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.
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!
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
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
Tea Bag
Posted by Cathy (Pocatello, Idaho) on 03/24/2009
★★★★★
Tea bag soaked in cold water stops cold sores and fever blisters. I think the tannic acid is what does it. Just soak bag a few minutes then squeeze it slightly and apply. Apply as often as you can through out the day. Really soothes and takes out the pain and swelling. Put bag in a dish or cup to keep moist. If you keep it in the fridge it will keep cool and feel better.
Honey
Posted by Vic (Agadir, Morocco) on 02/10/2009
★★★★★
Honey for Cold Sores: I had this horible Cold Sore all over my mouth together with cracked and chapped lips and nothing seemed to help. Thought about hearing something about honey being used to heal such issues. Tried it and my mouth is almost healed after just 24 hours. MIRACULOUS!!!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Patricia (Elmont, NY) on 02/02/2009
emergen-c caused a herpes simplex outbreak. I was shopping at Trader Joes and I picked up a pack of emergen-c. thinking that it will supply me with needed vit-c. I took one packet right at the store with water that I bought there. I felt really weird after taking it. I read the ingredients and I noticed natural flavors and natural sucrose. I know from previous time that anything edible containing natural flavours it is MSG. No sooner did I get into my car to leave,my lip became inflamed and I had the start of a cold sore. I returned to the store and got my money back. I later spoke to the manager about the situation and he said he cannot pull anything off the shelf. It has to be done by headquarters. Now I only depend on good quality Vit C. Emergen-C is on my not-to-buy-list!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Steve (Birmingham, UK) on 01/08/2009
I regulary have outbreaks of coldsores, although they seems to be to two different types.
The first type - normal, typical ones that are on the lips, they start small with the tell tale tingle and spread, with recovery expedited with the use of Acyclovir.
The second type are a bit different these seem to be a much larger pre-determined size,they have more smaller fluid filled welts, a far greater distance from my lips either on the tip or side of my nose or upper chin. They do not have the tell tale tingle, nor do they do respond well to acyclovir.
The second type I used to strongly believe was an allergic reaction to either bannanas or artificial sweeteners as opposed to coldsores because of these differences, however medical tests confirmed that they were cold sores. I currently avoid both potential triggers and seem to get far less outbreaks, however artificial sweetners are almost impossible to avoid.
Who knows!!??
Dietary Recommendations
Posted by Glenn (Perth, Australia) on 02/13/2009
★★★★★
I suffered frequently from cold sores most of my life. The embarrassment of a large outbreak on the lips is enough to want to hide away at home until the sore dimishes to just a small scab. But that's not possible when you need to work. It's even worse if, like in my job you need to interface with the public a lot.
A few years back I changed my diet by excluding or seriously restricting all wheat flour products because I was getting overweight and could hardly tie my shoe laces without needing to come up for air to finish the knot. It was hard to start with because these foods are so tasty and addictive. But as a result of the diet change I not only lost 15 kilograms but also found that I no longer suffered from cold sores or head colds either.
On the very rare occasion that I do get a cold sore now I can immediately trace it to a binge on bread, pizza, pasta or rice the previous day, and the lesion is tiny in comparison with the past. To control it I abstain from the flour products and rice and try not to lick my lips, and it goes away within days. Nuts, chocolate and citrus fruits are not a factor in my case nor are diet drinks because I don't really go for them much.
I wonder if genital herpes would respond to the same dietry restrictions.
