Is there a natural way to get rid of cold sores?

Question

What triggers the reoccurence of cold sores? I know they are caused by a virus, but what causes them to "wake up" and rear their ugly heads? are there vitamins or foods that help suppress this?

Answer 1

Cold Sores are another name for Herpes Simplex 1The Amino Acid Lysine Controls Herpes

Is it true that the amino acid called lysine, is good for preventing herpes outbreaks?

Yes!!! Supplementation with free-form lysine has shown to be beneficial in controlling herpes along with a diet high in lysine and low in arginine. "This suggests that physicians in a position to study the effect of lysine in herpes simplex infections should do so. It appears to do no harm and may be a useful therapeutic measure."

Tissue culture studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect on viral replication when the amino acid ratio of arginine to lysine favors arginine. The opposite, preponderance of lysine to arginine, suppresses viral replication and inhibits cytopathogenicity of herpes simplex virus."

L-Lysine appears to be a very effective agent for reduction of occurrence, severity and healing time for recurrent HSV infection.


What foods are high in lysine and low in arginine?


Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, milk, cheese, beans, brewer's yeast, mung bean sprouts and most fruits and vegetables have more lysine than arginine, except for peas. Gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, wholewheat and, white flour, peanuts, soybeans, and wheatgerm have more arginine than lysine.
Supplementing your diet with L-Lysine helps to assure that you tilt the scales toward the lysine side, helping to prevent outbreaks. (See Nutrition)

What are Lysine's Method of Action?


Nine proteins have been identified in the enveloped herpes simplex viron. In addition to the capsid proteins, the naked virions contain two additional proteins (VI and VII). Protein VII is an arginine-rich protein of the viral core. It is also known that the proteins synthesised by the herpes simplex virus infected cells contain more arginine but less lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryrosine, and isoleucine relative to leucine than the proteins synthesised by unaffected cells.

L-lysine 390 mg. was given orally at the first indication of onset of herpetic oral lesions in eight patients and vulvar lesions in two patients, with uniform rapid resolution of the lesions. This suggests that physicians in a position to study the effect of lysine in herpes simplex infections should do so. It appears to do no harm and may be a useful therapeutic measure.

Dosages:
The amount of lysine required to control herpes varied from case to case but a typical dose to maintain remission was 500 mg daily and active herpes required 1 to 6 g between meals to induce healing."

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

Ah the eternal question, Cold sores are actually a herpes virus. It resides in tissue around the mouth and nose.

There really isn't a clear indication of what causes an outbreak common thoughts are,

1) Sunlight
2) Stress
3) Cold/Flu
4) Vitamine deficiencies

There are some cremes that are available that reduce the duration and severity of cold sores. Abrivia is the newest and most popular version of this type of treatment.

I use Vaselines remedy which is doing nothing more than numbing the cold sore so it doesn't itch/burn.

There is some new treatments that seem to actually eliminate the virus known as chemical UV treatment. It's not available for people yet still being researched but it binds a chemical to the "virus" and then uses UV light to have that chemical expand and destroy the virus.

The biggest thing I have found to help me is lots of vitamin C. This strengthens the cells and the viruses have a harder time infecting and releasing.

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

I have had cold sores for years and break-outs quite often. I finally found a "solution" and I thought you might like to hear it. Yes, the sun, stress, caffeine all trigger cold sores. What I do is take 250mg of L-lysine (you can find it with the vitamins in most stores). I have waaaay less break-outs with this alone. THEN, if I should so happen to feel a little pain on my lip somewhere, like the beginning of a cold sore, or feel a tiny bump, I bump up the L-lysine dosage to 1000mg, and I take two a day for a few days. AND I immediately put a topical ointment which my doctor gave me that is called "Zovirax". It is 10 times stronger than Abreva or anything over the counter. If I catch the cold sore soon enough and put the Zovirax on it a few times a day for two days, it never has a chance to get big and out of control. Let me warn you though, because the Zovirax is so potent, if you use it too much, it can dry out the cold sore too much and cause it to bleed as it's clearing up. So when it feels like the pain of the cold sore is very minimal, stop using the ointment. I hope this helps. It's been a God-send for me.

Answer 6

I've never tried a single natural or over the counter thing that actually works, and I've tried everything. I have however recently gotten a prescripition to Valtrex from my doctor. It is amazing. Take it and it immediatly stops it from growing any larger, helps with the burning/itching and also speeds the healing time to less than, so it last only about 3 days. I seriously recomend you ask your doctor about it.

Answer 7

Putting a bit of clove oil on a sore takes away the pain over night.

Answer 8

my cold sores were triggered by to much vitamin c. of course growing up you enjoy oranges, apples etc. i did eat tons of them until my dr. figured it out that it was vitamin c and to much acidy food and drinks. dr also diagnosed to much sun. (vitamin c) i played alot of sports and spent most of my time out in the sun. It wasn't fun let me tell ya.
i'm not sure where i heard it, but once you feel the itch hold a ice cube on the spot. hold it there as long as you can. as much as you want to, do not scratch or rub that area. do this procedure as many times a day as you can.
in order for this to work, you must catch the cold sore starting. remember....it's when itching around your mouth starts! hope it helps!

Answer 9

Place a Wet Tea Bag on site

Cause:
Low immunity, virus in your body, eating acid fruits, not enough sleep, stress.

Get some sleep, eat good, take a MultiVitamin

Answer 10

L-lysine supplement, vitamin c are the 2 remedies that help. Most likely nothing is going to make it go away before the wedding unless she wants to try something that she'll have to get a Rx and even then, no promises! :/ Good luck!