well.

Apparently, I was stressed out recently and one came up on the corner of my lip. It kept cracking and bleeding and was healing slowly.

I had a dentist appointment today and warned the DA that I had a breakout. Instead of recoiling, she said that it could be lasered. Why did I not know about this before?

So, the dentist does his thing and then gets out the laser. Now, I have had my gums lasered before, but this is new to me.

He took the laser and hit it three times. It will kill the cells and I will never get one there again! He said if I get another one to come in and he will do that one too!

Everytime I yawned or ate, it broke open and bled. After this treatment, it looks like it is on its last legs and is healing.

So, if you also get these nasty sores,

check with your dentist to get lasered! He did not charge me, but it would have cost me under $60 with my insurance. To me, it is totally worth it!

Lasers are amazing!

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

DeeDT — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 16:12:31 GMT

Thank you for that information. when I go to my dentist next month I'll ask if they provide that service. I like you, have suffered with cold sores all my life, usually mine come out when in the sun to long, which is great when your on vacation. My PCP gives me Valtrex to carry with me all the time and if I feel the tingling I take two pills right away and one the next day. This usually stops it from forming or not being to bad if it does.

Not sure of your age but be prepared for shingles too, same family, I think. I had shingles once on my leg at age 50 and again at 54 on stomach. What a picnic, you think cold sores are bad until you get shingles. Funny thing is I never knew you could get it more than once, but you can. Since I'm not 65 my insurance won't pay for the vaccination so I am crossing my fingers I don't get it again. Second time was worse than the first.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

pegsue — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 16:15:28 GMT

Thanks for that information! I get them too, once or twice a year but that is enough! I have Valtrex also and use it with abreva and the acyclovir. That works ok IF I catch it immediately. Sometimes I don't so then it seems no matter what I do it still is there 7-10 days. I have a dentist appt. in October and I am going to ask about the laser. Boy-would that be nice to not have those anymore.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

SilleeMee — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 16:18:53 GMT

I used to get them all the time! I hated it so much. All my life around the ol' kisser. Sometimes the traveled up inside my nose...OUCH!

Then one day, a few years ago, I had a laser facial rejuvenation procedure done. At the time I had no idea about lasers and cold sores. The derm doing the procedure told me that the laser could possibly spur an outbreak and it did. But after that I don't get them ANYMORE! Hallelujah!! The little buggers sang their last hoorah on that glorious day for me.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

MalteseMomma — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 16:00:00 GMT

OH WOW!!! Thanks for that info.

This is very good news!

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

Havarti — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 17:49:04 GMT

@flickerbulb

Thanks for sharing this information; I was not aware of this procedure.

L-lysine is an amino acid supplement that helps speed along recovery from any form of the herpes virus. I have had shingles four times (and I did get the shot)! While it was still miserable having it, taking good sized doses of L-lysine helped me tremendously. I found out about it when my mother had shingles years ago and suffered horribly…nothing gave her any form of relief until she tried L-lysine. Just passing it along in case it helps someone else.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

Susan-QVC — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 17:52:27 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC inappropriate.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

Susan-QVC — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 17:57:43 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC could been seen as offensive to some.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

flickerbulb — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:33:15 GMT

I have a funny story regarding the difference between H1 and H2.

Several years ago, I saw a doctor for some other reason who was not my regular doctor.

I was having an outbreak and asked for a prescription for Zovirax. He asked me "What for?"

I told him for the herpes on my lip. He then asked me where I got it and I told him it was probably from my mother, who also got them.

He looked at me funny and told me I could not get them from my mother.

I think he thought we both had H2! I don't think HE knew the difference!

I still think of that stupid comment to this day! LOL

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

SilleeMee — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:50:51 GMT

@flickerbulb,

That was kind of dumb of him to say that. lol

One thing I know for sure is that the two types, 1 and 2, are interchangeable. They can be found anywhere on the body. I know this because I am a retired med lab technologist and ran the tests to determine their type. For the longest time scientists did not believe this. DNA has confirmed it. So as far as categorizing the two...it doesn't make any difference other than pure academic curiosity.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?be

flickerbulb — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:50:19 GMT

@SilleeMee

That is interesting. What would been the purpose for determining whether it was 1 or 2?

Does it have anything to do with the treatment of Shingles?

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

BalletBabe — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:54:11 GMT

To everyone here that gets cold sores or canker sores. Take Lysine daily! I had problems with canker sores. My son had cold sores. Our dentist years ago told us to take 500mg a day and we get no more. Everyone that I have told this to has started on it and they do not get them anymore. Good Luck!

