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Cold Sore and Canker Sores - Help, Remedies, Suggestions? Please!
I have had fairly frequent issues with cold sores (mostly) and canker sores (occasionally) over the past 10 years or so (I've actually been getting them for so long now, that I don't recall when I started getting them) and I absolutely hate them! They not only hurt sometimes, but the hideous appearance of them when they're visible on my lips is extremely embarrassing and humiliating, often to the point where I will want to call out of work, to avoid the possibility of people seeing the sore on my lips/mouth. And thinking about this legitimately stresses me out thought any day that I have a sore - which, from what I understand, actually continues to the cold sores popping up and will also prevent them from healing, as stress is supposedly a major contributor to cold sores forming.
So I'm curious if any one has any good suggestions about ways to help cold sores/canker sores heal more quickly? And/or ways to try to prevent them from happening so frequently?
I have read up a little abut this stuff over the past few months, but I won't claim to know a lot about them. However, from what I've gathered, cold sores are on the outer part of the lip, and canker sores are on the inside of the mouth. Am I right about this? And, I'm curious, are these two types of sores directly related? I mean, can someone get only one type of these sores without also sometimes getting the other? Can people only get canker sores on the inside of their mouth? Or if you get the disease/fungus/virus that causes one of these sores in your body, will you automatically also be susceptible to the other type of sore?
I also want to mention something about the frequency with which I seem to get these awful sores. I recall reading something about how most people who get cold sores typically get them 2-3 times per year, but I seem to get them significantly more frequently than that. I would say that I typically end up getting a cold sore about 10 times per year, if not more often than that. And they are pretty much always really bad, to the point where they hurt, are big and noticeable, and take at least 14 days or longer to heal. I don't know if this is possibly due to my body having somehow gotten infected with a more-potent variation of the disease/fungus/virus that causes cold sores, or if maybe I'm unhealthy and my immune system is weak and has trouble healing my lips after the cold sores form; but I seem to get cold sores more often than most and they almost always seem to take 2-3 weeks to fully heal and go away. I should also add that I have regularly had tremendous stress over the past few years, and that I'm obsessive compulsive, so I worry about more things than most people worry about, and I worry more severely than most people worry, so this probably contributes to the frequency and severity/length of the cold sores showing up on my lips for.
Also, does anyone know if problems with unhealthy teeth can cause cold/canker sores to show up more frequently? Or cause them to take longer to heal?
For the record, I've tried several over-the-counter cold sore treatments over the years, but none of them have seemed to significantly help when it comes to helping the cold sores to heal and go away more rapidly than they seem to do on their own. I've tried Campho Phenique ($5-$6); Abreva (which was around/over $20); and some sort of Carmex Cold Sore Treatment in a small tube ($9-$13); but, as I mentioned, none of them seemed to help speed up the healing process drastically. The Campho Phenique does seem to work effectively to dry out my lips, which is supposed to help cold sores heal more quickly; but even while using Camphpo Phenique, the cold sores on my lips will typically last 10 days or longer (and they usually seem to be visible for two weeks or more).
I've also tried taking L-Lysine 1000MG tablets daily for a few weeks, but, during that time, I ended up getting a cold sore and I got discouraged - as the tablets didn't seem to be very helpful - so I stopped taking them shortly after that. I did continue to take them for probably 3-4 weeks total, but they just didn't seem to make a noticeable difference with regards to preventing a cold sore from showing up, or to help it to heal more quickly. However, I've read quite a few comments about these L-Lysine pills helping lots of people who suffer from bad cold sores on their lips, so I may start taking them again and try to be sure to take them daily for a month or two and see if I get any cold sores during that time. From what I seem to recall reading a while back, the L-Lysine pills are supposed to be good for skin health, so I;m assuming that taking one 1000MG tablet a day would only serve to help in some way. If someone who is more knowledgeable about these L-Lysine tablets would comment on this, though, that would be great.
Btw, I've also read that Tea Tree oil and Vick's Vapor Rub has helped people with cold sores, but I haven't tried either of these suggestions. And I'm guessing there are other similar remedies that people have tried and benefited from, so that's what I'm hoping to hear about. The more potentially-helpful information, the better!
Sorry to write so much. Obviously, I've researched this topic a little, but there's so much information available, in so many posts, on so many forums, that it gets discouraging trying to decide which forums/threads to read through; so I wanted to make a post of my own and offer some details about my issue and see if I can get some personal replies that may be helpful.
So, if any of you have any personal remedies that help to prevent cold/canker sores from forming, or that may help them to heal more quickly, please know that any and all helpful information would be very much appreciated!
