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.
Acetone
Posted by Ems (Uk) on 10/31/2014
★★★★★
Felt the tingling early and thought I had stopped it with Zovirax but woke up this morning and it was huge. I burst it with a disinfected needle and have been pressing a cotton bud with nail polish remover into it and in 3 hours it has gone down in size by a third.
Acetone
Posted by Rachelle (Idaho, US) on 11/02/2014
Wow I have never heard of using acetone! I will be incorporating this along with what I have found to be most beneficial today! I'm 51 and have suffered all my life with cold sores clear back to my grade school days! I have always considered myself as the cold sore queen! hahaha With age comes experience for what has worked best for me. At the first sign I always take a fever reducer. I take this through out the day and I even take it at night before bed. This by far has been the best way for me to attack the cold sores before they attack me at night! This has kept that god awful swelling from happening over night! Along with helping out with the pain! Thanks for the advice on the acetone can not wait to try it!
Acetone
Posted by Kim (Ny, US) on 11/07/2014
Hi, read your post and really curious to know if it worked for you. I thought like we all do I suppose that I was the cold soar queen, but I see you are too. LOL... Mine come specifically with stress. I always know when it is about to come and can usually stop it with the medicine. They gave me a larger dose than I have heard normally because of how large one got once, so I get 1000mg of Valtrex. When it first starts the tingle I take 2 and if I was early enough it won't come at all.
This past week though I was away from home, knew it was coming and forgot the medicine... sure enough, BANG! However this time it is worse than it has ever been and I've had them so bad that once my lip was swollen 3" more than normal. This one goes from the middle of my upper lip two the corner of my mouth and that has never happened. Usually its one on the lip or above but this is like 4 of them together and is horrible. So I wonder did the acetone work for you??????
Peppermint
Posted by Ray (Boston, Ma) on 12/17/2013
★★★★★
Can you add Peppermint to the cold sore remedy list? I know it works.
EC: Hi Ray, do you mean peppermint oil or lip balm with peppermint?
Acetone
Posted by Maria (NJ ) on 05/04/2022
ME TOO! What is it with the RETIN-A!!
Avoid Orange, Grapefruit, and Cranberry Juices
Posted by Timauthee (Dallas, Tx) on 09/04/2013
★★★★★
Cold Sores: Tried ALL of the home remedies, drugs and L Lysine for prevention..... Nothing worked. Read on the genital herpes site that Orange, Grapefruit and Cranberry Juice causes outbreaks. Past years would have on average of 8 major occurrences per year. Stopped drinking these juices and had 1 minor occurrence in the past 2 years (side-note, the last two years have been anything but stressless so its not due to a low stress levels).
Honey
Posted by Garion (New York, Ny) on 05/04/2013
★★★★☆
Honey usually works when I catch the cold sore during that "tingling" stage. But, just recently I think the sun did me in and 2 days later I broke out. I could fill my lip getting swollen and irritated and see it being red but I was at work and didn't have the honey available. I got home and did the honey but by the next day, full on blisters. I was applying the honey but it was too late. And the cold sore is now progressing thru the states.
So, for honey to work, for me, I need to catch it right at the tingling stage. Or else it seems it's too late.
Avoiding The Sun
Posted by Maremarecalif (Concord, Ca) on 04/19/2013
★★★★☆
For years I would get cold sores and I could not figure out why.. I'm 70yrs now and about 5 years ago the answer came.. It was the sun that brought them on for me... I am fair skin and I have a large lot.. I do all the yard work , that includes making patios with pavers, digging up sewer pipes etc... The days I'm in the sun too long, the next day I will feel bumps next to my lips and I know whats coming Blisters... So now I do most of my yard work late in the day or very early in the am.. If I do get one, I use camphor.
Red Marine Algae, L-Lysine
Posted by Kristine (Rome, Italy) on 04/18/2013
Red Marine Algae (difficult to find outside of the USA) and L-Lysine taken in the early stages of a heperes outbreak works wonders, even regarding furture break-outs!
