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 Bonita (Rochester, MN, USA) on 01/03/2009
★★★★★
Found this website looking for flea remedies and found so much more! I too am always looking for remedies other than what are mainstream, just because it seems to me there has got to be more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak!
Read about Vitamin D deficincy in The Star Tribune by a doctor at the U of MN who discovered how many people suffer from a lack of it. Of course, I am a blue eyed blond who frys like a lobster in the sun and can't remember when the last time was that I went outdoors without sunscreen and and hat so I began taking a D supplement right away. I take 2000 IU of vitamin D daily. I have to say that I feel pretty darn good considering I have arthritis in all the major joints of my body.
I also have been using lysine to take care of my Herpes simplex outbreaks for years and would not be without it. I find that if I take 4-6 500 mg tablets at the first sign of the itch/tingle on my lip, and then 2 tablets every couple of hours after that, I can most times, stop it in its tracks and completely skip and signs of the break out. If I am nowhere near my supply of lysine and I get those symptoms, taking it at first opportunity causes the leisons to heal very rapidly. In any case, it works for me.
Am going to try the apple cider vinegar thing as well, for arthritis and for the flea problem. Weird that it will be for 2 such unrelated problems but If it works, who cares. It is certainly safe enough. Thanks for being here as a sounding board and gathering of natural remedies.
Calamine Lotion
Posted by Tamara (GA) on 09/19/2023
★★★★★
I use calamine lotion on mine too and it really works faster than anything I've tried ... And it soothes the burn ... I also use 91% alcohol on a qtip and dab it a few times a day then soothe with carmex and at night I put calamine on it .... Works very well
Elderberry
Posted by Citrine (Austin, TX) on 10/17/2008
★★★★★
I take Elderberry Extract 4 times a day to cure cold sores due to the herpes virus. At the first tingling sensation, I take my first capsule with water and also dab on a little hydrogen peroxide. The cold sores usually never forms. Elderberry (medicinal name is Sambucus) is an amazing anti-viral berry. It even works against the flu virus! My family does not take the flu vaccine and has used Elderberry to knock out the flu should the flu virus strike. You can purchase elderberry extract at any health food store. There is a syrup version for kids too (but it contains quite a bit of sugar as do most children's meds). As with any viral infection, it is recommended to continue the dosage for at least 3 days to rid your body of the viral attack. Hope this helps!
Garlic
Posted by Anna (Charlotte, USA) on 06/29/2008
★★★★★
Garlic Remedy for Cold Sores: My mom traveled to Europe and while she was there, cold sores broke out around her mouth. An Austrian man saw her and told her to cut a clove of garlic in half and hold it to the area for 10 minutes three or four times a day. It works like a charm for her.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Cassie (Augusta, GA) on 06/29/2008
★★★★★
ACV or Tea Tree Oil to cure cold sores.
I used ACV on a q-tip pressing firmly, and repeated several times throughout the day. This began to dry up the cold sore on my upper lip after only a few hours...however, it caused a bit of skin irritation around the area which kind of defeated the purpose (i have very sensitive skin). So the next day I switched to tea tree oil applied with a q-tip (making sure to use new q-tips for each application). Cold sore is almost completely dried and the irritation from the ACV is dissapearing.
L-Lysine
Posted by Jodi (AV, Minn) on 04/01/2008
★★★★★
L-LYSINE Keep it simple - you feel the tingle - take (2000 to 3000mg) lysine asap! then (2000 to 3000mg) 3 times a day -for 2 days. Day 3 reduce to (1000 to 1500mg) 3 times a day. Day 4 (1000 to 1500mg) 3 times a day. Day 5 & day 6 (500mg) 3 times a day. Your Done! You will either have no outbreak or only a day or two with a very small blister with this treatment.
Also note: L-LYSINE is an amnio acid not a vitamin. Do not take Lysine for long extended periods or mega dose as it can have negative effect on the liver. For mega dosing you may want to have your liver checked out. I have done this for 20 years with great success. I do not take it any other time.
Tip: For traveling back and forth - cold to warm climates, or after viruses, or muscle exersions all of which can trigger coldsores as well as large doses of stress. Take 1000mg for a week to help keep them away.