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?be

SilleeMee — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:57:08 GMT

@flickerbulb wrote:
@SilleeMee

That is interesting. What would been the purpose for determining whether it was 1 or 2?

Does it have anything to do with the treatment of Shingles?

@flickerbulb,

Differentiation of the types 1 and 2 is purely academic. Treatment does not vary for the two. Shingles is a different animal. It comes from the chicken pox virus, which is in the same family of viruses as herpes 1 and 2. Treatment is different for shingles and chicken pox.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

flickerbulb — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 22:04:27 GMT

@SilleeMee

That is good to know! Thanks for the explanation!

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

flickerbulb — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 02:01:27 GMT

@BalletBabe

With the laser, they NEVER come back so there will be no need for supplements or pills or anything!

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

BalletBabe — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 02:10:57 GMT

@flickerbulb That is cool. I never heard of laser. I don't mind taking the supplement. I have been doing it for so many years. I don't get them like I used to. I used to not be able to go without them, but through the years, I can stop them for awhile and have no issues. Maybe I grew out of it? I know my father always had cold sores. I am glad I had the canker sores vs cold sores, at least they are not visible..

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

Sunshine Kate — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 02:17:12 GMT

Once in awhile I will get a cold sore. The minute I feel a cold sore starting, I take two L-Lysine tablets (1,000 mg) each. The next morning it's gone and doesn't come back.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?be

Hooty — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 20:23:43 GMT

@flickerbulb wrote:
@SilleeMee

That is interesting. What would been the purpose for determining whether it was 1 or 2?

Does it have anything to do with the treatment of Shingles?

Cold sores/fever blisters are part of the Herpes Simplex Virus- 1 that is the same as shingles/chicken pox ....... I use to have fever blisters a lot all my life, but since I had my shingles vaccine a couple of years ago, I don't have them as much ........... I think it has something to do with it, JMHO! I use Abreva when I get a fever blister and dries up fast!

@flickerbulb, from what I understand HSV-2, is an all together different ballgame!

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?be

SilleeMee — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 20:27:25 GMT

@Hooty,

Shingles is herpes ZOSTER.

Cold sore is herpes SIMPLEX.

They are in the same family of herpes viruses but are not the same disease.

Re: Anyone Get Cold Sores?

Imadickens — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 20:33:22 GMT

@DeeDT wrote:
Thank you for that information. when I go to my dentist next month I'll ask if they provide that service. I like you, have suffered with cold sores all my life, usually mine come out when in the sun to long, which is great when your on vacation. My PCP gives me Valtrex to carry with me all the time and if I feel the tingling I take two pills right away and one the next day. This usually stops it from forming or not being to bad if it does.

Not sure of your age but be prepared for shingles too, same family, I think. I had shingles once on my leg at age 50 and again at 54 on stomach. What a picnic, you think cold sores are bad until you get shingles. Funny thing is I never knew you could get it more than once, but you can. Since I'm not 65 my insurance won't pay for the vaccination so I am crossing my fingers I don't get it again. Second time was worse than the first.

I have a genetic predisposition to various fungal infections, in addition to my other agrivating factors like weight and diet. I had been misdiagnosed with MRSA on my son's birthday. I was a total wreck! I had just noticed the area and had not been careful to wash my clothes and towels separately . I became a crazy woman, nearly scrubbing the skin off my hands! I took the meds the doc ( I had gone to our walk-in as we were going out to dinner and I wanted to get it taken care of. It was a large, open wound near my c-section scar. The doc I saw was new there and looked and acted like he was too good to be working in such a low job. (We have a large PC group and each doc does a rotation at the walk-in). He looked at the large sore and gasped, practically yelling it was MRSA! I was blindsided! He didn't biopsy it, but gave me meds and said goodbye! At the desk I got a sheet of instructions, which I followed to the letter. After two weeks it was no better. When I returned I got a doc who I knew a little and was very friendly. She said she didn't believe that was what it was and wrote a script for a cream. I told her I get sores around my mouth that my dentist's meds didn't heal. She told me she gets them, too, and wrote the script for what she used! Then she biopsied the skin. The med was Ciclopirox Olamine Cream. It cleared everything up in 2 days! When the biopsy came back, it was fungal, not bacterial. She told me nothing would cure my sores, but when they did recur, the cream would take care of them. I use it anywhere and anytime I feel I'm getting a flare! This may not be what you have, and this was years ago so maybe laser would work on mine, too. I will ask my dentist when I go next week!