Cold Sores
Natural Remedies

Top Natural Remedies for Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes

55 User Reviews
(55) 
  100%

Posted by Anonymous (NC) on 09/20/2006

Oh my gosh! I thought my body was falling apart. I keep having outbreaks, this past month i've had 3. This was the first time in my LIFE. But when I just read the info on this site I realized that it's because of diet soda. I have been drinking diet soda everyday for the past month at work. Before that I had never had an outbreak. I will never drink another one. THANKS.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Anonymous (London) on 08/01/2006

i cannot believe what i have just read about Herpes outbreaks and Splenda. I have been on a diet for a few weeks and have been taking Splenda as a substitute for sugar. I have had the worst outbreak ever lasting 3 weeks!! Now that i know, i will cut out the Splenda. Throwing it out now.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by SG (Bakersfield, CA) on 05/25/2006

It says on your website to let you know if I experienced a connection between aspartame and herpes sores. Here's my story: Sometime around 9 years ago, I started having pain around my genital area. There was never anything visible, or anything that seemed to trigger it. It was generally not painful unless I had sex. I went to doctor after doctor. Each one tested me for everything, and then told me I didn't have any STDs--that maybe it was an allergic reaction or some other skin problem. This went on for EIGHT YEARS. Last November, after moving to a different city and starting a diet, I developed incredibly painful sores, so bad that I couldn't walk. I went to the emergency room. The attendants took cultures and blood samples, and sent me home. When I got my little postcard in the mail, it said that the blood test was positive for herpes. HERPES!? It's been 9 years and this is the first diagnose-able outbreak? After that, I kept having painful outbreaks. All the time. And I couldn't figure out what the difference was between 8 years of almost completely dormant and Attack of the Evil Vicious Viruses. Tonight, I was researching into ways to ease a friend's Lupus symptoms and ran across this website, saying that there is a link between aspartame and herpes... LIGHT BULB!! THANK YOU!! The outbreaks started happening soon after I started our household on a health-conscious diet. We started with drinking only water, but eventually we started drinking "diet" energy drinks, containing... guess what? I'll keep ya posted.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Tara (Columbia MD) on 05/24/2006

I totally agree that aspartame can trigger outbreaks. I love yogurt which I eat daily. When I went on this website, I see where it says avoid aspartame. I usually don't have outbreaks often but since I have been eating yogurt I noticed more frequent outbreaks. I didn't know why these outcoming were coming back but now I see why.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Kay (NJ) on 04/02/2006

I have been dieting for 6 weeks now. I usually use organic sugar, but switched to Splenda. My outbreaks and constant prodrome were unbelievable. I normally get about 4-6 outbreaks a year. I must have had 4 in one month. After reading about Splenda and herpes, I can only conclude this is the reason.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Lyn (Orange City, FL) on 02/10/2006

i drink a lot of unsweetened tea and add sweet and low. i also drink a lot and i mean a lot of diet products and my outbreaks are one right after another. my doctors are stunned. i'm gonna try going without to see if it works. i will let you know!


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Chanel (Des Plaines IL) on 02/07/2006

I am glad I came upon this website because I just started drinking the new diet cherry vanilla dr pepper and that morning felt my lip itching and it has been years since I have had a cold sore. I did not realize it was from this drink.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Walley (Spring Valley) on 01/22/2006

I recently started chewing sugarless gum because of a low carb diet. I experienced one of my worst herpes outbreaks in years around that same period, it may be related to aspartame.


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Angela (Portland, Maine) on 01/13/2006

I never drink diet sodas, or even soda in general, last night I had diet coke. I'm usually a more natural person. I've never had a cold sore in my life, overnight I developed a blood blister on my lip. I am very worried about it. I hope this is not a start to a very bad thing. I wish I would have known that these sweeteners do this before. Spread the word!


Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Mary (Chicago, IL) on 01/07/2006

Ok, yesterday I had lunch with a friend. I asked her to bring me a diet something. It was COKE or Pepsi. Later that evening around 8pm. I felt the sensation of an outbreak. This was not oral. I cannot believe what I have just read. Thank you for the information. I will never drink or eat anything containing a sugar substitute.


