Please help. Cold sores. Life over.

LegacyUser

have u ever had a cold sore before? Are u aware that u have herpes type 1 if u did? I got really ill at christmas time and developed sores on my lips and throat but just thought they were fever induced. Around 2 months after, i got a blister on my lip. Didnt know what it was or how to deal with it until i went on the net, turns out its a cold sore or a herpes lesion. Went for std tests but they take 8 wks. The cold sore start to finish lasted 45 days. After much research i now have better ways to deal with them.ive had 2 inside the nose which i just kept rubbing aftershave on and ice. The thing is i am very depressed with this new weight around my neck i was out at the weekend and had a massive sore develop the next day on my lip. I have stayed indoors and barely got out of bed. I cant face anyone for fear of being tagged diseased. From what ive read a large portion of people get this when theyre young and their body builds up a resistance as they get older.but i cant help but think thats a stat they just put on the herpes websites to keep people positively thinking. My main worry is how im ever going to meet someone and have a normal relationship. I feel like a person living on empty now.

Nevyn

Go to your dr, they will be able to perscibe you something and you should look at trying to boost your immune system so it doens't come back so often.

October

Hi,

I get cold sores too. Google lysine-cold sores. I take lysine and find it great for preventing them or if one does come up, I find the lysine helps it to heal faster.

wayhey

Thaedydal's right. If this is making you feel so bad then you need to go to the doctor. Make the time and go and do it - once you know what it is, you can deal with it and move on.

Don't get down about some stupid cold sores and "meeting someone". You're not alone in the little insecurities that we think everybody notices. Spots and things like that are not as noticeable to other people. The doctor might help getting rid of them.

Bottom line, cold sores don't matter for meeting people. I think you've hit a little rough patch but try and pull yourself up, have fun and get out there. The rest will all fall into place

Overheal

"I failed my Junior Cert; my life is over" "I have type 1 Herpes; my life is over"

I might accept "I have Lukemia and my life is over."

Try asking someone what its like to try and meet someone when you know you're HIV+ too.

Not trying to bust your chops; but I need to provide you a little perspective. You've tripped over the sidewalk and you think you've jumped off a cliff.

I'm sure its scary and worrysome just learning you have an STD but as far as STDs go, Type 1 Herpes is very manageable. Now you just need to do a little research and find out what that management is. When you do, you'll feel a lot better. Right now you're panicked because you don't know how to deal with it, which is understandable.

LegacyUser

A lot of people get cold sores. I've been getting them since I was a kid. There are plenty of over the counter remedies available. In all honesty they are no big deal. Ok, it's a pain in the backside when one comes on but it's generally gone in a few days with the right management. It certainly has been no obstacle to a relationship, just don't go kissing your other half when you've got one!

The trick is knowing the signs for when one comes on. With time you'll get to know that. I tend to carry a small tube of cream around with me just in case. If I've any thought that one might be coming on, I use it. This way I can go for months without an episode. I don't want to go into any more detail as it could be considered to be medical advice.

John Mason

OP, you need to calm down. your life is hardly over :rolleyes:

i have been getting cold sores since i was a kid.

get yourself some zoriax, carry it around with you at all times and as soon as you feel the tingle, put some cream on and it will be gone in a few hours.


but you should go to your doctor and have your immume system checked. mine are brought on by stress or when my iron levels are low.

when you have an outbreak, down share towels, cups etc. with anyone and most importantly, no oral sex or kissing

implausible

If you're getting this stressed over a cold-sore, it'll be no wonder if you keep getting them! I find myself that being stressed and/or run-down triggers them.

Don't go looking for info on the 'net, it'll only frighten you. Herpes happens to be the medical name for them, but knowing the medical name doesn't make them any more serious! Go to your gp if you're that concerned.

Oh, and get the Lysine tablets in your local health food shop, they're great for prevention and reduce the length of time you have the coldsores for.

