Abreva makes cold sores go away quickly.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:50 pm

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.

[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2003-02-05 18:52 ]

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:56 pm

Was that stuff developed for genital herpes?

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:18 pm

Uh, no, not to my knowledge.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:49 pm

E=Fb no not that kind. Do a search on Google like I did and you will find very little if anything of an official nature that Abreva was made for that, although there are prescription drugs of that nature. Abreva is over the counter.

MarkB

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:52 pm

I initially balked at paying that much for it, until I saw how well it worked. Then I thought they probably could get a lot more for it. It's worth its weight in gold.

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 7:58 pm

If only there were such a product for shingles...

srt19170 · Post by **srt19170** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 11:07 am

On 2003-02-05 20:58, raindog1970 wrote:
If only there were such a product for shingles...

Abreva is intended for cold sores, so it might well help for shingles.

For those who don't know, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) [which is indeed the same virus that causes genital herpes]. Various things can trigger outbreaks, which might be why Jessie gets them from citrus acid.

Cold sores shouldn't be confused with canker sores, which are white ulcers typically on the inside of the mouth. These are not caused by a virus and have different treatment.

-- Scott

[ This Message was edited by: srt19170 on 2003-02-06 12:09 ]

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 12:39 pm

Actually, genital herpes is caused by a different herpes virus, I believe HHV-2. It's not the same one that causes oral sores, just closely related. As for a medicine against herpes helping with shingles, I don't see why it would. Shingles is caused by the varicella virus, the same one that causes chicken pox. The virus actually lies dormant in the nervous system throughout our lives and occassionally reactivates in some people, causing shingles.

Steven

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 12:54 pm

On 2003-02-06 12:07, srt19170 wrote:
On 2003-02-05 20:58, raindog1970 wrote:
If only there were such a product for shingles...
Abreva is intended for cold sores, so it might well help for shingles.

For those who don't know, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) [which is indeed the same virus that causes genital herpes]. Various things can trigger outbreaks, which might be why Jessie gets them from citrus acid.

Cold sores shouldn't be confused with canker sores, which are white ulcers typically on the inside of the mouth. These are not caused by a virus and have different treatment.

-- Scott

[ This Message was edited by: srt19170 on 2003-02-06 12:09 ]

Actually, most canker sores are also caused by a Herpes variant, which resides in the body after the initial infection (as does shingles, and the Herpes variant that causes cold sores). While mouth ulcers CAN be caused by other things, such as certain bacteria or medications, the kind that "canker-sore-prone" people (such as myself, my father and my daughter) get whenever they have an illness or even a minor mouth irritation (or sometimes just out of the blue) are yet another manifestation of the lovely (not!) Herpes family.

Unfortunately, due to their location inside the mouth, they're not as easily treatable as cold sores. On the upside, however, they interfere less with whistle-playing, unless you're unlucky enough to get one right on the inside of the lip!

Redwolf

Rando7 · Post by **Rando7** » Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:11 pm

As for a medicine against herpes helping with shingles, I don't see why it would. Shingles is caused by the varicella virus, the same one that causes chicken pox.

Steven

Actually there is some weak evidence that starting anti-virals (like acyclovir for example) VERY early in the course of shingles helps reduce the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia (persistent pain even when the blisters are gone). Most of the treatment for persistent shingles pain is related to blocking the nerve pain with neurontin, tegretol, etc. Sometimes topical Zostrix cream will help but you can't use it on the mouth and it does take some getting used to.

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:07 am

as a health care provider, this is too much information.... ick!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:36 am

On 2003-02-06 13:39, Steven wrote:
Actually, genital herpes is caused by a different herpes virus, I believe HHV-2. It's not the same one that causes oral sores, just closely related. As for a medicine against herpes helping with shingles, I don't see why it would. Shingles is caused by the varicella virus, the same one that causes chicken pox. The virus actually lies dormant in the nervous system throughout our lives and occassionally reactivates in some people, causing shingles.

Steven

Varicella is a Herpes virus too...but it's Herpes Zoster, not Herpes Simplex.

Redwolf

JohnPalmer · Post by **JohnPalmer** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 12:39 am

With Shingles, it wasn't so much the pain, but the agony of the itching that followed.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 8:27 am

What, the itching was worse with Shingles than with Chicken Pox?!?! I got CP as an adult, about 10 years ago, and can't imagine itching that could be more intense. If Shingles is worse, then somebody PLEASE promise to put a large caliber bullet in my temple if I ever get Shingles.....

Loren

srt19170 · Post by **srt19170** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 10:27 am

On 2003-02-06 13:54, Redwolf wrote:
Actually, most canker sores are also caused by a Herpes variant...

No, they're not. It isn't known what causes them, but viral and bacterial causes have been ruled out. See, for instance:

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/heal ... anker.html

Many sufferers get relief by avoiding toothpastes that contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and using daily antiseptic mouthwashes such as Listerine.

(The first part of the above page is about cold sores, by the way.)

-- Scott