If you look on the internet, you will see home remedies for cold sore problems but you need to use discrimination and not just buy into something anecdotal. For one thing, people may not be honest and just may be trying to see if anyone will follow them. For another, it may not have even been a cold sore or fever blister but could've been a pimple or something else and the poster misdiagnosed himself. Read throughly and see which ones get mentioned more than once as recommendations. There are a number of myths and false ideas floating around. Have people tested these? Do they work? Or did they just hear about them? Here are a few I've studied and my reviews:
1) Avoid peanuts and foods high in argine.
I have found this to be a good tip as I do get cold sores from having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as time due to the argine making the other amino acids out of balance. If I take l-lysine however I can eat peanut butter in moderation.
2) Use acne treatments.
I don't recommend this as some can dry out the sore and this can at times lead to an even bigger sore a day or so later. Acne medications are for acne. A cold sore is from the hsv virus (herpes simplex).
3) Put nail polish on the cold sore.
I have not tried this but have read that people use this for chigger. I am not sure if putting nail polish remover on one's lip is a good idea due to the chemicals. The skin on lip is very fragile.
4) Take acidopholous and l-lysine supplements.
This seems to be a good suggestion as l-lysine will suppress the argine and also be both a good preventative as well as aid if you have an existing cold sore.
5) Put listerine on the cold sore every hour.
I have not tried this but it depends on the sensitivity of your lip and it's response to alcohol.
6) Use tabasco on a paper napkin.
I am not sure if this is a great idea. It can burn. It is hard to test this as there isn't a hidden spot to try it on
7) Apply toothpaste and leave on overnight.
In the same forum someone else said that they find sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpastes irritates her cold sores and can be a trigger for her, not a cure. When you look at a forum see if there is contradicatory evidence.
In short, evaluate these remedies and look for others that agree before you test on yourself. Your lip is a sensitive area and a cold sore can last ten to fourteen days.
Dee Cohen is a licensed social worker. Stop by Home Remedies for Cold Sore to get a plan that is systematic and effective in stopping the fever blisters quickly at http://www.coldsorelip.com
