I am allergic to citric acid, which is in almost everything, so I deal with blisters (cold sores) on my lips more often than I’d like to. Through the marvels of modern medicine, Abreva has been created. It’s a tiny little tube for $17 but it’s well worth it, because a blister in a bad place can keep you away from whistles and flutes for weeks. Abreva makes it stop growing from the moment you first apply it. Amazing stuff, really.
On 2003-02-05 18:51, JessieK wrote:
I am allergic to citric acid, which is in almost everything, so I deal with blisters (cold sores) on my lips more often than I’d like to. Through the marvels of modern medicine, Abreva has been created. It’s a tiny little tube for $17 but it’s well worth it, because a blister in a bad place can keep you away from whistles and flutes for weeks. Abreva makes it stop growing from the moment you first apply it. Amazing stuff, really.
I actually got pointed towards a really stunning solution to cold-sores by my former internist. (Former because I moved.)
For some reason, L-lysine, which you can get by eating certain vegetables, or by taking supplement vitamins, has a dramatic effect on cold-sores. Eating between 500mg and 1g of lysine each day will prevent cold sores from forming, and will cause them to heal dramatically faster.
I don’t have the reference anymore, but there’s even been a refereed published study on cankersores (cold sores on the inside of the lip) and lysine. (Published by the Baylor college of dentistry in 1984.)
I used to almost always have at least one live cankersore somewhere along the line where my gums meet my lips/cheeks; when I was stressed, I’d often have as many as 7 at once. (Try eating like that… I’d live on yogurt, which I really hate.)
Since my doctor pointed me at lysine, I’ve taken 1 gram a day, and I haven’t had a single bad cankersore, and I can often go for 3 or four months without even a minor one.
And the best part is, lysine is cheap and harmless. It’s one of the basic amino acids that all proteins are built from. You need a large quantity of it in your diet - if you’re a vegan, it’s one of the nutrients that you need to be careful to get enough of.
The theory behind it: cold sores are caused by a very common virus from the herpes family. As many as 80% of us carry this form of herpes. Cold sores are caused when something - stress, small cuts, irritations - create an environment where the virus can thrive. In order to reproduce, the virus requires another amino acid called L-argenine. Lysine binds onto the same receptor sites as argenine,
blocking the uptake of argenine by the virus,
and thus blocking reproduction. This slows down the rate that the virus can reproduce. If it can’t reproduce quickly enough, it can’t produce the sores.
It really does work for cold sores. (Unfortunately, there’s a lot of crackpot information on the net about lysine. If you want to do some research, make sure you stick to the legit medical literature - there’s some real nonsense out there about the supposed magical properties of lysine.)
-Mark
My miracle cure – Cool Mint Listerine! I once had a cold sore that wouldn’t go away, and it was so bad even Anbesol didn’t help with the pain, so I finally decided there must be something in there I could kill and I got some Listerine. It immediately killed the pain, which lasted for several hours, and the sore went away in a couple of days. I’ve used the stuff twice a day since then, and I almost never get a cold sore. When I do, it doesn’t get very bad and goes away quickly. Great stuff!
Steven
Oh, and I just checked the ingredients – no citric acid to give Jessie problems. It does have benzoic acid, though, in case that’s a problem.
Cool! The Listerine is a new one for me. Thanks. As for Lysine, I end up ignoring it when my lips are fine and then I have to take like 5 a day when I get the freakin’ blisters. I have a bottle of L-Lysine tablets and I really should take them regularly. Thanks, guys.
Jessie
Speaking of amino acids…
The amino acid arginine (which the Herpes viruses love) is found in very high concentrations in nuts and in chocolate.
To minimize cold sore frequency minimize intake of nuts and chocolate. Or, if you can’t resist them, tank up on L-lysine after every serving.
Doc
Doc, that’s just mean! Telling us that there could possibly be anything bad about chocolate, in any way at all, just ain’t right!
Steven
Sorry,
Great fluting requires great sacrifice!
Doc
I used to have a real problem with cold sores until my wife finally talked me into using Blistex. I know an over the counter remedy could not work that well that was my argument. Well the proof was in the using. I had previously only tried Chapstick and it did not work. I have been using it on a regular basis and have few cold sores in the past 5 years.
On 2003-02-06 08:24, Doc Jones wrote:
To minimize cold sore frequency minimize intake of nuts and chocolate.
Oh GEEZ. Avoid citric acid and chocolate and nuts. I’m allergic to eggs, too. What’s left?!?
The pure tofu diet.
Uhhh, not that I am particularly squeemish about medical things, but do we really need to air cold sore experiences in public? You do know of course that cold sores are caused by a herpes virus. I guess I could have just bypassed this particular thread, but my morbid curiousity got the best of me. Like, yuuuuck. I should learn to stay away from topics that start with or contain “sores.”
Chow that lysine, slather on the Blistex, rinse with minty freshness, throw out the Hersheys bar, chomp a pill or two and beso me mucho, baby!!
I am very prone to cold sores, which can be hazardous if you make money playing the flute. I’ve pretty much tried everything out there. For me, nothing works as well as a prescription topical ointment, Denavir. It can get rid of a full-blown sore in 2-3 days. If kept on hand, and used at the first sign of a cold sore, it will keep them from developing. I also like lysine as a preventative, and at the first sign of a sore (when I remember).