Cold Sore Treatments

Although there is no magic cure to completely and instantly get rid of a cold sore, there are still many cold sore treatment techniques that can be used to shorten the duration of an attack.  Most of these treatments are either anti-viral drugs or topical creams.

More often than not, the most beneficial way to treat a cold sore is by using an anti-viral drug.  When taken early in the formation of a cold sore, these drugs can take a day off the duration of an outbreak.  Anti-viral are typically prescription drugs, and include but are not limited to penciclovir, aciclovir (brand name Zovirax, pictured below), famciclovir (Famvir), and valaciclovir (Valtrex).

Aciclovir is the oldest of the anti-viral drugs, and therefore, it's available as a much cheaper generic brand, making it one of the most affordable cold sore treatment options.  Additionally, aciclovir is the recommended drug for pregnant women.  However, it's famciclovir that seems to be the most effective of the anti-virals, though it's still being clinically tested and not as widely used as some of the alternatives.

While the anti-viral drugs that are used to treat cold sores are typically taken as pills, they are often available as creams too.  But it's not proven if either variety makes for a superior cold sore treatment.

There are other topical creams as well.  One is docosanol (Abreva), which is one of the more controversial treatments.  While it likely cuts the duration of cold sores, the manufacturers of Abreva were subject to a class-action lawsuit for exaggerating the drug's effectiveness. Other creams include Lipactin, which has been shown to be effective in treating cold sores, and thomandtadine, which helps fight the herpes virus from spreading.

If you go to a drug store, you'll see several other products.  Some of these remedies include creams like Banadyn-3 and Novitra's homeopathic cold sore cream, gels such as Nexcare Cold Sore Treatment and Zicam Cold Sore Gel Swabs, liquids such as Zilactin-L, and even an electronic product called Quantum DermaSeptic Skin Cure, among others.  (Check the Cold Sore Products page to learn more about these treatments.)  Most of these products contain some form of zinc as their active ingredient, and many of do indeed help.  However, it's important to apply these treatments as soon as you feel a cold sore forming.  If you apply them too late, they are all but useless.

To repeat, none of these drugs will permanently get rid of cold sores, though they are capable of shortening their duration and easing the symptoms, so definitely give them a try. Ask a doctor for more information.