LoanShark

irishbird wrote: »

OP, you need to calm down. your life is hardly over :rolleyes:

i have been getting cold sores since i was a kid.

get yourself some zoriax, carry it around with you at all times and as soon as you feel the tingle, put some cream on and it will be gone in a few hours.


but you should go to your doctor and have your immume system checked. mine are brought on by stress or when my iron levels are low.

when you have an outbreak, down share towels, cups etc. with anyone and most importantly, no oral sex or kissing

I would disagree with your advice on the Zavoirx.. This cream just keeps the cold sore at bay for whatever length of time.. I've been fighting a cold sore for the last seven weeks (got married and didnt want it to be around on the pics! or the Honeymoon;) )
But A chemist told me that really you should just let it break out because once the virus has started on your lips it is best to it run its course..Just treat it with Zavoirx or the new cheaper verson which has exactly the same ingrediants..
I was also told that taking Vit D will also help your system fight off the cold sore..
But stress and being run down are major players in getting one..
Gettin gone up the nose it TOTAL pain, I just put a bit os sudocream on a cotton bud and cover it that way..

OP, Your life is not over just because you got one..Man Up!

anomalous

seriously just go to your doc and get the right advice about managing them - im lucky enough to never have gotten one but my OH gets them and it doesnt put me off/bother me

loads of people get them and i know at some stage im probably gona drink out of the wrong cup or something and get one but im not gona whine about it ill buy some cream/vitamin supplements and get on with my life

i think it is just the name Herpes that is really bothering you and so we are right back to "go to your doc" and ask your questions and get the right advice and get over it

krudler

Most people hear "herpes" and automatically assume it with some crusty, disease ridden skank, more people have herpes than you probably know, its a viral infection, not a nice one but a manageable one. go to your doc, use zovirax and its fine, just dont have sex when/if you have a flare up and you wont pass it along to someone

IzzyWizzy

For goodness sake, get over yourself and be thankful this is what you consider a big deal. I won't lie, I was pretty down about getting my first cold sore this year. I have enough medical issues as it is, and thought I'd dodged that bullet but the fact is, more people have the cold sore virus than not. You're seriously worried about meeting someone? Not wanting to go out? Because of a COLD SORE? I'd normally be sympathetic to someone feeling so down, everyone has their problems etc, but this is truly a case of someone needing to find perspective. It might be called 'herpes' but it's hardly an STD if it wasn't sexually transmitted. 3 year olds get cold sores, do you look at them and think it's an STD? I'm fairly sure I got mine from picking up the wrong glass in the pub, just bad luck. Get some Zovirax and stop making yourself ill over nothing.

neacy69

October wrote: »

Hi,

I get cold sores too. Google lysine-cold sores. I take lysine and find it great for preventing them or if one does come up, I find the lysine helps it to heal faster.

+1 for the Lysine

I fear too many people have overlooked this post..

Im a long time sufferer of cold sore and can highly reccomend Lysine for the prevention and treatment of cold sores.

Bottle of tablets from Holland and Barrett or similar will cost about 10euro for 100 tablets. You take 1 every day or 2 to keep the cold sores away and 2 tablets 3 times daily to treat one if you already have one...

Really really reccomend it....honestly cant stress this enough....

LegacyUser

thank you so much to all who posted, I am feeling better about handling it and will get to holland and barrett for the lysine asap! Saw a product in boots electronic cold sore machine or something 50quid.anyone used it?

Taltos

Hi OP

I am not sure about these products on boots.

I have tried a few different things over the years. Like many others I started getting these as a kid. All thanks to "kisses" from aunts and old friends of the family - oh how I hate the 70s...

There are a few things to remember.
1. Prevention
2. Management
3. Protection

1. Prevention
Any time I get seriously run down and stressed I tend to get a break-out. The more run down I am the more severe a breakout. For example yrs ago in college I got a major breakout that got infected - my whole top lip became swollen in a few days. Everyone thought I had been beaten up - and I had not a clue what was happening. College doc prescribed Zovirax - at the time you could only get it via prescription. Right now what is helping me is exercising, eating reasonably well, sleep & daily vitamins (for me Vit C & Zinc). Been a while now since my last outbreak.

