A Small Glimpse

Those were the words I had to utter on Wednesday of this week. Just in case things weren’t bad enough I had to develop quite the violent cold sore the size of a quarter. Not on my lip, mind you, but on my face just under my lip on the left side. Unfortunately I did not act quickly enough to stop it in its tracks so I must pay the consequences, but for those of you who act fast there are a few things that can be done treat if not prevent cold sores from ever popping up.

Stress is what triggers most of my cold sores, and I also get them any time that I am sick. Another trigger for some women is menstruation (as if we needed another reason to hate our period!). For people who are prone to cold sores, such as myself, you need to have a plan of attack.  Get yourself some L Lysine (an amino acid supplement). At the very first sign of an outbreak, start taking 1000 mg three times a day. Mega doses works wonders, less than 1248 mg per day have no effect on the virus that causes cold sores. You can read about a published clinical trial here. The very next step is to start using Abreva (a non prescription cold sore cream). It’s expensive but it really works. After you have taken your L Lysine and applied your Abreva, apply ice to the affected area for 20 minutes a few times a day. In order to have these things on hand go ahead and get them BEFORE you get a cold sore. Have them in a little baggie in your medicine chest so you will be able to get to them as soon as you need them. And of course you need to strengthen your immune system. A healthy immune system is key in fighting off all illnesses.

Here is a list for quick reference:

• L-Lysine-1000 mg three times a day
• Abreva-applied as directed
• Ice-20 minutes several times a day
• Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids

There have also been very good results with this protocol for treating Herpes II (genital herpes). Check out this forum for lots of real life testimonials.