Periods and cold sores

LegacyUser

I'm wondering if any of the other girls here have ever experienced this or would have any advice for me?

For the last 6-8 months, every time I'm due my period I get a cold sore!! At this stage it is a better indication to me that I'm due my period than cramps! I thought maybe it's due to being run down during that time of the month, so for the last month I've been taking vitamin C, vitamin B complex and also echinacea. I also thought it may be my hormones being all over the place so I've gone on the pill also (haven't been on it for a few years).

But low and behold, this month I have a cold sore again. What would you suggest? Iron tablets? Starflower oil? This is getting ridiculous now and really annoying. Would appreciate some advice

tinkerbell

There's a girl where I work who gets cold sores a lot. She gives out about them non-stop and was saying one day that she's gonna get tablets that are made by Zovirax which are meant to keep them away. Think she said they are expensive though, around €100. Ask your doctor / pharmacist.

LegacyUser

it sounds like it might be herpes, you shoud get checked out just in case. just go to a sti clinic
http://www.skinsite.com/info_herpes_simplex.htm

Alicat

Hiya,

there's an amino acid called L-Lysine you can get from the SONA health range, available in most pharmacies. I think its about E7.95. It's apparently proven to help fight against the cold-sore/herpes virus, which once in your system, you never get rid of. You'll always be prone to getting cold sores now, but maybe this will ease them a little bit!. You can ask your pharmacist or G.P. about it.

Cold sores can be triggered by a cold or flu, and even your period. Cold, biting winds and over-exposure to sunlight can even bring them on! So try wearing a lip balm containing UV protection, or SPF.

Hope some of this helps, but you may want to talk to the pharmacist as well for the more serious medical side of things

hunnymonster

L-Lycine really works. I used to get cold sores a couple f times year (bright sunshine triggered mine) and I've not had one in the 18 months I've been taking it.

r3nu4l

Yep OP, the virus causing coldsores is there for life. Here is a good site with basic information.

The virus is usually reactivated when the body is weakened, tired or under stress and so the coldsore appears. If your periods are heavy you may be losing a lot of iron. Try to increase the iron in your diet (spinach, steak etc.) but drink a glass of pure orange juice with your meal that contians the iron...vitamin C enables the body to absorb more iron from food.

The iron may prevent your body from feeling run down.

If it is really bothering you then talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Ruthee

I second the L-Lysine.if u take maybe 1000mg(usually 1 tablet) daily coming up to ur period as a preventitive.Then if u do get one take 1000mg 3 times along with whatever topical u use to help heal it(i got this from a health magazine).

Also stay away from chocolate(eeek!!!) and nuts at this time as they contain an amino acid called Arganine that encourages the virus to grow!!!

dame

Take iron, a vitamin supplement and that L-Lysine. I'd also try putting a little Zovirax on the day I know it's due (as in put it on the day before you've gotten them for the last few months and the next day). Zovirax works best before the cold sore breaks through the skin. Keep your hands away from your face (you don't want to irritate it) and use surgical spirit on a cotton bud to clean the area every time before you put on the Zovirax. If the cold sore has already appeared then use the surgical spirit to scrub all the cold sore off then put Zovirax on the area. Clears it up much quicker than cream alone.

Fabio

Best advice you can get is right there. I use the same procedure myself and it works a treat.

Anti

Ive never ever had a coldsore

Try what has been said above, but go see your GP too.

LegacyUser

'Wow, thanks for all the replies


I will definitely give the L-lysine a try, I had heard about it but never from someone who actually gets cold sores!! May also try the surgical spirit, I was using tea tree oil to clean them before putting on the cream.

I never got cold sores until a couple of years ago when I was going through a patch of really stressful job interviews. Since that, it's only when I'm really tired, rundown or stressed out that I got them, apart from the last few months!!

I have mentioned it to the family GP, who did complete blood tests on me a few months ago but said there was nothing out of the ordinary. Also went to a different doctor recently (not living at home atm) who did the same thing and also said there was no medical reason he could see for it, just to get more sleep, take vitamins etc...


Really appreciate all the advice, thanks '

Victor

OP, go to doctor.

Ruthee wrote:

I second the L-Lysine.if u take maybe 1000mg

Are you a doctor? If so we'd like to see the clause in your insurance about giving assistance over the internet.

Please read the charter.

Ruthee

sorry if i broke the rules of the charter. This was advice given to me by a health care professional, and the Lysine that I take comes as 1000mg pills..I aplogise though again

Marksie

travolta wrote:

it sounds like it might be herpes, you shoud get checked out just in case. just go to a sti clinic
http://www.skinsite.com/info_herpes_simplex.htm

Coldsores ARE herpes virus, always have been. There are two types, type I and type II. It was thought type one were limited to coldsores and type II to genital infection. But it has been demonstrated that they are interchangeable.
So avoid if you have a coldsore from indulging in sexual actuvity which involves the mouth.

They are an example of latent infection, and you have it for life, in the case of coldsores it sits quietly ticking over in the trigeminal nerve i believe, when you are stressed, or the skin is exposed to uv or wind etc. it allows it to overcome the immune response and you get a coldsore.

The antiviral available, zovirax, is very good. As they advertise on the telly, if you feel the initial tingle, hit it then with the zovirax, it will significantly limit the size and duration of the coldsore.

As for long term prophylactic care, i don't know, so you should see a doctor for advice on that one.

LegacyUser

this exact situation is happening to me right now.. it's been almost 5 months. and my sores never clear completely. i have tried all of the things suggested on this page and every other website online that deals with cold sore advice. i take 1000-2000 mg of lysine per day, am on a suppressive valtrex therapy, use zovirax, take vitamins. i dont eat chocolate or caffeine or nuts or anything with high levels of arginine. i don't touch the area. i don't know what i'm doing wrong and it's so depressing and painful. i know this post is several years old but if the woman who wrote it would please write back and say what she did to stop this from happening i would really appreciate it.

Victor

We're not enthusiastic about people dragging up old threads.

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What worked (or not) for one person, won't necessarily work for another. One important detail you leave out is you don't mention your doctor. You have gone to your doctor, haven't you?

John Mason

if your sores are not completely healing you should go to your doctor.

i get the occasional sore when i am run down but i had one years ago that wouldn't clear up, i went to the doctor with an unrelated problem and he took one look at the cold sore and said you need antibiotics for that.

it was a skin infection, infactigo (i think). anyway, within hours of taking the first tablet, it started to clear.

go to the doctor


http://www.ainfantigo.com/

LegacyUser

Thanks, but I've been to 3 different doctors and specialists several times already. All they're doing is prescribing valtrex, which isn't working. I don't have impetigo, I have HSV 1.