2. Management
As soon as I feel the tingly before there is even a lump - straight on with the zovirax. A little bit a few times each day - maybe just for a day or two until the tingle is gone. If I am too late to prevent it - happens if I am travelling and cannot get the zovirax - then I continue to apply it as soon as I get it - might be mental but I am convinced it helps it heal faster and stops it spreading. Also - so not let lick your lips or moisten the area.

3. Protection.
As soon as you get an outbreak manage it immediately. If you touch with your fingers - wash them immediately. Do NOT touch your eyes, your genitals or anyone else. Last thing you want is to develop sores around your eyes or down below - that is a major no-no. Also while you have the sore - limit kissing and definitely no oral um-kay...

Be a bit careful with some of the other treatments out there - one (I will not name) did scar my lip - took quite a while to heal. But if you are concerned or the outbreak is severe go immediately to the doctor. Cold sores are v common so try not to let it get you down - that is just more stress - the one thing you don't want.

amber23

LoanShark wrote: »

I would disagree with your advice on the Zavoirx.. This cream just keeps the cold sore at bay for whatever length of time.. I've been fighting a cold sore for the last seven weeks (got married and didnt want it to be around on the pics! or the Honeymoon;) )
But A chemist told me that really you should just let it break out because once the virus has started on your lips it is best to it run its course..Just treat it with Zavoirx or the new cheaper verson which has exactly the same ingrediants..
I was also told that taking Vit D will also help your system fight off the cold sore..
But stress and being run down are major players in getting one..
Gettin gone up the nose it TOTAL pain, I just put a bit os sudocream on a cotton bud and cover it that way..

OP, Your life is not over just because you got one..Man Up!

i have to say, i completely agree with just letting them run their course!! i have been gettin coldsores for 14years, theyr more of a nuisance than anything! i recently had a very bad outbreak all over the front of my nose, i tried creams and prescrived zoviraz tablets, but 2 weeks on, it hasnt fully cleared, just best to let it break out and get it over with as soon as possible! OP i can understand why you're upset, i felt my face was altered when i got the one on my nose, i felt completely ugly. ive been with someone for 2 years, and he thought i was mad! its so true, other people just say "oh what happened you" and thats that, it really isnt too big a deal, people dont mind these things, there are two types of herpes virus, the one above the waste general aint an std despite peoples perspectives! the people who think that way generally dont suffer from them. at the end of the day, they go away you know? my boyfriend has never gotten one from me. if you meet someone they wont be as critical towards you as you think, these things happen. i do think if you are getting them quite regularly though, a doc might not be a bad idea, purley from an immune system point of view! little things like scratching my lip would trigger one!

oh they do get less frequent the older you get you'll be glad to know well with me anyway! best of luck, hope you feel better about it

MMD

I have got them since I was kid....25 years+. They are an utter nuisance alright, but you just have to learn to live with them and manage them.

It's usually stress from work/generally being run down that I get them.

I do use Zovirax at tingle stage, but inevitably, some do develop into sores.

I swear by Lysine though for prevention. I nearly know by now the times I am most susceptible, so I will take 1 tablet a day to prevent a possible outbreak.

I got a particularly bad outbreak a while back. I discovered Bio-Oil for scar treatment. the stuff is unbelievable!! The scars went in no time. Worth the €13 it costs totally.

Lots of people are susceptible to cold sores. You are not alone!

Piste

I think you're totally overreacting, your life isn't over just cos you have a cold sore. While it's true that Herpes doesn't go away, you can prevent Cold Sores by keeping a healthy immune system and avoiding stress. Make sure to keep yourself healthy and take 2 Lyseine every day as this can help ward of cold sores. If you do get an outbreak you can get a cream like Zovirax or Viralief (the latter is just the generic, cheap version of the former) which will soothe it and make it go away in a few days. Yes I know they can make you feel horrible, I hate how red and swollen my lips go when I get them as well as how disgusting I feel when they crack and bleed, but if you nip them in the bud once they come up you shouldn't feel too bad.

