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.
L-Lysine
Posted by Finzy (Palm Beach, Fl) on 12/06/2010
I have episodic bouts of dizziness and vertigo. I went to ENT doc and had caloric testing and BPPV test. It turned out that I do NOT have BPPV and they can't conclude that I have Meneire's. I get fullness and a deep itchiness in right ear, but no ringing and no hearing loss. The doc found the right ear to be the problem during the caloric testing.
I have Herpes in my nose (deep up in right nostril) and genital herpes. I am almost sure that the dizziness I get is from herpes attacking my right inner ear.
After reading suggestions about Lysine supplementation, I began loading up on Lysine. 500 mg about 4-5 times per day. I must say, no more dizziness and no more herpes attack. If I manage to forget to take the Lysine for about 48 hours then sure enough, the genital herpes or nasal herpes start to break out. I sometimes even feel that funny flu feeling in my head and worry that an attack is happening in my inner ear. I am very sure that with future studies, the experts will find a definitive relationship between HSV and vertigo.
Acetone
Posted by Coopbkc (Kansas City, Mo, Usa) on 10/08/2010
★★★★★
Thanks everybody on here so much. Earth clinic is amazing; I always check it first and have managed to avoid getting a prescription for anything for over 3 years (funny because I am applying to med school but avoid doctors at all costs). I have had only a few cold sores my entire life, but a few days ago I felt tingling in my lip and went to the bathroom and saw my lip was a little red and slightly swollen. I freaked out. I have a big weekend planned visiting my friends and a guy I just met. Having a cold sore was out of the question. I got on here and saw the acetone remedy. I am finishing my degree in Chemistry and have had quite a bit of contact with acetone and knew that it would work as a powerful disinfectant/drying agent. Also, to everybody that was shocked/worried about acetone, it is produced naturally in very small quantities in the body. Certainly don't make a martini with it, but a couple q-tip's full over a few days shouldn't be harmful assuming you're not allergic. By the time I got home, I had a small sore on my upper lip and my bottom lip had a swollen area the size of a marble (ahh! ). I used a q-tip and applied acetone a few times an hour all night. The next morning the top sore had dried out and scabbed and the bottom was less swollen but still showing signs of blistering. I continued with the acetone in the morning and abreva/acetone throughout the day. I did not use any moisturizer/chapstick because I wanted the infection to dry out. Its now only two days into the outbreak, my bottom lip is normal sized and has scabbed below the surface, the top lip has no scab and is pink and healing well. I am so happy. Its hardly noticeable. By tomorrow, I anticipate I will be back to normal. I have started using Vaseline to moisturize and speed up healing. A little acetone is sooooooo much better than the two week embarrassment I faced last time I had a cold sore. This has almost cleared up in 48 hours and this was the worst (biggest) outbreak I have had. Thank you again.
Mango Mask, Alum
Posted by Maxklug (Ma, Usa) on 03/05/2015
I posted a reply earlier to another comment but I think the information would be relevant to you too so I am posting it again here.
There is some evidence that an elevated level of mercury in the body is connected with outbreaks. There are ways to lower your mercury levels . One way is to take the supplement IP6, but research this yourself as it also chelates iron. Elevated levels of free iron may also contribute to outbreaks as iron displaces zinc and copper. Zinc is known to suppress the Herpes virus so reducing iron and mercury may convert you over to someone who never has another outbreak. Cilantro, otherwise known as coriander, is another very effective substance for chelating mercury and lowering your levels.
From my initial infection and a few outbreaks after that I was outbreak free for over a decade. Then in my mid thirties I had cavities filled for the first time in my life. I had frequent and sometimes sever outbreaks after that for a number of years. At some point I started taking IP6 for general health/anti aging reasons. My outbreaks ceased after that. I did not make the connection till much later when I read about mercury levels and herpes.
I would also suggest taking zinc supplements as most people are deficient.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Gavin (Manganui, Northland, New Zealand) on 09/18/2010
★★★★★
If you dab ACV on a cold sore it immediatley starts shrinking to nothing.
