cold sore

Tea tree oil.

I discovered this by mistake and applied it, thinking it was a cold sore treatment (same kind of bottle and not concentrating) . By morning it was much better and then I read the bottle and thought 'oh!'

So kept on applying and it dried up and cleared up completely within days.

I agree tea tree oil is good for things like that.
I also have a small tube of Aciclovir on prescription from my doctor which is better for a cold sore.

Yes aciclovir works well I agree. My husband had his aciclovir in my handbag when we went away sometime ago, he got it out to put it on before bed he was not amused when he used eyelash glue instead. It didn't work!

Zovirax which is just Aciclovir but applied at first tingle will halt it before it gets a chance to develop.

I also use zvorax, always,have it in my handbag. Don't get nearly as many cold,sores as I used to. Now it's about one a year.

I swear by carmex from the U.S cost a dollar or so, the same carmex here in the U.K is sold as a lip balm at 3 times the price

Re Cold sore infection - My grandson was infected by the herpes Simplex Virus (cold sore virus) just after birth and spent his first six months of life in hospital, three of these on life support, and was on the liver transplant list until he was three. Now, aged five, he is having six month checkups, blood tests and endoscopes because his liver, is still scared and he has portal hypertension. Please please tell anyone with a new baby or anyone with a cold sore of the dangers of contact. It is only thanks to staff at the Bridgend Hospital who were vigilant and the care he and the family received at Birmingham Children's Hospital that we have him with us today.

A timely warning Pippa

Just a ps to this topic - I developed a cold sore on Friday and tried the acyclovir cream but it didn't seem to help - looked at the expiry date - 2015!
Then remembered tea tree oil (which I always have) and it seems to be drying up nicely, fingers crossed, PG.

I have discovered that certain types of tooth paste seem to set off a cold sore.
Now using some bland stuff from dentist.

I've always been very careful to keep away from babies/young children when any cold sore is active knowing I could pass it on but never realised, Pippa, just how serious it could be. Trust your DGS is now fully recovered?
I use acyclovir cream (don't buy Zovirax-much more expensive for same thing). Had one start a couple of days ago-applied cream immediately and it's definitely going, thank goodness.

I have something called Colsor lotion which stings like hell but does work. I, too, keep some Zovirax with me at all times as my coldsores pop up very unexpectedly and have to be zapped asap [they always used to appear just before any sort of social event when I wanted to look nice'ish; I say 'used to' because I don't seem to have special events where I need to look nice now and even back then they were very few and far between; usually the works Christmas do]. Good advice from Pippa.

...my Colsor lotion expired in 2010....

My mum used to put perfume or aftershave on ours; made us skip around a bit!

Mum passed on the cold sore virus to me but not my sister!
I was scrupulously careful not to infect my 3 and equally so with DGCs. They are all well aware that if I have a sore, a couple of brightly coloured towels appear in the bathroom for my use only!
Kisses are off limits for a few days and ( for 7 yr-old DGD) no sneaky sips of gran's tea are allowed.

Yes to acyclovir - exactly the same formula as zovirax.
Always have a tube by my bed, in the bathroom and in my purse. It works.

I'd no idea the virus was so dangerous to tiny babies so I feel my slightly OTT precautions are justified.