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The best method i've found for cold sores

Submitted by B Klesitz

Yesterday when I woke up, I could feel the tingle and the swelling on my lip. I immediately put Campho-phenique ointment on it and did so for the rest of the day. At night the blister was swollen pretty bad and I wasn't sure to pop it or not. The last cold sore I had lasted over a week and I have a huge weekend coming up so I researched about what to do.Â

I read that I should pop it, but be careful as to not spread it. I sterilized a needle, popped it and soaked a cotton ball in yes, mouthwash, the strongest antiseptic I could find. I drained the ooze and held the cotton ball on my lip for about 10-15 minutes. This morning I popped it again and repeated this process. When I woke up, my lip was swollen, but the cold sore was just a little bit larger than yesterday, as to be expected. I have taken two 500 mg tylenol every 6 hours and my fat lip has went down and the blister is looking as if it's ready to scab over.Â

All this 30 hours after the onset. I have tried abreva and other ointments in the 7 years I have had to deal with this problem. This has been by far the fastest cure I have found. Make sure you drink lots of milk and eat lots of yogurt with live cultures. This has a protein that fights the infection. I have been taking lysine, about 3000 mg. this too will help.Â

I will put neosporin on it to speed the recovery. Once it has scabbed over, just tear the scab off gently and repeat with the mouthwash to kill any germs that may still be there. The scabs are huge, but if you remove them the new skin can grow faster and it will look a lot better. Good Luck, these things are so embarrassing.

Visitors comments

cold sore? Comments By: anon on 2005-03-23

That's not what i know as a cold sore...are you sure you don't have syphillis?

scabs Comments By: Dub on 2006-07-20

i have a after cold sore scab right now and am about to head to get some neosporin, ive never used it b4 and hope it works!

oh, please Comments By: Michele on 2007-10-22

syphillis? Seriously, grow up. What she is talking about is a fever blister, same thing as a cold sore. That comment was SO unnecessary.

Umm okay Comments By: dese on 2007-12-21

I agree there is no way this perosn has a STD i get cold sores and i hate had on last fo a week and a half i had the struggle as this perosn but i just tried to let heal it's self and the steps they have taken sound quite right i wouldnt suggest popping it i put perioxed on mine because i just got a new devolped cold sore and if doesnt work i going to try this but an std no way get real loser you must have never had a clod sore u some of a lucky b***h

WTF??? Comments By: ........ on 2009-10-19

WTF did you just say Dese?? That made no sense whatsoever.

My recommendation is to pop with a sterile needle, then make a mixture of salt, crushed lysine, and peroxide. Apply with a q-tip for a minute at a time. After 3 or 4 times of doing that in a night, you will be only battling a scab. Cold sore will be gone.

Let it dry on its own and try not to get any moisture or ointment on it. Should last about 4 days or so as a scab and red mark. Then it will go back to normal. Good luck....these things really blow!!!

Great relief for coldsores Comments By: Lou-Ann on 2009-12-23

The best thing I have found for cold sores is to treat them immediately, as soon as you feel the first tingle. I read on a health website that sometimes, all we need for a remedy is already in our own fridge or pantry. So I tried their sliced lemon remedy, reluctantly I may add. I was shocked of the power of it. It did sting but anything is better than the tingling sensation. The applied lemon may leave the site a little red but it will dry up the sore quicker. The next remedy I tried (not so reluctantly this time) was raw garlic, preferably peeled and sliced from a clove. Both of these remedies have sped up the healing process so quickly, that I don't usually even experience the blistering stage now. Try it. I hope it works for you all too.

cold sore Comments By: Kait on 2010-12-10

Active cultures and milk will not work because cold sores are not a bacterial infection, it is a virus. The best way to kill it is to leave the blister alone and let it dry up with rubbing alcohol, and toothpaste and apsirin. Let it dry without popping it otherwise you'll have a huge scab on your face,

Don't listen to above comment Comments By: Cold Sore Veteran on 2010-12-28

Milk DOES work. I've had these since I'm a little kid and tried everything. The best I've found so far is never popping it but it depends what stage you catch it in.
Itching: Lemon slice on the lip (don't try if the wound is open)
Closed Blister: Lemon slice, or any medication (Abreva, etc) accompanied by DMSO. This can be ordered online and is a delivery system for the other medication. It actually goes through the blister withour breaking it.
Scab or broken blister: Aquaphor

Through any of these stages, keep your body alkaline. DRINK MILK, have cheeses and foods high in lysine. Avoid foods high in Arginine such as coffee (sorry guys, herbal tea for now), nuts, chocolate, and wheat. Other herbals that help are zinc, olive leaf extract (an anti-viral), goldenseal (500mg), lysine (3000ml) and Calcium to name a few. Use these herbals as outbreak response, not preventative or your body will get used to them and it won't work when you need it to. Good luck to anyone who reads this and has a cold sore, it's a horrible virus.