You wake up. It’s a bright, sunshiny day. The birds are singing. The world is looking great except for one thing. You yet have another outbreak of fever blisters and the number one topic on your mind isn’t sunshine or birds. It’s fever blister medicine as a spot on your lip is red and tingling.
You’ve had fever blisters before so you know the sad truth, there is no cure for fever blisters. Researchers are working on a cure, as well as a vaccine that would prevent future outbreaks. For now, your best bet is the fever blister medicine currently available.
Why You Get Fever Blisters
If you didn’t already know this, the reason why you keep getting fever blisters – or cold sores as they are sometimes called – is because what you really have is herpes simplex virus type 1 or HSV-1. And once you contract the virus, you will have it of for life. You may have contracted it when you were just a child and some relative with a fever blister kissed you or snuggled his or her face up next to yours. All that loving might have felt good at the time but the net result is bad – a virus you’ll have the rest of your life.
Fever Blister Treatment
While you can’t prevent fever blisters from erupting from time to time, there is fever blister medicine that can reduce the pain and healing time.
There are currently four FDA approved anti-viral fever blister medicines available by prescription and one that can be purchased over-the-counter. The four prescription anti-viral drugs are:
Topical Denavir
This FDA-approved medication (generic name Penciclovir 1% cream) is used for recurrent fever blisters on the
lips and face in otherwise healthy adults. It is applied every two hours to the site of the fever blister and
has been shown to heal fever blisters in four and one-half days. It should also reduce the pain of the fever
blister by about one-half day.
Zovirax
Zovirax (generic name, Acyclovir 5% Cream) is also FDA-approved for treating recurring fever blisters. It is
said to help the body fight the infection by preventing the virus from multiplying. While Zovirax cannot prevent
an outbreak of fever blisters, it can help fever blisters heal faster when applied at the first sign of an outbreak.
The potential side effects of Zovirax include dry lips and dry skin.
Famciclovir
Famivir is the generic name of the drug Famciclovir. This anti-viral medication is different in that it is taken
orally and not applied as a cream. Famviclovir has been shown to slow the growth and spread of the herpes simplex
virus type 1 so the body can fight off the infection. It helps heal fever blisters faster and helps shorten
the pain and discomfort.
Valtrex
This drug’s generic name is Valaciclovir. Valtrex is also taken orally. Valacyclovir inhibits the replication
of viral DNA which is what’s required for viruses to reproduce themselves. It is actually a “prodrug” in that
it is not active itself but converts into acyclovir in your body which is active against the virus. It is said
to have a longer duration of action than acyclovir taken alone and can be taken fewer times.
Anti-Viral Fever Blister Medicine
Any of these four prescription anti-viral medications have the ability to:
- Decrease the time it takes for fever blisters to heal if taken soon enough.
- Reduce fever blister symptoms, particulary the pain.
- Reduce the size of lesions developed if taken soon enough.
- Prevent lesions from occurring if taken soon enough.
- Reduce the number of lesions developed if taken soon enough.
Fever blister medicine should be taken as soon as you feel the first signs of an outbreak of fever blisters. If you are lucky, you will first feel a prodrome – a slight tingling, redness or soreness – that signals an outbreak and gives you time to start taking anti-viral fever blister medicine.
Over-The-Counter Fever Blister Medicine
Abreva is the only over-the-counter fever blister remedy that has been FDA approved. It is said to work throughout your fever blister cycle to heal the sore faster and shorten the duration of your symptoms. Abreva should be applied five times a day directly to the fever blister at the first sign of a tingle, bump, redness or itch.
If you are a fever blister sufferer there is fever blister medicine available that can speed healing and shorten the pain and burning caused by fever blister outbreaks.