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.
Bitter Almonds
Posted by G (Nederland) on 10/12/2013
★★★★★
Have anyone tried bitter almonds on cold sores. I have now been eating them for half a year and have no outbreak of cold sores.Also I mix some bitter almond oil with sweet almond oil and rub it on my lips every night. You can also use 100% bitter almond oil but it burns like hell
Aloe Vera
Posted by Jayne (London) on 09/15/2013
★★★★★
As soon as I feel or see a cold sore developing, I put some aloe vera toothpaste on, (the kind you can buy in any healthfood shop), and leave it on overnight. It's normally gone by morning. This also helps with other sores and blemishes. It helps to dry them up and, although tingly at first, feels very healing.
Garlic
Posted by Vanessa (London, UK) on 04/17/2014
This is the first time I've commented on here but I was compelled to write because of the success of using garlic, ice and coconut oil for my cold sore. I woke up in the night to feel a bump and tingle on my top lip, I immediately applied Zovirax but by the morning the sore was already blooming. I iced the sore for 10 minutes at a time, four times in the day and applied garlic for 15 seconds in between, putting a layer of VOC after each time. It's the smallest and the quickest recovery I've ever had from a CS.
Vitamin C
Posted by Jamie (Los Angeles, California) on 02/07/2013
★★★★★
Hi! I just wanted to share my whole life I've suffered from having annoying cold sores right on my face and a couple years ago I found why I got them in the first place and how to stop them. I did some research and found out since cold sores are a virus, they can be counter-acted by boosting up your immune system. I guess I must've just had a weak immune system for my life and so a couple years ago I started taking 500-1000mg Vitamin C per day and have not gotten them since! At one point I lazed off from taking the vitamin c, and what do you know I got one again! But as soon as I noticed it/ felt it I took about 3000 mg Vitamin C per day and it disappeared! My self confidence is so much higher now and I feel way better myself and no more stress/worrying about when I'm going to get one!
Royal Jelly
Posted by Amy (Metro Detroit, Michigan, USA) on 01/31/2013
★★★★★
To my surprise, this worked really well. I just applied it several times a day and it went away.
Manuka Honey
Posted by Sms27 (Princeton, Nj, Usa) on 01/14/2013
★★★★★
Manuka honey applied topically on the lip helps diminish the virus outbreak and significantly shortens the healing time. The trick is to keep the honey on for as long as possible until the sore heals. To clean use witch hazel.
Iodine
Posted by Candy (Brooklyn, Ny United States) on 12/13/2012
Are you completely healed from herpes or the symtoms are gone?
General Feedback
Posted by Bess (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 01/08/2013
Hi Gerrit - You mentioned that you would prefer using a roll-on for transdermal magnesium oil.
I apply magnesium oil (homemade) by refilling an old deodorant bottle. I pop off the top part (that contains the ball) with the thin part of a dull knife. Then I fill it with magnesium oil, add a few drops of essential oil and use that. I found it works much better than spraying it on. I even found glass deodorant bottles at London Drugs (just empty the contents which are full of chemicals). Hope that helps and good health to you!
Acetone
Posted by Gracie (London, UK) on 12/02/2012
★★★★★
Acetone really works! I wanted to share all the info I have with cold sore sufferers as I know how detrimental they can be to the quality of life.
I have been suffering for years and years now from cold sores. My immune system is weak to them and I suspect my partner carries the cold sore virus without any symptoms and infects me every time he eats lots of chocolate and nuts. Sometimes these cold sores are around my nose, on my cheeks, on my chin or above my mouth and I have had some terrible scars in the past from cold sores that became huge and lasted for weeks. These scars sometimes took over 6 months to disappear.
This used to be the bane of my life. It really ruined my existence, to the point where I did not go out for weeks as my face was marred with huge weeping sores or large crusty scabs sometimes several nasty cold blisters would spread in a line across my cheek and they were so painful. It was one of the worst periods of my life and lasted over 2 years during which I felt ashamed and disgusting. People would look at me with horror and no amount of make up could conceal these terrible sores.