You probably don't need to go to your doctor, sure you can get Zovirax tablets on prescription, but they're around €100, and that's just to treat one coldsore, taking five soluble tablets per day. If you find you're getting them an awful lot and you're getting several at a time it might be a good idea to talk to your Dr. as then you might need a prescription for zovirax or it could be indicitave of another immune condition.

naidy123

Hi There. My sister had two outbreaks of coldsores in 2 weeks and she went to the doctor and was prescribed Zovorix Tablets....i seen on some threads that its 150€ but i can confirm she was charged 36€ in the chemist ( she is not a med card patient so thats the full price)
The dr. said it would keep them at bay for 2-3 years and then you get another course. They seem to be very good.

Best of luck

October

I got the Zovirax tablets a couple of times. For me they only helped with the coldsores I was having at the time - I did two courses of the tablets in one year. Glad to hear they have come down in price - they cost €150 per prescription when I got them but that was a few years ago.

TitoPuente

The majority of the adult population have the virus that causes coldsores (herpes type 1)... about a quarter to a half of these will develop cold sores. Some more than others. You'd be abnormal if you didn't have herpes; look at it that way.

Eve_Dublin

Hi guys...not sure I can do this but my step-mother used to get terrible cold sores a few years ago and tried the alternative medicine/treatment route and it worked for her....she literally hasn´t had one in about 4 years!! I´ll find out and report back...we don´t live in the same country so it might take a day or two. It It´s worth a shot though, eh?

Oh and the person she went to was based in Dublin....

Splendour

neacy69 wrote: »

+1 for the Lysine

I fear too many people have overlooked this post..

Im a long time sufferer of cold sore and can highly reccomend Lysine for the prevention and treatment of cold sores.

Bottle of tablets from Holland and Barrett or similar will cost about 10euro for 100 tablets. You take 1 every day or 2 to keep the cold sores away and 2 tablets 3 times daily to treat one if you already have one...

Really really reccomend it....honestly cant stress this enough....

+ 2 for the Lysine. Like others here, I've suffered with cold sores since I was a kid. Somtimes they were so bad, I could barely open my mouth and had to take time off school. Few years ago, I was told about the miracle worker Lysine and I couldn't believe the difference it made! Cold sores are definitely a thing if the past Haven't heard of the Zovirax tabs but I imagine they are another pharmaceutical companies way of getting hard earned cash out of people...

LegacyUser

Splendour wrote: »

+ 2 for the Lysine. QUOTE]

+3 for lysine Got them since I was a kid as well and used a variety of home "cures" that didn't work effectively or were too harsh on the skin around the sore (lol I once used perfume on them - made them look even worse because it irritated the skin around it! I definitly do not recommend this!)

It was a pure saviour when a friend mentioned I try Lysine...couldn't BELIEVE i'd never heard of it before then. By now I know when I tend to get an outbreak, around my menstral cycle, cold/flu season or just feeling run down, so take a course. I haven't had regular cold sore for a few years now, the only times I have gotten them is when I've forgotton to take Lysine for a while.

stackerman

October wrote: »

Hi,

I get cold sores too. Google lysine-cold sores. I take lysine and find it great for preventing them or if one does come up, I find the lysine helps it to heal faster.

Ditto, cuts the amount of times I get them buy around 80/90%
If you do feel a tingle, use a Compeed (Sp?) patch over night.
Also if you are drinking bt beer - make sure to clean/wipe the bottle necks. You will find that you will prob get them more often when your stressed or run down, so just look after yourself and dont worry about it, alot of people get them and its no big deal really.

PK2008

Zovirax always works for me.

In a way cold sores are a handy little reminder that either you're not taking care of yourself and/or are too stressed out.

A little reminder/incentive to get look after yourself

ToniTuddle

keving wrote: »

If you do feel a tingle, use a Compeed (Sp?) patch over night.

Was surprised nobody mentions this sooner.
Compeed is pretty damn good.
There are also "invisible" ones you can use during the day.
They are good just avoid getting too much liquid/moisture on them as they can begin to peel off then.
Some people can be allergic to Zovirax but you can test it out too see.

Don't worry with the combination of suggestions in here you will be fine in no time. Learn to cope with stress a bit better too as stress really does trigger them.
Best of luck