Ted's Remedy Feedback
Posted by Zark (Emerald City, The Land Of Oz, The Land Of Oz) on 08/07/2013
★★★★★
Hi there, I will copy Ted From Bangkok's latest info for combatting Herpes Virus (latest I can find is 2012).
07/31/2012: Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "Yes, that is a weak remedy. I might try a stronger one, with BHT 500 mg, twice a day, lysine 1000 every hour for 4 hours once a day, and vitamin C 500 mg five times a day, for a month. You can also take the lysine twice a day, for four hours twice a day, with threonine, 500 mg at same time taken with lysine. There is a more powerful remedy than that, but I believe starting with the weakest one and gradually increasing strength is the safest way to go. Lithium is also antiviral and is taken at 5 mg a day before sleep and so is Lugols, but that's another remedy.
Ted"
-- Source: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/herpes_questions.html
Ice
Posted by Ileana (Cabo Rojo, Pr) on 02/11/2012
★★★★★
I have been going through a lot of stress lately and a couple of days ago I felt it coming.... An upper lip herpes eruption... I was horrified since I have had to be around relative day in and day out due to a sickness in the family... So after I read about ICE as a cure for herpes... I though I might as well and try it.... IT WORKED!! EVERYTHING IS GONE my lip is clear.... Well except for a little ice burn on my upper lip cause I put ice again and again.... Hehehehe... Hey I don't mind as much cause it is gone.... So thank!!
Homeopathic Remedies
Posted by Nutrtionistmom (Carlsbad, Ca) on 08/07/2010
★★★★★
I have gotten cold sores since I was a young child. My moms standard cure works great. Homeopathic cold sore medicine. Well-known brand carries it. Start taking as soon as you feel tingle or bump. Take several(just put under your tongue and it will dissolve) every few hours. It encapsulates the virus and stops it cold. If you didn't catch it quickly add in L-lysine 2000mg several times a day. Natural, chemical free and safe. If you catch it right away it never becomes more than a bump. I haven't had a full blown cold sore in years. Good luck
Acetone
Posted by Jazzy103 (Yardley, Pa) on 07/31/2010
★★★★★
I applied 100% acetone on onset of my oral herpes and much to my surprise it worked!! I suffer from breakouts 1-2 times per month and have tried many things with no success of stopping a full blown blister. I kept applying acetone about every half hour on the first day and about every hour on the second day, then a few times per day until I was sure it was gone. I only experienced some redness and dryness but no ugly yellow blisters!!!! I hope this can help someone who is suffering from this agressive and ugly virus!!
Acetone
Posted by Mike (Denver Area, Colorado) on 08/25/2010
★★★★★
I just wanted to thank you guys for giving me this tip on acetone. I was extremely skeptical but my last breakout terrible. When I saw a situation developing on my lip this time I freaked out and knew drastic action was gonna be required or I was gonna be out of commission for a month like last year. No good. Usually what happens is I get one herpes and then all h*ll breaks loose. My entire chin and lips get covered within 3 days. And inside my mouth as well... It's very bad. This time I read this thread and took immediate action. I took a cotton (make up remover disc) and put acetone on it. I then held it directly on the infected area. I did this several times per day (5 to 10 times) until it was gone. Here's the thing. My chin and lips were "ready" to have a major breakout but I kept dabbing the acetone anywhere I thought something was about to happen throughout the day... I highly recommend that because it saved me MUCH embarassment. Inside my mouth was terrible but the more vitamin C I took the more relief I got. Not a noticeable difference with Lysine. One note, as soon as you even think you have something developing on your face, dab it with acetone. And you know a difference between a pimple and a "cold sore". Thanks again everyone!