Thank goodness for acetone. I cannot believe this works but it really does! The minute I feel a sore coming on or itchiness I swab the area with acetone several times, often the skin turns a little red. Then on top of that I put some cream containing acyclovir like zovirax. I keep repeating every couple of hours. Usually the next day the sore is gone or on its way out.
Just to give advice to others out there, there is a link between foods and cold sores especially sugars, processed red meats (avoid these like the plague) and foods containing lysine and arginine to my break outs. If I eat foods high in arginine like nuts, seeds, chocolate, soya, shellfish etc. then often a cold sore will come up, it is important to balance this out with either foods containing lysine or a lysine supplement.
Foods highest in lysine are chicken, tuna, cod, grouper, pollock, haddock etc. Foods highest in Lysine and lowest in arginine are plain yogurt, most cheeses, milk, kefir and many fishes.
Sticking to a good ratio of more lysine than arginine in your diet plus the acetone trick should mean no more cold sores!
I wish everyone well and no more cold sores, ever!
Acetone
Posted by Kilgore (Jackson, Ms) on 12/06/2012
Please try iodine for cold sores, 20 drops of the 5% solution in coffee or milk. Resolved my case in two months.
Camphor
Posted by Piper (Toronto, Canada) on 09/15/2014
★★★★★
Yet another cold sore. I had a bowl of chocolate ice cream and the next day a cold sore was starting. This time, I applied Tiger Balm. Tiger Balm has 25% camphor and 10% menthol and some other ingredients. Within seconds of applying, white blisters would form - I think it was the virus coming up to the surface. I would use a tissue to gently wipe away the blister fluid. The bringing up the virus to the surface and out of the skin helps the cold sore heal faster.
Lemon Balm
Posted by P (Shawnee Mission, Ks) on 10/24/2012
The herb Lemon Balm There is actually some research to support its effectiveness against the herpes virus. Take it when you first start to feel the pain. 2 or three capsules, Then back off and use 1 maybe 3 times a day. Zinc oxide ointment on the sores at night. I use coconut oil in cooking. May help.
Lemon Balm
Posted by Cris01us (Honolulu) on 07/07/2017
★★★★★
You are spot on. Lemon Balm is my main weapon now (liquid form with dropper). I also take coconut oil (1000-5000mg) depending on how I feel, and having enough Zinc is also key. I rotate in Echinacea with Goldenseal every so often and always take L-Lysine. Thanks for sharing!
Electro-Therapy
Posted by Linda (Maricopa, Az) on 01/20/2015
Interesting technique, but very painful. I have been cold sore free for over 30 years. Prior to using a treatment (I received from a nurse) I had sore large sores at least 4 times a year. This nurse told me to get some drinkable iodine, place 10 drops in a large glass of water, drink it up, do this for 30 days. She said the virus for this herpes lives in the pancrease and this iodine kills it. Well it worked for me. I recommend this to my friends - think they are a bit sceptical - so they may not ever use it. You may want to try this.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Timh (KY) on 03/06/2015 2041 posts
Licorice is a potent antiviral and worth the recommend, but, yes, the Glycyrrhizic Acid makes it unpopular as the bad side effects of elevated Aldosterone thus sodium retention and hypertension. To reduce these side effects one can go on a very low sodium and increased potassium diet for the few days of taking Licorice.
Also, most folks take advantage of the deglyccerinated form of licorice or DGL. Therapeutic doses of DGL could be taken together w/ minimal doses of regular strength Licorice (also w/ low sodium diet) for maximum benefit and minimal side effect.
L-Lysine
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Ky, Usa) on 08/01/2012 2041 posts
Becky, the herb St John's Wort is both antiviral and antidepressant. Outside of the typical vit/min used to boost immunity, of which some it seems he's taking, try the Thymus Gland support I posted a few days ago, here:
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/lyme_disease.html#MR_71105
Cold Showers or Cold Baths or swimming is a powerful whole body/mind booster w/ immediate as well as long-term benefits; you can find it in the "remedies" section at the top of the E. C. page.
Hope this helps and good luck.
