Cold Sore Remedies

david39

Have suffered on and off for years.

These days, at the first sign, I apply Germoline, (about £1 in our local £shop) and it seems to stop them developing further. The ointment also has a mild local anaesthetic so eases discomfort. Early application is vital.

The advantage is that the same product works on all skin abrasions, even sunburn, and so is generally useful to have around anyway.

PlymouthMaid

I find that lip balm with tea tree oil seems to keep them at bay and I then only get one a year instead of a plague of the things. When I get one i sometimes apply ice cubes and tea tree oil on a cotton but and that seems to help a bit but they still take over a week to go down.

BaeneyR

The active ingredient in Zovirax, Avert, Cymax Ultra and Zuvogen creams for cold sores / herpes is acyclovir. The same concentration (5%) of acyclovir is also found in another cream, Virasorb, which can be obtained, online at least, for a fraction of the price of the others.

Boots online are today selling a 2gm tube of Zovirax for £5.59 and Cymex for £4.69, plus p&p or free collection from a store.

This week I bought 12 x 2g tubes of Virasorb from ebay for £14 including p&p. The product comes from an English company and has a 2017 use by date. Single tubes of Virasorb can be bought on ebay for £1.97 incl.

Drug companies make great profits from brand loyalty long after generic versions of a product appear and even when the active ingredients are identical.

baby_frogmella

Has anybody had their GP prescribe Famciclovir 500mg on the NHS for cold sores? When i was in NZ 6 months ago, I purchased Famvir Once over the counter and BOOM! cold sore was almost gone 24 hrs later....a lot better than using Zovirax cream, electric devices, Lysene, lip balm etc.
When I got back to the UK I asked my GP to prescribe me Famciclovir, he gave me Aciclovir instead which you are supposed to take over 5 days but i didn't find it as effective.

MoonJelly

baby_frogmella wrote: »

Has anybody had their GP prescribe Famciclovir 500mg on the NHS for cold sores? When i was in NZ 6 months ago, I purchased Famvir Once over the counter and BOOM! cold sore was almost gone 24 hrs later....a lot better than using Zovirax cream, electric devices, Lysene, lip balm etc.
When I got back to the UK I asked my GP to prescribe me Famciclovir, he gave me Aciclovir instead which you are supposed to take over 5 days but i didn't find it as effective.

You are lucky your GP agreed to prescribe something. My GP insists that I use the cream -which doesn't work for me- or that I wait for the sores to leave on their own -can you spell m.i.s.e.r.y.-..
Can you buy Famciclovir or Aciclovir without a prescription?
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baby_frogmella

baby_frogmella wrote: »

Has anybody had their GP prescribe Famciclovir 500mg on the NHS for cold sores? When i was in NZ 6 months ago, I purchased Famvir Once over the counter and BOOM! cold sore was almost gone 24 hrs later....a lot better than using Zovirax cream, electric devices, Lysene, lip balm etc.
When I got back to the UK I asked my GP to prescribe me Famciclovir, he gave me Aciclovir instead which you are supposed to take over 5 days but i didn't find it as effective.

Well I saw the GP again this afternoon and explained that i didn't find Aciclovir as effective as Famciclovir and after she consulted her ' medication bible' she prescribed 500mg Famciclovir to me on the NHS!! Was expecting her to say 'no' as 3 tabs of 500mg Famciclovir cost £62 from Boots:rotfl: BtW I am in Scotland so NHS rules for Famciclovir might be different in England/wales but no harm in asking your GP.

katsu

Home bargains is very cheap for 5% aciclovir creams. They sell cymex etc. I buy lipsore and it costs around 89p a tube! Means I can have tubes at home, in my bag, car etc ready for a breakout.