I recommend it highly, if applied at the first sign of a cold sore, it will minimize discomfort and shorten duration…often never letting one really get started. I had a cold sore once, I put Abreva on it and it went away in like 2-3 days.
Out breaks usually take about 1-2 weeks to heal, applying Abreva regularly can cut your normal healing time in half. You can also prevent out breaks when you appy it at the first signs or symptoms of an out break.
I would recommend it but there is also another product called Lipactin, it does the same thing as Abreva but it’s way cheaper and clear.
The best thing that I have found for cold sores is Super Lysine lip ointment. It not only works fast but doesn’t cake off like some other things. you can get it at a herbal health food store. Try it! you won’t be disappointed.
I get cold sores and have tried many treatments. Docosanol 10% (Abreva) is FDA approved and clinical trials have shown that it does shorten duration of cold sores, but after reviewing the clinical trials it appears that it only shortens the duration by around 10-15%.
That means a cold sore that usually takes 10-15 days to resolve, might clear up one day sooner. 34% reported that early treatment stopped the sores from developing, but so did 23% who used a placebo.
I do use Abreva, but I think the best aspect is that it makes me feel like I am doing something. Not sure it makes a huge difference. I think the best way to treat cold sores is to keep them from happening.
I realized that drinking alcohol was a trigger for me and after drastically reducing my alcohol intake I went from a cold sore every 2-3 months to maybe 1-2 a year. Also use sunblock on your lips, UV light is a major trigger. Please tell me how quickly abreva worked for you, if at all. And if you recommend it or not for cold sores?
from: http://m.zimbio.com/Health+And+Wealth/articles/wjocp545i4F/Cold+Sore+How+quic...