Artificial Sweetener Link to Herpes
Posted by Art 1a. (Vancouver BC, Canada) on 04/05/2013
I have been off artificial sweeteners for some time now. The other day being 5 days ago I went out to mow the grass. I had a bottle of flavored water 1/2 full sitting in my cup holder. It had been there for 7 months since the last time I use the tractor. I drank it like I have done before, after all it, s just flavored water and it still tasted pretty good. The cap was on tight and the garage is cold. Anyway I got a Cold Sore 2 hours later on my upper lip. Now any time before if I was to hold my keys with my teeth and the key touched my lower lip I would get a break out on that spot. So this must be some kind of bacteria causing it.
I am taking BHT for another problem but it does not help with this. So I guess the next time I will try the ACV trick and see if that does the trick.
art 1a.
Colloidal Silver, Coconut Oil
Posted by Gonna Try Again (Fort Lauderdale, Fl, Usa) on 02/20/2013
★★★★★
Read on EarthClinic about both Monolaurin and Collodial Silver (CS) for cold sore, and fiqured that I would give it a shot. For about a month, I took CS five times daily and two coconut oil supps each time I took the CS. That was a year ago (Should note that I can go years between a cold sore). This weekend was a bit cold and I may have also had an allergic reaction to orange juice which caused my lips to burn/itch. I put Carmex on it and today woke up with a small cold sore. It is so small that it is barely visible. I added some topical CS and it is already drying up.
Obviously a month of CS and coconut oil supplements did not cure the virus, but I cant deny that this is probably the smallest coldsore I have had in a while. So I'm going to try taking the CS and supps longer to see if it will finally go away FOREVER!!
Colloidal Silver, Coconut Oil
Posted by Alakhi (Livingston, Mt) on 02/20/2013
Try DMSO, it really works on cold sores!
General Feedback
Posted by Candy (Brooklyn, Ny, United States) on 12/04/2012
Has anyone been cure from herpes using the oil of oregano and coconut oil?
General Feedback
Posted by Candy (Brooklyn, Ny, United States) on 12/05/2012
To Ted.. I really need some info on this I am presently taking zinc, coconot oil and oil of oregano to cure herpes. I am determine to beat this thing, not just stop out breaks but to cure it. My diet has change, I eat lots of fruits, apples, watermalon, bananas etc I drink lots of water, eat lots of cheese, drink lots of milk, egss and fish. I think I mess up by eating whole wheat breads, what breads are better to eat the white or wheat if u have hsv1 and 2. I am not sure what juices I should drink either, does foot detox help with this too? Please shed some light on this thank you.. Has anyone been cured from these stuff? How long you recommend I take those stuff?
General Feedback
Posted by Kilgore (Jackson, Ms) on 12/06/2012
Candy, please look into Lugols iodine for your herpes. I have cured myself of a long standing infection in two months, 20 drops a day of 5% Lugols solution in coffee/milk.
General Feedback
Posted by Denise (Richmond, Va) on 12/07/2012
Glad to hear that your blemishes, scars and infection is gone. My question is have you gotten re-tested to see if the virus is still your blood?
General Feedback
Posted by Susan (USA) on 12/07/2012
Thanks a lot but did u get re-tested for HSV-1 and2?
General Feedback
Posted by Vitaminjunkie (Marietta, Georgia) on 12/15/2012
Try the oil of oregano! Take one 1500 mg. Capsule once a day for 4 or 5 months. You can also use the oil of oregano that comes in a bottle with a dropper for the actual sores during an outbreak. The only caveat is that oil of oregano can interfere with iron absorption so if you are a menstruating female you should take an iron supplement several hours before or after the oil of oregano. THIS STUFF WORKS.
General Feedback
Posted by Candy (Brooklyn, Ny, United States) on 01/08/2013
Kilgore from Jackson... have u taken a blood test and it proved you are cured from HSV1 and 2?