I'll send you a private message on what cured my mom's cold sores history ... from what I understand we are NOT to talk about alternatives here.....please correct me if I'm wrong.
I'll send you a private message on what cured my mom's cold sores history ... from what I understand we are NOT to talk about alternatives here.....please correct me if I'm wrong.
I got your PM and I replied. Thank you!
As for not being allowed to talk about alternatives on here, I do not know. And I don't want you, or myself, to possibly get in to any sort of trouble by the mods on here; but, FYI, I am interested in finding out more about any types of help/remedies/prevention for cold sores that I can possibly get. As long as it's safe and reasonable, I'd appreciate any sort of realistically-helpful suggestions/advice/information that I can get!
As for not being allowed to talk about alternatives on here, I do not know. And I don't want you, or myself, to possibly get in to any sort of trouble by the mods on here; but, FYI, I am interested in finding out more about any types of help/remedies/prevention for cold sores that I can possibly get. As long as it's safe and reasonable, I'd appreciate any sort of realistically-helpful suggestions/advice/information that I can get!
If that's true (about not posting about alternative treatments here), then simply post your question on the Alternative Medicine thread.
Not that there's anything "alternative" about lysine. Its use for cold sores isn't new. Along with stress and sun exposure, diets high in arginine-rich foods (oatmeal, nuts, chocolate, popcorn, and others) can bring them on, and lysine is thought to balance that.
Cold Sore and Canker Sores - Help, Remedies, Suggestions? Please!
So, if any of you have any personal remedies that help to prevent cold/canker sores from forming, or that may help them to heal more quickly, please know that any and all helpful information would be very much appreciated!
Cold sores and canker sores are not the same thing.
Cold sores are caused by herpes viruses, usually type 1 but sometimes type 2. There are prescription medications that can be used to prevent them. Ask your primary care doctor.
I had horrible canker sore outbreaks for the first half of my life. I remember a doc telling my mom when I was 8 years old that my immune system wasn't working properly. They would be especially bad when a cold was coming on or when my wisdom teeth were bothering me. I mostly just suffered until my late twenties when I became aware of what foods were making them worse and started a different approach. For one thing, I began using a new toothbrush every week. I really do think that helped some. As much as I loved them, fresh tomatoes became a no-no. Also, hot chocolate. And anything abrasive, such as a super whitening toothpaste. I got a terrible outbreak once from using Close-Up.
Things started to improve once I turned 30. For all I know, the change may have been due to hormonal changes or having my wisdom teeth out. One thing that began helping me if I felt an outbreak coming on was to rinse my mouth with a solution of hydrogen peroxide diluted with water. And then spit it out. I firmly believe that hastened the healing process. Also, I pop Vitamin C and zinc tablets if I feel something coming on.
Regarding L-Lysine and cold sores, you don't need to take it daily as it suppresses arginine. Suppressing arginine is exactly what you want to do in the case of an outbreak but maybe not something that you want to do daily.
When I feel a cold sore coming on I take 1,000 mg on an empty stomach, three times a day. If caught early enough it will suppress an outbreak completely, if not caught early enough it will drastically reduce the duration and severity. I will take L-lysine when I feel a cold sore starting or when I know that I am more susceptible (not enough sleep, coming down with a cold, flu, etc., stressed). I also will watch what I eat and avoid foods high in arginine and eat foods high in lysine instead.
Oil of oregano has anti-viral properties, you can take one capsule a day with food when you feel an outbreak coming on. You can rub it on the actual location as well. It's strong so use with caution.
Red Marine algae is another supplement that may help suppress cold sores.
Canker sores are an entirely different story. I find them to be triggered by specific food or even certain types of toothpaste.
I guess I'm definitely in the minority, since some publications say up to 90% of all American adults have Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1), the virus that causes cold sores, I'm in the 10% or so that doesn't have the virus (I've been screened) and have never got to experience cold sores.
As for canker sores, my step-brother is a dentist and says even in 2016 it is still unknown what causes those small, shallow ulcers that appear in your mouth. I had canker sores growing up, maybe a few times a year, but probably haven't had one in over 20 years. I do remember growing up that my parents would tell be to swish my mouth with warm salt water, which seemed to make the canker sore disappear quicker, maybe by a few days.
While I do have the Varicella zoster virus (chicken pox) inside me for the rest of my life, I still haven't been exposed to Cytomegalovirus (CMV), another member of the herpesvirus family, which supposedly infects 50-80% of people in their lifetime.
I haven't had a cold or cold sore in over 21 yrs...thanks to OPC's which are anti viral, anti bacterial and anti fungal. And I had chicken pox as a kid a bout of herpes in my 30's or so.
No canker sores either, and could also be coconut oil doing it's job.
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