Artifiical Sweetener Link to Herpes

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Teresa (Texas, USA) on 10/11/2021
★★★★★

I had not had a cold sore outbreak for it seems like years, but yesterday I chewed 1 stick of sugarfree gum and I have the biggest outbreak happening now....about 12 to 18 hours after exposure. I will definitely be more careful in the future.


Aspirin

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Bill (Calgary, Alberta) on 11/27/2009
★★★★★

To shorten the duration and size of cold sores, use ASA. Put a tablet on a spoon, then a drop of water to make a paste. Put it on the sore (you will feel it tingle). The ASA will dry up. Just keep putting it on. It will reduce redness and shorten the out break quickly. I use this when at home and instead of going out with a big white mass on my lip, I just brush it off and the sores are almost invisible. I have fewer outbreaks since I stopped drinking soda. I thank others on this site for that gem, as I used to get outbreaks every spring and late fall, signaling a weather change usually within a month.

EC: ASA is the acronym for acetylsalicylic acid, or ASPIRIN.


Aspirin, St. John's Wart, Tea Tree Oil

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by K (New York, New York) on 12/27/2007
★★★★★

This Works on Contact. Remove the top skin from the cold sore/herpes simplex. Ground Aspirin with 2 drops or tea tree oil (organic) and 2 drops of St. John's Wart liquid form (organic). If your a baby and you can't take pain you can numb it with Ambersol. It will kill the virus on site. It will form a scab immediately, stops the oozing, itching and swelling.


Astringent Toner

2 User Reviews
5 star (1) 
  50%
1 star (1) 
  50%

Posted by Juliana (Calgary, Canada) on 08/22/2008
★★★★★

I got Cold Sore while camping this summer. I have no clue how I got it, could be from sharing cups or from the grass. I felt the tingle on my upper lip while returning home. I went to see the doctor immediately. The doctor recommended acyclovoir cream, but I don't find it very effective. However, the nurse told me to wet a cotton ball with alcohol and rub around the lips for 5 minutes. I didn't have alcohol at home by then, so I used my toner instead, because there are alcohol in my toner. I felt comfortable using toner since I used then after washing my face everyday anyways. I wet the cotton part of bandage with Astringent Toner and stick the bandage on the bump. I repeated this about 3-4 times daily for two days, and my cold sore disappeared! The toner I used is called Garnier Pure - Astringent Toner - Tighten Pores. You can get it almost anywhere.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
08/23/2008
490 posts

Hi Juliana, For future reference for your herpes simplex (cold sore), when you first notice that tingling feeling that heralds a budding cold sore, start taking L-lysine 2 grams (200 mgms) 4 times a day and you will find it drying up by the next day. I have found L-lysine effective against all viruses that I have tried it for to date.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
08/26/2008
490 posts

To correct error in L-lysine for Herpes Simplex or cold sore. Should read 2 grams or (2000mgm) four times per day.

Replied by Surfcity
(Orange County, Ca)
12/06/2010
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

When rubbing anything on a coldsore NEVER break it open. I made the mistake of my life in thinking I could break open a very small cold sore with a Qtip and rubbing alcohol thinking it would kill everything and dry it up. WRONG! It spread across my lip and up to the bottom of my nose, with my lip swelling to at least twice it's normal size. It was extremely painful and embarrassing.


Avoid Arginine

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Barbiec1953 (Vienna, Virginia) on 10/05/2011
★★★★★

An imbalanced ratio of arginine: lysine will cause Herpes Simplex/Cold Sore/Fever Blister breakouts. Try to eat your arginine foods as little as possible... And stop them altogether as soon as you feel the tingling.

Replied by beverly
(usa)
10/29/2023
★★★★★

I may have solved my own mystery.............I rarely get fever blisters but have changed my diet to Keto due to my husband being diagnosed with Parkinsons. One of the things I started doing was getting high fat yogurt, cream, buttermilk and keifer from a nearby dairy. The past month I have been constantly plagued with fever blisters at the corners of my mouth and nostrils.

Certain Foods

Consuming arginine-rich foods – such as beans, meat, chocolate and dairy – can trigger or worsen a cold sore. This is because arginine is required for the virus to replicate. Acidic foods and beverages can also trigger a cold sore outbreak. This includes citrus fruits, tomatoes, orange juice and even soda.

Source



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