cold sores?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

does anyone else have this problem? (please feel free not to use your name) i am an undergraduate now and i’ve been having frequent outbreaks, especially during times of stress. i’m curious, for those of you farther along on your professional paths, how you have dealt with this. i can only imagine it will get worse. i’m curious if patients ever take notice? as if it isn’t bad enough having to constantly be careful and dealing with the embarassment! does anyone have any thoughts?

thanks a bunch

[maggie52]

We aren’t supposed to answer med questions on these forums BUT…
on the birght side 50% of five yr olds in AMerica already produce the antibody against the virus that causes outbreaks…
and all of us sympathize I am sure to imperfections in our face that patients comment on ( ugh)…I walked around with a big black eye for the past two weeks after an excision ” who hit you?” “Oh my gosh did you trip?” HA!
And then there are the fasciculations under my right eye that makes it appear I am 😉 winking when I am NOT… 🙁
and the head tremor I have that makes me look nervous when I am not! :yes:
Anyways, ask your doctor for oral meds to decrease length of outbreak.

[SuzzyQ]

aren’t they terrible?! I am just getting over one and still feel like everyone is staring at my face! luckly they haven’t been too bad but still….. I haven’t had to deal with patients yet so we will see. its bad enough that i have to go to class like this! I haven’t tried any of the medications for it, always too embarressed to ask about it. have you tried them? think they help? (not asking for medical advice, just personal experience 😉 )

[PremedRN]

There is a cream that works just GREAT, if I remeber correctly…..Zovirax, it usually disappears/decreases its notability quite dramatically in about 2 or so days. This is NOT medical advice, is based upon my own experience.

[maggie52]

never tried either…but pt’s like prohylaxis or tx with oral antivirals (cheapest being acyclovir) which you need a RX for…

[**DONOTDELETE**]

thanks for your replies..i hope it didn’t sound like i was looking for med advice..just looking for any tips and some moral support 🙂 i know in my head all of the statistics (80-90% carriers, etc) but the fact that many people have no symptoms, and i am not one of them, is so unfair! anyhow..i have tried a bunch of things (even earwax!..i’m not sure how effective this is..i just don’t seem to have enough of it :p ) oral acyclovir is helpful if you catch yourself in the preoutbreak stage but it lends to a bit of paranoia about when it is really occuring (i constantly am worrying..is that a tingle? or just an itch?)..and it’s really not that helpful if you’ve got a full blown outbreak..hmm..perhaps the cream would be more effective..i will ask about this

thanks much and keep all the tips coming!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

hate the buggers – i can guarantee to the minute that if im stressd, tired or getting my period all at the same time there they are on my lips and yes you get a tad paranoid about it – zovirax works a treat although i never seem to catch them in time – last one i woke up and there it was so much for the tingling sensation. Zovirax lessens the time it takes to heal and getting rid of it. Good stuff and yes i too wonder why i wasnt assymptomatic too :boggled:

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