Avoid Caffeine
Posted by Lou-lou (Adelaide, Sa) on 04/01/2010
★★★★☆
Hi, I have posted here before but not for oral herpes which I also suffer from. Mine occur on the inside or outside of my nose, sometimes extending towards my mouth. Needless to say, not a pretty site :( and I have battled for years to try and improve the sores asap. What I hadn't looked into much before though was how to avoid getting them in the first place. There are always triggers for things and our bodies try to tell us this by giving us a rash, or a sore or spots etc. I too have also found a link with artificial sweeteners but what I have discovered through my own testings is CAFFEINE! It's a huge NO NO, well at least for me. I have cut out all caffeine products such as coffee, chocolate, coke etc. I loved all 3 but the alternative (a sore) is not worth it. I have found a coffee substitute called Caro and there is also one called Ecco. They are a cereal beverage and are sold in supermarkets right next to coffee. I usually mix that with decaf coffee. There is still caffeine in decaf but a very low percentage. I used to get outbreaks just about every month. I have been sore-free for 3 months now and counting :) Also as most of you would know, both Lysine and Arginine are amino acids. Most, if not all foods have each of these in them. Lysine is good for us herpes sufferers but arginine is very bad. Nuts, especially peanuts are at the top of the list for arginine properties. I printed a list from the web of foods high in arginine. The key is to ensure your diet has far more lysine. Plain yogurt and cheese top the list there. Also important is to know that the ratio of lysine in a food far out weighs the arginine content. If you don't think you are getting enough lysine, then you can always take a supplement. If any of you out there are staph carriers and suffer from severe infections around the nose towards the mouth area, I have an idea about that too so let me know if you are interested.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Lisa (Boulder, Colorado) on 03/05/2010
★★★★★
Apply Aloe Vera whenever you feel a cold sore coming on. Most the time you will not have an outbreak at all. You can also take Aloe Vera by mouth, too! If you do get a cold sore, pop the blister with a needle, then apply the Aloe Vera. You won't even see it after about 2 hours! Good luck....works for me!
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Baz2010 (Newburgh, Ny, Usa) on 02/01/2010
★★★★★
Last night a cold sore began to develop on my lip. I read on Earth Clinic to use hydrogen peroxide. I used cotton swabs and applied the peroxide to my lip. I did this using 5 separate swabs over a one hour period. I noticed immediate results within that hour. This morning I did the same and just did it again when I got home from work. The cold sore seems to be in its final stages and should be gone by tomorrow. I have used Abreva and saw the same results over 4-5 days. Peroxide worked for me and did so a lot faster.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ella (Roanoke, Va) on 06/24/2010
I have suffered with 6 or 7 cold sore outbreaks within one year, and this remedy is the ONLY thing that has made my sores disappear so quickly! I usually use popular over the counter topical meds (like Abreva)and take acyclovir (aka Valtrex). It's hard to tell how much those really shorten the duration of an episode. But with this remedy, it's very clear that the "life" of my sores has been shortened. I broke out 2 days ago, began applying ACV with a Q-tip to the sores. First time it helped the sores to burst and begin the healing process. Since then I've been applying several times a day, followed by a Q-tip with organic tea tree oil to help soothe the burning and dry them out. My episodes usually last at LEAST a week, but at the rate these sores are healing it's looking like it'll be closer to 3-4 days. What a difference! I highly reccomend this remedy.
L-Lysine
Posted by Kristin (Newcastle, Ontario, Canada) on 01/20/2010
From what I remember you are only supposed to take L-lysine for up to 6 months at a time.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nyx (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 01/16/2010
Reaction to ACV?
I applied apple cider vinegar on a cold sore that was on the left side my botton lip (almost on the inner part). I did this at least every hour for a few days. I would hold it there for at least a minute each time. No reaction at all.
Then I stared to get a bump on the right side of my lower lip, but inside (on the inner part). I don't know if it's a canker sore or cold sore (I know you get canker sores in your mouth but I don't know HOW far in they have to be to not consider it a cold sore) but I put acv on it. There was also a small cut in that area from picking off dry skin. Well I applied the acv less than 10 times throughout the course of a day and that area of my lip swelled up twice it size. I also felt some pretty intense tingling. I stopped for a day and took an allergy pill and it went down. Just to see what would happen I tried applying some acv tonight and it has swelled up again.
So I put acv on the first sore MANY times and nothing happened. But when I put it on the second one it reacted? Why?