Garlic
Posted by Shane (Sherman Oaks, California) on 12/27/2007
★★★★★
I have been studying Natural Remedies and herbal cures for years and found only an obscure reference to garlic for the treatment of boils in an old text. I used to get herpes around the mouth really bad where it would sometimes completely encircle my lips by 1/4 to 1/2 inch. The way to use garlic to treat these outbreaks is this (not entirely pleasant) - Take any size clove and break or cut in half. Eat one half immediately and chew completely. Take the other half and rub into the affected areas. THIS WILL STING- That's it! repeat as necessary until the herpes pain is gone. The first time you do this it will take a few applications every day until it stops the progression of the blistering. It will scab up. There will be a longer interval between outbreaks but the next time it happens start the treatment with garlic as soon as you feel it coming on. The blistering should not get very far if it even blisters at all. It takes 3-4 progressions of outbreaks and by they should be further and further between. I have not had an outbreak since 1995. A year ago I felt it a little and used the garlic right away and the feeling stopped immediately. ODORLESS GARLIC GELCAPS DO NOT WORK FOR THIS!!! I TRIED THEM AND THEY ARE WORTHLESS. Must be fresh garlic. Do not cut corners.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Lee (Salem, NH) on 03/17/2007
★★★★★
I have always used hydrogen peroxide for skin infections, insect bites, cankers, cold sores & deleting blood stains. Results are quick & inexpensive. I dab it on my finger, straight from the bottle, to apply to a cold sore or canker. I have never had a cold sore for more than a day. When I was a teenager, I also applied some to any pimples that might crop up.
Tinactin (Foot Spray)
Posted by Birdy (Ankeny, Iowa, Usa) on 04/08/2010
★★★★☆
I must agree with this. I use an off brand of this athletes foot spray that has the same medicine it it and BHT. It also is the spray that has some talc. If I feel a tingle I apply this and just leave it on for a while at home. It will wipe right off when I want it to. It has stopped all cold sores from developing for 5 months. If I feel a scare I just put it on. Dont wait until you get one, prevention is the best way to deal with these.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Lysine
Posted by Jason (Little Rock, AR) on 10/21/2006
★★★★★
I used lysine supplements already to cure HSV 1. I'd had some success using it and also used facial masks off and on to try to help clean my skin. I tried the combo of Hydrogen Peroxide and crushed lysine. This eliminated my symptoms almost instantly. After trying it and getting 7 hours sleep, my lesions were gone, healed and there wasn't a trace of anything on my face!! Highly recommended!
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Faith (Jamaica) on 10/15/2006
★★★★★
Just want to join in singing the praises of Hydrogen Peroxide (HP). I presented with vaginal ulcers. I call then that because even thought they looked like herpes i tested negative for the disease - so i really don't know what i had. However i visited your site and decided to try the HP topically to my genital bumps and.......almost immediate relief from the itching and soreness! and the bumps disappeared within three days or so. So i just wanted to add my little bit and thanks you for your great website! U can feel free to publish this on the site.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Lysine
Posted by Anonymous (Kansas City, Missouri) on 02/26/2006
★★★★★
To cure herpes break outs, simply crush lysine tablets up into powder, mix hydrogen peroxide with the powder, stir well, apply paste to lesions, the oxygen i the peroxide sinks deep in the skin to kill the virus, and the lysine acts as a "shield" to prevent it from coming back in the same spot, heals very rapidly. In order to kill the herpes virus, u must introduce oxygen into the blood, (or onto the affected area) oxygen will rid the virus. lysine helps with the destruction of the virus as well, and also keeps it in remission. Try this, this is guaranteed to work. also do a google search on BHT, (the next cure for herpes). BHT looks to be a breakthrough next to oxygen therapy.
Hydrogen Peroxide and DMSO
Posted by Nancy (Phoenix, AZ)
★★★★★
I haven't tried this remedy yet but am and will keep you posted as soon as I find out the results...The remedy is DMSO and Hydrogen peroxide from a book called Never an Outbreak by William Fharel. This combo is supposed to kill the herpes virus in your body where it lays dormant ... so you NEVER break out again... I have had cold sores for years and those remedies with just the hydrogen peroxide or just some other remedy putting it on the cold sore and trying to stop the virus once it starts a break out doesn't work... I have tried everything there is but the DMSO and Hydrogen peroxide... According to the book, you will never get another break out again. That is a cure... not just getting rid of the lesions but the virus from your body totally...He also discusses that this also gets rid of the mole virus...yeah, I didn't know moles were viruses but I have them all over... Anyway, it is worth looking into... I welcome feedback from anyone who has done the DMSO and hydrogen peroxide therapy.