General Feedback
Posted by Gina (New York, NY) on 01/08/2013
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
20 drops a day of 5% lugol's iodine? Are you kidding me? I hope that is a typo as this is an overdose with serious side effects!! Please... This is a dangerous recommendation. 2-3 drops a day is more realistic.
Acetone
Posted by Lloyd (Charlotte, Nc) on 12/18/2012
Wow Artemesia if you know the exact location "where the virus resides" or words to that effect, you're the perfect candidate for a topical application of colloidal silver to kill the infection. Apply the silver solution to a white paper towel and for good penetration add a few drops of DMSO (penetrant, solvent and carrier) and press onto the site for fifteen minutes. Do this three times over three days. The paper towel needs to be fairly wet... two tablespoons of the colloidal silver.
Camphor
Posted by Piper (Toronto) on 06/09/2014
★★★★★
I get cold sores and usually I use hydrogen peroxide or nail polish remover and they dry up and heal in about a week. This time I had them for at least 8 weeks and nothing was working. A friend had recommended Carmax, so I decided a different approach was needed. After a couple of days using Carmax, I looked at the ingredients (camphor 1.7 and phenol .44) and noted that they were close to Vicks Vaporub. Checked the label and the Vicks was similar, just higher concentrations. I decided to put Vicks on my sores. I finally got some relief and they started to heal. First, I liked the feeling of Vicks. That familiar tingle seemed to counteract the annoying tingle of the cold sore. In fact, any time I felt a cold sore tingle, I would put Vicks on to have what I felt to be a healing tingle. Within a week they were healing.
Other thing I found that helps is lemon balm. Take leaf and rub on sore and drink in tea. About 5-6 leaves, crush a bit to release active ingredients.
Oregano Oil
Posted by Honey (Brooklyn, United States) on 11/29/2012
Has any actually been fully cured of herpes usuing the oil of oregano?
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Kilgore (Jackson, Ms) on 12/06/2012
Try iodine. I completely resolved my 7 year case in two months by taking 20 drops of 5% solution in coffe and milk. It works!
Oregano Oil
Posted by Sed (South Africa) on 04/06/2015
Hi I used oil of oregano by applying it on my back n drinking it and also applying it on the leisons-genital n it causes irregular periods. The virus has started shredding and I'm clueless currently researching. Do u know an alternative way I could use the oil?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Rubylola (Brisbane, Australia) on 10/28/2012
★★★★★
From time to time I will get a cold sore up my nose which is really itcy and sometimes painful. I normally put cold sore cream on and it will take a few days to scab and heal. Yesterday I woke up with a big blister up there and decided to soak an ear bud in ACV and apply. I was worried it would sting as my nose was quite sore but I did not feel anything at all. I applied the ACV all around my nostril and held it for a minute on the blister. The blister was completely gone from this! I swabbed diluted ACV around the outside area of my nose to make sure it didn't spread and continued to do this throughout the day. The next day there is no scab or anything up my nose, I'm very impressed. I will continue to apply it today to kill anything that may still be lurking. Will be interesting to see if it works the same next time (would be great if there is no next time though! ).
Electro-Therapy
Posted by Ragingcase (Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada) on 10/20/2012
I have had ob of HSV-1 on my lips since pre-adolescence... Probably originally inadvertently transmitted to me from goodnight/goodbye kisses by infected family members... gross huh! I have been and am diligent about warning and abstaining from intimate contact with all my past partners from the onset of ob.
My family doctor suggested at the onset of ob boosts of double regular doses of various vitamins... mainly C, B-complex, A & D; as well as drying the blisters out with rubbing alcohol and unscented anti-perspirant; then regularly cleaning the burst blisters with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide; all of which has a predictable but slight effect.
HOWEVER... just this weekend, with the familiar feelings of the onset of an ob, just a week and a half after my last (and pretty severe) ob cleared up, I was at my wits end as it has been nearly a month since being able to kiss my girlfriend. So I got this crazy notion... What if I try to electrocute the virus ?