L-Lysine
Posted by Sherry (Vancouver, Bc) on 12/08/2012
RA and Mania are both tied to gluten intolerance. It has incredible systemic reactions. Do some research and get him off gluten and dairy. It'll make the world of difference.
Geranium Oil
Posted by Janet (Fernley, Nevada) on 07/11/2012
★★★★★
I was just told about using Geranium oil on cold sores and will never use anything else it worked fast!!! I had 2 cold sores and a 3rd one on its way. The 2 had popped already and were starting to scab, I put a drop of Geranium oil on my finger and dabbed it on the sores 2 or 3 times through out the day. It doesn't taste great if it gets in your mouth but oh well. I would put on carmex inbetween Geranium oil applications. The next day the 3rd sore never came, the smaller sore was gone and the bigger sore was much smaller!! My sister in law says she puts it on before the blisters pop and it clears right up, mine were open already and it still worked super fast! It is now day 3 I have not put anymore Geranium oil on it since day 1 and my cold sores are all almost GONE! I love it!!!
Acetone, Aloe Vera
Posted by Merrin (Perth, West Australia) on 05/30/2012
G'day! After suffering from unsightly coldsores due to stress a friend recommended Lysine, an amino acid. I take a 500mg tablet every day or two. If I feel the "tingle" I increase the dose and that seems to do the trick, stopping the nasty beast in its tracks.
Red Marine Algae
Posted by Sue M. (Worden, Il, Usa) on 05/18/2012
★★★★★
I was also starting to get frequent cold sores... Every couple of months and I felt terrible with them. So, I was doing some research and read on Dr. Mercola's website that if you take Red Marine Algae( with gigartina/dumontacea in the formula) that this will help prevent you from getting the cold sores. So far, so good. It's been a couple of months and no signs of an episode.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Susan (Manila, Philippines) on 05/07/2012
★★★★★
I have had herpes since about age 7 or 8, I had it both orally and genitally, I know Doctors will say it is not possible but I think being a child I played with the oral sores and transferred it to my penis when I had a pee, anyway all my life it has come and gone and now I'm 64 and I just discovered this website. Brilliant. My outbreaks have been rare over the past 30 or 40 years but 3 years I moved from my native New Zealand to the Philippines and after coming here I began having outbreak after outbreak. I have seldom needed any medication before and suddenly I found I needed it, but I hardly got over one OB and another would start. Then I began getting a rash above the hairline on the back of my head, and around the waist, under my arms, my butt crack, anywhere I sweated heavily. That generated me thinking why, what is different, and after a lot of thought, it is definitely diet triggered. I went from Potato as the staple to rice and also in NZ I always drank alkaline water, where I lived the water was naturally alkaline.
So I began the 1/4 teaspoon of BS in a glass of water twice a day on a empty stomach, stopped eating rice for breakfast and began eating raw fruits as my first food, I would consume this using the ACV as a dip and would consume 1 or 2 tablespoons of it.
My skin began to clear immediately, the itching stopped, and the herpes outbreaks seem to have come to halt. I have been doing this for a month, added benefit, I have lost weight and my BP is a steady 110/70. What more can I say. I love this site. Thank Earth Clinic and especially Ted from Thailand.
Acetone, Ice, Lysine
Posted by Maz (Philadelphia, Pa, Usa) on 04/26/2012
★★★★★
I woke up with COLD SORES on a Tuesday morning, and I was going to fly across the country to visit my boyfriend that Friday! No way was I going to see my boyfriend for the first time in a month and NOT be able to kiss him! I used ice AND lysine AND acetone. Here's how:
LYSINE: Took 3000 mg as soon as I got up, 2000 mg at lunch, and 2000 mg at bedtime. The second and third days, I took 2000 mg at each of the same times.
ICE: Iced ASAP for about 20 minutes. This stopped the tingling and pain for about half an hour after I was done. Iced again a few hours later for another 20 minutes.
ACETONE: After icing, I used a Q-tip to CAREFULLY soak each cold sore with acetone for about a minute. As soon as the tingling or pain came back, I soaked the sores with the acetone again. I did this for about an hour and a half, then rinsed my lips with lots of cold water. I soaked the sores with acetone again one time right before going to bed. The second day, I used the acetone one time in the morning and one time at night.
