I am very new to this virus, and was only diagnosed a few days ago.
I decided that since there is nothing I can do, I might as well start moving forward.
So in order to go back to living my normal life, I need to first rid myself of these discomforts and pain. Does anyone have any advice on how to decrease the duration of my herpes outbreaks, and to reduce the pain of them? I have no idea.
Do I pop the blisters? Do I leave them? When and when not should I put ointment on them? How long do they last with prescription medication?
This virus loves to surface in times of stress and poor eating. Cleanse your body, eat a healthy diet, and be happy about your life, don't let the little things get the best of you. And this my dear is minor! You might not feel that way now because its new to you but once you research everything you can do to naturally remedy this virus. If you follow what researchers tell you about diet and stress you may never have another outbreak again. There are certain cheap all natural items to include into your daily regimen and that helps soo much to keep the virus dormant. There are also other triggers like aspertame and other certain additives that should be avoided. As far as when you have an actual outbreak consume large amounts of unrefined coconut oil and also use coconut oil mixed with tea tree oil topically on the blisters. Pop them open and put the oils on after. WASH YOuR HANDS after touching the blisters, u do not want to transfer the virus to your eyes! My boyfriend was a man ***** pretty much, he was so good at it and I had noo clue! I found out after 2 years of dating about his cheating problem and that he had herpes and that he gave it to me...I don't have outbreaks..I talked to my doc about it and he said its asymptomatic which I think is because of all the natural supplements I take to keep that **** virus asleep! You can actually CURE it forever if you want to put a lot of time and effort into getting it out of your body. I hope I eased your worries a little..trust me its NOT THE END of the world ;) your still the same person and herpes does not define you!
Here's what I've found works best for me:
I've been using Blistex like my life depends on it! I've been getting cold sores on my nose once a month since I was 10 (now 26), and in the last couple years I started getting them on my lips which bugs me more than the nose. Blistex I've noticed has stopped the outbreaks on my lips. Probably should try putting it on the nose as well to see if they stop all together since I've now started to get them on the nose again. Anyway, I've been using the blistex several times daily and even after feeling a "tingle" several times, have not had an outbreak on my lips since, except maybe for one TINY one (not even sure it was a cold sore...). Blistex is very inexpensive and I personally think it also speeds the healing time a little bit.
When a blister does start to form, blistex and ice help keep the blister from growing larger, keeps it to a small size. I've read that you're NOT supposed to pop the blisters because the fluid in the blisters can cause an outbreak to spread to a new area. However, popping it does seem to speed the healing time, so here's how you're SUPPOSED to do it if you can't resist popping it: use a STERILE needle to pop the blister and place a napkin or tissue under the puncture point so the fluid is absorbed by the tissue and does not spread on the skin. This is also the most sanitary way to do it so you avoid getting the virus on your hands or further spreading it. This next part sounds strange but I read about it online and I feel like it has REALLY helped me... after popping the blister and getting all the fluid out, I soak a cotton ball in nail polish remover (I know, I know sounds terrible...). Probably not at all good for you, but it basically burns the crap out of the virus, dries the blister, and speeds healing. After that, I soak a cotton ball or Q-tip in Bactine. Also inexpensive and the active ingredient is the same as the active ingredient in Abreeva which is a fairly expensive cold sore treatment. Also, the bactine has a numbing effect which relieves pain/itching. I apply both the nail polish remover and the bactine several times throughout the day.
After all that, keep the sores dry. You can apply some blistex if your skin is really dry after using the nail polish remover (you can also use rubbing alcohol or peroxide instead of nail polish remover. it's not as effective in my opinion but works in a similar way). I typically do use a SMALL amount of blistex afterwards because I feel like dry skin in places other than where the current sore is, is a sure way to get another outbreak :-P , but after applying blistex, keep the area dry.
Other than that, I recently tried a generic brand of valtrex at the first sign of blistering which I noticed yesterday morning. The small blisters never formed one big blister! Instead, only about 24 hours after taking the valtrex, I just have several tiny scabs that already formed. Normally my blisters would still be filled with fluid at this point. I plan on asking my doctor for a daily prescription to prevent any future outbreaks. If you don't want to get on antivirals, I've read that Red Marine Algae with Gigartina works wonders! I just ordered my first bottle and can't wait to start taking it so I can try it. Hope this helps!