Baking Soda
Posted by Susan (USA)
★★★★★
Another excellent use for baking soda is for mouth ulcers and cold sores. Simply mix a teaspoon of baking soda with 100mls of water and use as a gargle. For cold sores use the same solution. Dab directly onto the cold sore using a cotton bud. Do this at least twice a day.
Local Concentrated Heat (LCH)
Posted by Bart (Athens - Greece) on 02/19/2025
★★★★★
Local Concentrated Heat (LCH)
I have used LCH machines for mosquito bites with great success. The ones with ceramic plates that can reach 51C. If one searches in the internet, there are many good comments for these machines from buyers. There is also this research:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24231728/
Use these machines at least three times a day from the first signs of a cold sore. You can use them repeatedly but with 2 minutes intervals at least in order not to get burned. No more than 5 uses per hour. The burning sensation is for about 3-6 seconds.
Acetone
Posted by KK (Cyprus) on 02/18/2025
★★★★★
Acetone works...but cautiously
Been dealing with this regularly for 30 years.. ended up with acetone dabbed on with earbuds.
Initially kept it on until the burns. Now I'm not sure if a lot of the scabbing that follows is due to the coldsore healing itself, or actual acetone burns.
Will keep using it. Maybe cautiously to avoid damage to surrounding areas, which may actually take longer to heal.
Neem Leaves or Oil
Posted by Ann (Miami) on 02/16/2025
A homeopathic remedy Natrum muriaticum stops a herpes outbreak if taken in the early, tingling stage.
Bingpensan
Posted by famcoll (TN) on 08/05/2023
★★★★★
Bingpensan for Cold Sores on the Lips
Many years ago in China, a local doctor gave me a vial of Bingpengsan (borneolum and borax), which is a white or pink powder. She told me to rinse my mouth three times a day with diluted hydrogen peroxide (4 parts water, 1 part hydrogen peroxide). After rinsing, I was to use the equivalent of a Q-tip to spread the Bingpengsan lightly on the cold sore. This must be done immediately when the cold sore just emerges.
Within a day the cold sore will dry up, but keep using the treatment. About day three, the cold sore will have turned into a scab and will fall off. I've kept the vial for more than 25 years and use it whenever I feel/see a cold sore emerge. It has never failed to eliminate the cold sore immediately. I'm not sure where or how to get this type of powder in the U.S., but my acupuncture doctor has provided to me a powdered preparation in capsules called Tianqi, which has the same effect on open wounds (like blisters, burns, scrapes, bed sores). Just take the the powder out of the capsule and sprinkle or spread it on the open sore (if it's a blister, just put the powder on it). The wound will dry up and scab over very, very quickly. I've never tried the Tianqi for cold sores, but it seems to have the same action as the Bingpengsan.
L-Lysine
Posted by Sam (Miami ) on 03/25/2023
It does work, just add vitamin C.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Cris01us (Honolulu) on 07/07/2017
I would let the skin rest and probably not do it more than a few times a day, especially each application is for an extended time.
Zinc
Posted by Dave Of Canada (Victoria, Bc) on 02/24/2017 15 posts
Well, it's been like a month since my last post. I have to say the zinc I take has kept working all this time. The information I read suggests that people who are addicted to chocolate are often the people with exhaustion, viral problems, anxiety, racing mind, etc. and I found today that exhaustion is reducing in me! I thought the 50mg of zinc citrate I take a day was only helping a lot with cold sores, but today I did some spring cleaning, and found that I could keep cleaning rather than taking a break every 15 minutes. I haven't noticed
any increase in energy over the past month and a half, but I seem to have energy after exertion, so I guess that's an improvement in stamina.
I also found that days when I did have chocolate gave me some small amount of that unwelcome itching and redness the next day, as I had read, but I love chocolate so! I found I have much less of a reaction with powdered chocolate than with milk chocolate.
(I was so happy that I celebrated with getting some chocolate! )
I am so glad that read of this connection with zinc/copper, that I think I might try exercising and seeing if I can raise my overall energy level.
