<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Thanks to everyone who sent responses regarding cold sores. FYI, following are the responses: Yes, ice, as GF as you can get! You have to be able to hold it on the cold sore for about 20 minutes without anything between your skin and the ice. Honest, you get past the pain after a few uncomfortable minutes. The whole area around it has to be so cold that it feels cold to your tongue. I have used a couple of ice cubes shaped around the lip so that it really gets everything cold. The virus that causes the sore can't survive the cold. I used to get them frequently but after doing this a few times they stopped occurring. It really works best if you catch it when it first starts to tingle but if it does break out before you ice it, it clears up very quickly in a day or two. My husband still gets them occasionally but he never had the patience to hold the ice on long enough and says it doesn't work for him. I'm a nurse and had never heard of this until a kindly patient told me about it. I never researched it because as soon as the person told me I went and grabbed the ice and it worked. Good luck. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- My husband takes acyclovir capsules as soon as he feels a "tingle" on his lip that might be a cold sore. It prevents the cold sore from swelling, blistering, and helps it to heal faster. Acyclovir is the generic name, and he has to get a prescription from his MD for it. He does not have celiac, and I don't know if it is GF. I get canker sores, which is a different virus. I take lysine when I feel one start, but if it progresses to a painful stage I treat it with Debacterol, which cauterizes it and stops the pain immediately. I'm sure Debacterol is GF, but it is not to be used on cold sores, only canker sores. Hope this helps, __________________________________________________________________________ The Clan Thompson GF Drug Listing has three: Anbesol Cold Sore Therapy Gel Blistex Kank-A Liquid Soft Lips Secret Healer - Cold Sore and Fever Blister Treatment _________________________________________________________________________ Prevention mouth wash workes well. You just dip a q-tip in the mouth wash and put it right on the cold sore. The prevention mouth wash also works well on ulcers in the mouth. Hope this helps. _________________________________________________________________________ FYI - these things can cause the arginine/lysine ratio to get out of whack. Chocolate, nuts, flax seed and flax oil, grapes, orange juice, puffed rice, too many more to type. See complete list at http://www.herpes.com/Nutrition.shtml Flax is not on that list but that information can be found at the following web site: http://waltonfeed.com/self/ntr3.html Being on a GF diet is so restrictive that then limiting the Arginine high foods too has really limited my food choices but I have definitely had outbreaks from nuts, wine, rice cakes and the other things on the list with a high arginine level. But I do feel that as time passes and my small intestines heal my body should be most resistant to the herpes and hopefully the homeopathic treatment I will begin this week will also bring relief. ____________________________________________________________________________ I have used Abreva and a prescriptio,n creme for them. Since I don't injest the creme, I have never been concerned about Gluten content. Fortunately, I only get the cold sores when I am really run down and stressed. Good luck, ___________________________________________________________________________ Rather than looking for remedies, probably you still are eating foods that are weakening your immune system. For example sugar, dairy, perhaps you have a nut allergy. I had been gluten free for a long time but I was still getting sick. I found out I was allergic to nuts, seeds and the products made from them. Also the mouthwash and toothpaste had grain and nut derivatives in them that were affecting me. I was getting split and cracked lips and itchiness and finger fungus too! Now that I eat only fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish, I feel 100% better. ___________________________________________________________________________ I had really bad cold sores and I found out that I was B12 def. so if you haven't then have your level checked. I am being treated with a B12 shot each month and my cold sores have disappeared. Good Luck ___________________________________________________________________________ Use geranium oil (the pure essential oil), a drop or two several times a day. Use externally only. I use it when I first feel the funny tingling feeling on my lip and have yet to have one pop out since using the geranium oil. It works great. Since I am pregnant, I cannot use meds, so I was doubly delighted that it works so well. References: The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood Nutrition Almanac by Kirschmann and Kirschmann (includes info on foods to avoid) Kind regards, __________________________________________________________________________ I was taking some medication (Acyclovir)... my doctor said that would destroy my kidney eventually and the virus will gain immunity against the pill. He said dont take anything but REST AND SLEEP.. so whenever I feel the tingling coming on my lips, I rest more and sleep more. and that stops it!!! try it works!!!!!! __________________________________________________________________________ Cold sores are a form of herpes virus, and the only thing that works on them is Zovirax. It is an oral medication, but a topical one does exist. Cold sores usually come out when you are under stress, or have gotten too much sun, or vitamin C. You can usually tell when they are coming because you start to feel that familiar tingle… THAT’S WHEN YOU NEED TO START THE Zovirax. If you start the medication at the first sign of discomfort you will not usually break out. I have suffered with this problem for years and Zovirax is the only thing that works! BTW, Lysene does nothing for cold sores. Hope this helps you, ___________________________________________________________________________ You could try some Chickweed healing salve. I use it for my DH and it gives me much needed relief. ___________________________________________________________________________ abreva has worked very well for me and i've had no noticeable reaction. i don't know for 100% certain if it's GF though __________________________________________________________________________ You should talk to your pediatric dentist. They put my little one on zovirex(sp?) at the first sign of break outs ___________________________________________________________________________ Acidopholous might help __________________________________________________________________________ There is an antibiotic called acyclovir that works well on cold sores. It is also used for treating shingles blisters, and only available by prescription. One of the brand names that it is marketed under is zovirax. If you start applying it when the blister first starts to form, it will dramatically reduce the size of the blister, and shorten the healing time by several days. __________________________________________________________________________ Before I was diagnosed I would get them ALL of the time. I mentioned to my allergist of all people and he said that his daughter suffered as well. He prescribed her the steroid prednazone(spelling?). It worked for her after 3-4 days of being on a dosage of 10-20mg/day. He prescribed it to me, and did wonders. Talk to your Dr. about it, at least for you and your husband, if not your child being that he is young. Beware though, if you are diabetic, as I am, it will drive your blood sugars through the roof. __________________________________________________________________________ go to a health food store and get the homeopathic remedy NATRUM MUR 30C......2 pills under the tongue every 2 hours. Usually are gone in 2 days. and I mean ..GONE! Put CALENDULA OINTMENT on the blister to keep it moist, heal it and keep it from cracking. My md/homeopath recommended this.....works like a charm ___________________________________________________________________________ *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*