Cold Sores
What happens when you get
   a cold sore?
Know what triggers cold
   sores
Cold sores are easily spread
Treatment options

To what extent do cold sores affect
you?
If cold sores are having a negative effect on the way you feel about yourself and your appearance, there are treatments that can help you manage your outbreaks. Talk your doctor to find out what you can do to manage cold sores.

Cold Sores: For Many, They're a Problem That's Hard to Face

Treatment options

While there is no cure for cold sores, there are treatments that can help.
Today, you and your doctor have a range of treatments available to help relieve the discomfort of cold sores and shorten their duration.
These treatments generally fall into two types of therapy:

Oral antiviral medications
These treatments are only available with a prescription from your doctor. When taken orally at the earliest symptoms of an outbreak (ideally during prodrome), antiviral medications help speed the healing of blisters and shorten the duration of the outbreak.7,8

Oral antiviral treatments include:
Valacyclovir (Valtrex®) for the treatment of cold sores
Famciclovir (Famvir®, Apo® - Famciclovir, Novo®- Famciclovir,
PMS® - Famciclovir, Sandoz® Famciclovir) for the treatment of recurrent episodes

Topical medications
These medications are applied directly to the site of infection to help soothe the discomfort and speed the healing of blisters.

Prescription topical medications include:
Denavir® (penciclovir cream) 1% for the treatment of recurrent cold sores
Zovirax® (acyclovir cream) 5% for the treatment of cold sores

Non-prescription topical medications include:
Abreva® (Docosanol Cream 10%)
Antibiotic Cold Sore Ointment
Cepacol®  Viractin®  Gel
Fletcher’s Liquid Sore-Mouth Medicine
Lipactin®  Gel
Orajel®  Medicated Mouth Sore Swabs
Orajel®  Mouth Sore Medicine
Orajel®  Multi-Action Cold Sore Medicine
Tanac®  Medicated Gel
Zilactin®  Medicated Gel

Other cold sore treatments include:
Intercept CS® (targeted heat therapy medical device)

These treatment options differ in the way they work. While some may relieve symptoms, others may speed healing. For that reason, you should speak with your doctor and/or pharmacist and decide which treatment option is most appropriate for you.

 

References

 
1. Sacks S. The Truth About Herpes. 4th Ed., 1997. Gordon Soules Book Publishing Ltd.

2. Ebel C, Wald A. Managing Herpes: How to Live and Love With a Chronic STD. Research Triangle Park, NC: American Social Health Association; 2002.

3. Patrick DM, Dawar M, Cook DA, et al. Antenatal seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in Canadian women. Sex Trans Dis 2001;28(7)424-8.

4. Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW, Roizman B. Herpes simplex viruses. Clin Infect Dis 1998;26(3):541-53.

5. Aoki FY. Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections 2006 Edition: Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections. Public Health Agency of Canada http://phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/sti_2006/pdf/sti2006_e.pdf. Accessed May 15, 2006.

6. Kemeny ME, Cohen F, Zegans LS et al. Psychological and Immunological Predictors of Genital Herpes Recurrence. Psych Med 1989;51:195-208.

7. Valtrex®  (valacyclovir hydrochloride) Product Monograph. GlaxoSmithKline Inc., May 2006.

8. Famvir®  (famciclovir) Product Monograph. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., January 2004.

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