Cold Sore Treatments & Remedies

What is a cold sore?

Cold sores or fever blisters are a common viral infection. They are tiny, fluid-filled blisters often found on and around the lips that burst and leave a sore, scabby area of skin often for around a week.

Cold sores are also known as oral herpes and are highly contagious during a breakout as the virus can be passed on in the fluid from the blisters, like through kissing or sexual activities.

Cold sores are caused by the same virus as genital herpes, which can also cause liquid-filled sores on your genitals. 

The herpes infection cannot be cured and will live dormant in your skin between breakouts.

What causes cold sores?

A cold sore is caused by an infection by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) of which there are two types:

HSV 1 is very common and causes cold sores. It is highly contagious during a breakout and passed from person to person by close contact. It can remain dormant and may be triggered by fatigue, injury to the area, or during a period in women. Some people never have cold sores, as the virus never becomes active.

HSV 2 is less common and is the cause of genital herpes.

If you have cold sores, you should avoid contact with people who have HIV, newborn babies and those receiving treatment which may weaken the immune system, such as chemotherapy.

Cold sores are most contagious when the blisters burst and remain contagious until they have healed. This means that you should avoid close contact with others until they have cleared up.

Cold sore triggers

It is estimated that up to 10 in every 100 people who have cold sores experience a breakout more than five times a year. Avoiding potential triggers may help to prevent them. 1

Some people have the virus but don't get many breakouts, while others get cold sores often. So, what causes these painful blisters to appear?

Although it varies from person to person, there are many cold sore triggers. These include:

• Weakened immune system
• Fever
• Sunburn 
• Fatigue
• Stress
• Menstruation
• Common cold 
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Excessive sunlight
• Cold weather
• Exposure to wind
• Injury
• Dental treatment
• Other procedures on the face, like microneedling, botox or fillers

What does an early-stage cold sore look like?

As a cold sore starts to develop, you may notice sensations of tingling, burning or stinging on and around your lips or nostrils.

It can then take up to 2 days for one or more blisters to start forming.

Cold sores are often small and filled with liquid. Technically, they can appear anywhere on the face but are most common on the lips and in the nose.

How long do cold sores take to heal?

It can take up to 10 days for cold sores to completely heal. During this time, the blisters and scabbing can be painful and irritating.

How long are cold sores contagious?

Unfortunately, cold sores are contagious as soon as you start to feel symptoms, like tingling. Cold sores will continue to be contagious until they have completely healed.

They can spread easily to other parts of your body and other people. Follow these steps to help prevent this:

If you touch your cold sore, you should immediately wash your hands with soap and water.

Avoid kissing anyone when you have an active sore.

Refrain from oral sex until you are healed, as you could risk passing the infection to your partner.

How an online pharmacy can help with cold sores

Oxford Online Pharmacy provides a cold sore treatment and prevention service, it works as follows:

1. If you have cold sores, Oxford Online Pharmacy can provide online consultation with a GMC-registered doctor.
2.  Please complete the online doctor's consultation and select your requested treatment. The doctor will examine your answers, and, if approved, a prescription will be issued.
3. The treatment prescribed will be dispensed and sent discreetly to you via tracked delivery.

Treatments

Cold sores may clear up by themselves in 7-10 days without the need for medication. You can apply antiviral cold sore cream, such as Zovirax, without a prescription needed. This should be applied as soon as you experience symptoms, the sooner the better.

In more severe cases, tablets such as Aciclovir can be prescribed to treat and prevent cold sores. These are prescription-only medicines, we may be able to supply these following the completion of an online consultation. If approved, our Pharmacy team will send out your treatment.

Find out more below about the different available cold sore treatments.

Available cold sore treatments

Cold sores can be a real bother for those who get them. They can be uncomfortable and painful, which is why many people seek treatments either to clear up a breakout faster or to prevent breakouts in the first place.

There are two main forms of cold sore treatments:

Cold sore tablets

Aciclovir 200mg, 400mg tablets

Aciclovir is a common treatment for cold sores. It is a prescription medicine containing aciclovir, an antiviral drug. 

It works by preventing the herpes virus from multiplying and causing a breakout to worsen, or it can be taken as a preventative to stop breakouts from starting.

Aciclovir does not cure cold sores or genital herpes, entirely prevent outbreaks, or stop the virus from spreading to others.

Valaciclovir 500mg tablets

Similar to Aciclovir, Valaciclovir is a prescription-only antiviral medicine. It works by stopping the growth of the herpes simplex virus. 

Valtrex 500mg tablets

These prescription-only tablets are the branded version of Valaciclovir tablets. Both contain the same active ingredient and work in the same way to treat cold sores, so how do they differ?

Most medicines have branded and generic versions available. Once a medicine's patent expires, other companies can make the same or similar medicine. These generic variations of tablets are often much cheaper than the branded version and work in exactly the same way.

Some people may prefer the branded version, this could be because the non-active ingredients may vary slightly. It all comes down to personal preference, which is why we provide different options.