I did a little on-line research and found a little info that it is feasable, a-LOT that it is bunk, but nothing that said it would cause any damage, so I licked my lip depositing a good conducting layer of saliva, gritted my teeth and touched the two electrodes of a fresh, clean 9 volt battery to the area... And... I got a good shock! But I pressed on, holding the shocking electrodes for 15 second intervals over and around the festering area, both the outside and slightly inside my lip. Once every couple of hours since the onset yesterday morning.
... and...
... without blistering, it's starting to shrink and the burning pressure is subsiding. Now this is only the first time trying this, and it's quite possibly, just a mild rebound (albeit about a centimeter over) from the last and pretty severe ob less than a week ago, but I'm actually quite surprised... Shocked you might say! Lol
I am going to continue this low voltage "electro-therapy" for the duration of this ob and some future ones to test its efficacy, and hopefully some other brave souls may experiment with it too and report back. And if anyone has any professional medical evidence advising against it, that would be great too.
I'll hopefully keep this forum posted. - RagingCase
Acetone
Posted by Serina (Us) on 03/08/2015
Where do you get strait acetone though. I read the ingredients in my nail polish remover and it has SOOOOO MANY other ingredients I'm afraid to put that on the sore on my lip.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Geri (Seattle, Washington) on 08/09/2012
What the best combination of supplements is to permanently eliminate dormant herpes from the nervous system? What is the dosage, and for how long should the herbs and supplements be taken?
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Maxklug (MA, US) on 03/05/2015
There has only EVER been ONE substance shown to eliminate a dormant herpes infection. That is Glycyrrhizic Acid. It causes cells that have the dormant Kaposi Sarcoma virus in them to die. Chaps Sarcoma is a type of herpes virus. It is not known if this works for other herpes type viruses. I am unclear of the exact mechanism but it works somewhere along the lines of it activates only half of the mechanism to reactivate the dormant virus' DNA and this causes the cell harboring the virus to die. If I remember correctly this research was done in Japan.
Self treatment with this would be tricky or dangerous, and could only be short term as Glycyrrhizic Acid causes a rise in cortisol levels by inhibiting the breakdown of cortisol.
L-Lysine
Posted by Becky (Fulton, Ny ) on 07/31/2012
My husband was diagnosed Bipolar 2 about 1.5 yrs ago after a manic episode possibly brought on by the huge amount of stress he was under. I read here about bipolar being caused by the herpes virus and it clicked because my husband had Rheumatoid Arthritis caused by the herpes zoster virus.... After a yr. on metronidazole he is completely healed of RA but was taking 2,000mg a day of Lysine to keep the virus in check.
He is in a depressed state now having come down from a manic eposide about a month ago. On day 1 he took 1,000mg Lysine every hour for 12 hrs...... Day 2 he took 1,000mg Lysine every hr. for 10 hrs. He felt less depressed the middle of day 2. On day 3 he took 1,000mg every hr. for 8 hrs and he felt much better but he woke up depressed on morning of day 4.... Which is today.... He started taking the Lysine at 8am then every hour so far......
Should he keep going every hour? How long should he keep doing this?
He is also taking.... Gelatin multi-vitamin 2x, vit c 1,000mg 4x, Vit. B6, 12, folic acid, Selenium 2x, Vit. D 5,000iu a day, Niacin 500mg 3x, choline 400mg, Inositol 650mg, zinc 50mg 2x, MSM 1,000mg 3x, Vit. A, Milk Thistle and he has taken various amino acids to help with mood.
I really do believe this could be cause by the herpes zoster virus because it caused his RA but dont want him to OD on lysine. Can this much lysine damage his liver? Seems like this virus is really holding on but I do see hope but not sure where to go from here? Is there anything else that can knock this virus out? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks, Becky
Lemon Balm
Posted by Crys (Ventura, Ca) on 07/15/2012
★★★★★
YAY! It worked great!