The sores were GONE by the end of the second day. My lips WERE red and puffy for another day or so in the places where I'd used the acetone -- so be aware that you might be replacing your cold sore with a chemical burn.
I have not tried using these three things separately, so I can't tell you which one is the best. But using all of them together worked for me!
Acetone
Posted by Yessssss (Ft Lauderdale, Fl) on 04/20/2012
★★★★★
So started getting a tingle on my chin and I immediately started applying cream it did nothing by the morning my whole chin was covered I read this post around noon it is now 4 and holy crap they're almost gone!!! Got a needle gently pricked each lump then got the nail polish remover soaked them for 5 min since every hr I have been applying a bit and it's almost gone awesome thanks guys
Acetone
Posted by Micah (Augusta, Ga) on 12/08/2012
★★★★★
I've used the acetone nail polish remover method twice in the last year. The first time I used it I had already had the cold sore on my lip for three days so it was pretty gnarly looking but I went ahead and did the acetone treatment anyway and it was almost 100 % healed within a few days when normally it would have taken two weeks. This time, I used the acetone as soon as I felt the cold sore and two days later its almost completely healed. It never got huge and super red and scabby. I am definitely a huge fan of this method.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sms27 (Princeton, Nj, Usa) on 04/07/2012
★★★★★
I've tried many remedies, but what best works for me is a combination of lysine taken first thing in the morning and then twice more during the day, and in the first day of the sore, dabbing it periodically with tea tree oil, holding the cutip for a minute or so, then putting vaseline on it. Taking vitain C and zinc supplements speeds up the healing process. The best part about the teatree oil is that is dries the sore and it doesn't really break-up, making it easy to conceal, especially if you catch it within a few hours of forming. If you catch it before it starts swelling, when you just have tingling and itching, then it is very lkely it won't even form.
BHT
Posted by Art (Vancouver Bc, Canada) on 03/22/2012
★★★★★
I see a list for popular remedies but, under that list I do not see BHT (Butylated Hydroxy Toluene) for cold sores of which is a herpes virus. I for one am using it and am seeing the disapearance of one on my lip that used to break out every year. Some one here mentioned if you can't cure it you can at least control it. I say why control it when you can cure it. You can see the results of BHT under the remedies tab. Again I don't understand why it not under the list of popular remedies here as opposed to acetone which can be harmful. Acetone nay. BHT yea.
Dietary Recommendations
Posted by Tbo (Louisville, Kentucky) on 03/22/2012
★★★★★
I wanted to share an option for treatment of Herpes with all who are looking for and ALL NATURAL and VERY EFFECTIVE option. In recent years I have been learning more about natural foods verses commercial and processed foods. A year and a half ago I joined a local food Co-Op where they follow Weston A. Price Founation practices regarding food orgins. It has been a great benefit to me and my family's health. Learning how natural (truly natural) food sources are key in our overall health. So, when Herpes invaded my happy little life I was compelled to find a remedy that would be natural and beneficial as well.
I've tried acetone, apple cider vinegar (ACV), campho phenic and I take L-lysine daily and I am still getting the outbreaks and having the full cycle of an outbreak with blisters etc. Again, hoping this info and the link provided will help someone else out there looking for natural ways to live with this embarassing virus.
Acetone
Posted by Art (Vancouver Bc, Canada.) on 03/21/2012
Dear Bella_vcista2, If you have a cold sore you have a form of herpes. Taking BHT a food preservative that kills lipid coated viruses. Your cold sore will return as mine did but does no longer. You can get it at VRP (vitamin Research Products) very cheap. The informed have the power. Art.
Acetone
Posted by Lynel (Como, Colorado) on 03/25/2012
Everything you put on your skin is absorbed into you. I for one don't want any acetone inside me or on me. If you take one 500 mg. Tab of L-Lysine a day the cold sore will go away. It's a herpes virus from the whole Chicken Pox thing. That is what causes cold sores. L-Lysine is an amino acid. The ole bod need this.
Acetone
Posted by Dongyue (Culver, Ca) on 04/02/2012
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