You can read more about branded vs generic medicines here. 

Cold sore creams

Aciclovir 5% cream

Topical creams such as Aciclovir are applied directly onto the cold sore, on the face. This lip sore cream contains the same antiviral agent as the tablets but is applied topically.

It is best to use this cream at the first signs of a cold sore i.e. itching and tingling. It can also speed up the healing of an already-formed cold sore.

Aciclovir is a popular treatment option and one of the best creams for cold sores available to buy without a prescription required.

This cream is a generic treatment, meaning it contains the same active ingredient as its branded alternative but is usually sold at a cheaper price.

Zovirax 5% cream

Zovirax cream is a well-known branded treatment for cold sores. It contains the active ingredient aciclovir and works in the same way as the generic medicine, lip sore cream, above.

Can medicine prevent cold sores?

Yes, antiviral medicines such as Aciclovir or Valaciclovir can be used to prevent cold sore outbreaks. These drugs, taken as tablets, enter the bloodstream and limit the virus's growth., preventing breakouts.

When to use prevention vs outbreak treatments

Outbreak short-term treatment: Taken for 5 days to treat an active cold sore. Courses can be ordered even without an outbreak, like before a holiday or big event when you want treatment ready in case of a cold sore.

To treat an outbreak, we offer antiviral medicine in smaller pack sizes, like:

Aciclovir 200mg 50 tablets - take 1 tablet, 5 times daily for 5 days to treat an outbreak (2 courses)
Valtrex 500mg 20 tablets -  take 1 tablet, twice daily for 5 days to treat an outbreak (2 courses)
Valaciclovir 500mg 20 tablets -  take 1 tablet, twice daily for 5 days to treat an outbreak (2 courses)

Each box contains enough tablets for 10 days. If new lesions appear during treatment, the tablets can be taken for an additional five days. Otherwise you can keep the second course for the next outbreak.

Prevention long-term treatment: Used for several months to decrease outbreak frequency.

One study found that taking 800 mg of Aciclovir every day for four months can decrease outbreaks by half. The outbreaks went from two to one when compared to a placebo. 1

For prevention, we offer the antiviral tablets in bigger pack sizes, like:

Aciclovir 400mg 56 tablets - take 1 tablet, twice daily (1 month's worth)
Aciclovir 400mg 168 tablets - take 1 tablet, twice daily (3 month’s worth)
Valtrex 500mg 84 tablets - take 1 tablet daily (3 month’s worth)
Valaciclovir 500mg 84 tablets - take 1 tablet daily (3 month’s worth)

At Oxford Online Pharmacy we also sell tablet bundles which contain outbreak and prevention tablets, like:

Aciclovir 200mg 2x25outbreak tablets & 400mg 3x56 prevention tablets
Valtrex 500mg 1x20 outbreak tablets & 500mg 2x42 prevention tablets
Valaciclovir 500mg outbreak 1x20 tablets and 500mg 2x42 prevention tablets

Buy herpes treatments online

You can go to the top of this page to start your online consultation to buy cold sore medicines. 

If you are still unsure about the best course of treatment for you, get in touch with a member of our team who will be more than happy to help and advise you.

FAQs

What kills cold sores instantly?

The best treatment to get rid of cold sores quickly are antiviral drugs such as Aciclovir tablets. Unfortunately, even though this is the best treatment for cold sores, they will not disappear instantly.

How long do cold sores last?

This depends on how bad the outbreak is and can differ from person to person. On average, a cold sore lasts up to 10 days.

Are cold sores contagious?

Yes, cold sores are contagious as soon as you start to feel the first symptoms, such as tingling. They are most contagious when you have broken sores on your lips.

Are cold sores always herpes?

Cold sores are a strain of the herpes simplex virus known as HSV-1, on the other hand, HSV-2 is usually caused by genital herpes, however, either type can spread to the face or genital through oral sex or kissing.

Is a cold sore herpes?

Yes, a cold sore is caused by the herpes simplex virus, the same virus that causes genital herpes.

Why do you get cold sores?

The herpes simplex virus causes cold sores; once you've caught it, they can appear anytime. Many different factors can cause a breakout to happen, like cold weather or stress.

Why do I keep getting cold sores?

The herpes infection lays dormant in your skin nerve cells, and cold sore triggers like a viral infection or hormonal changes can cause cold sores to break out. Especially if you are run down.

Consider cold sore prevention tablets if they appear regularly.

Are cold sores herpes simplex?

Yes, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Can cold sores spread to the genital area?

Yes, the virus can spread through oral sex and kissing.

Can you get a cold sore in your nose?

You can get cold sores anywhere on your face, they don’t just appear on your lips. You should make sure you always wash your hands after touching your cold sore to avoid spreading it to other parts of your face.

References

Cold sores: Learn More – Can cold sore outbreaks be prevented? - InformedHealth.org - NCBI Bookshelf
Cold sores - NHS