Garlic
Posted by Steven (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) on 12/06/2009
★★★★★
There have been many times where i've ignored or taken for granted the initial tingles of an oncoming cold sore. So the remedy I'm going to share even works for cold sores at their maximum size and strength! Mix half a clove of crushed garlic with about 1/2 a tablespoon of toothpaste. Depending on the size of the cold sore(s), this mixture will make enough for a few applications. Apply it thick, on not only the cold sore, but around the affected area also. I do warn you, this will burn like mad! Leave it to dry for 3 hours, then remove and re-apply. Do this 3 or 4 times during the day.
The reason this works well is because the toothpaste acts as a barrier, not letting air to the affected area, giving the crushed garlic increased potential to kill the infection.
Aspirin
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.
Homeopathic Remedies
Posted by Jane (Hamilton, New Zealand) on 10/15/2009
★★★★☆
I had been getting coldsores regularly for the past twenty years. I also managed to unwittingly infect my four year old son with them. We were getting them every six weeks at least. A homeopath recommended the homeopathic remedy Natrum Muriaticum. I didn't wait for our next outbreak, just took three pilules four times a day for about three days. My son and I have been coldsore free for two years...until this week after a day's skiing I had my first outbreak (skiing for some reason has always given me the worst coldsores). That's why I'm on this site searching for quickfire remedies as the homeopathic remedy is helping but not fast enough for a quick cure. However I recommend it as a way to prevent their recurrence.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Susan (Sarasota, Fl) on 09/25/2009
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar will stop the progress of herpes. I have an occasional occurrence on my leg. Simply soak a small cotton ball with ACV and cover with a bandaid or tape. Change throughout the day and keep on over night. Amazingly, within a day, you will see you are winning the war!!! I also succeeded in removing a large wart from my finger.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Amber (Washington, DC) on 06/23/2009
★★★★★
I had never gotten cold sores before and this was the first time. It was horrible i had 3 HUGE cold sores on and around my lips. i waited 2 weeks and they didn't go away. i used pills and creams but nothing worked. I read here to use hydrogen peroxide and i figured what could i lose i already look horrible and i had 1 day befoe i was leaving to europe for 2 weeks. basically it works wonders! i had yellow puss dried up for about 5 days and it hadn't fallen off yet. the HP dissolved the dried puss and made it easier for me to pick off. some of the sores were still open so i put the hydrogen peroxide on( it burned like nothing else) it didn't puss over again it just dried out. now i have red skin but thats it. i can at least go out in public now
Acidophilus
Posted by Jimdave (Lavinia, Tennessee) on 06/02/2009
★★★★★
Acidolpholis cured my cold sores and fever blisters. Had them all my life and saw a note about this bacteria in a magazine. I laughed, like everyone else. Later is desperation I tried some Bulgarian Buttermilk and within 24 hrs they were gone. Worked for years, then they took the buttermilk off the shelves. Replaced it with bulgarian style (no bacteria added). It's a fake and doesn't work anymore. Bought the pills over the counter. Also works great. Just take one or two ocasionaly when traveling and eating processed food.If takeing antibiotics or drinking clorinated water you will need to take a mega dose between antibiotic pills. You will be amazed. No thrush or hemorriods. Most every company has thier own kind of bacteria so I alternate and keep a couple on hand. Some now say that they contain Bulgariacus. That apears to be the best.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by C P (Columbia, SC) on 05/24/2009
★★★★☆
I have GH and we all know its excrutiating...hurt very bad. But herpes is a virus that lies dormant at the base of your spine inside your nervous system. The absolute best way to avoid an outbreak is to try your best to stay stress-free and worry-free and illness-free...take plenty of vitamin c or immunity defense tabs, plenty of water...we all know that sick can cause stress and worry...but this seems to be working well for me. I haven't had and outbreak in almost a year. But, when I do, I use a mixture of sea salt or witch hazel and lidocaine spray. the salt and witch hazel helps dry it out and the lidocaine of course, numbs the area for a while. also, after showering, i know this sounds crazy, but i use lysol..the can says dont use on skin, but if you read it kills the herpes virus...I spray a touch of lysol on a dry towel (not enough to effect your skin)and gently pat the area...wait about 5 minutes then, do the sea salt, lidocaine trick...this has worked very well for me...hope it helps
