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Are there any prescription treatments for cold sores?

Cold sores and fever blisters are painful, fluid-filled blisters on the lips or nearby skin. A virus called herpes simplex type 1 causes them. Cold sores are contagious and are spread by touch. They usually heal in 10 to 14 days.

Talk to your doctor about prescription therapy for treating your cold sores if over-the-counter medicines don’t provide relief. Denavir (generic name penciclovir) , >Valtrex (valacyclovir), and >Zovirax (acyclovir) all kill the herpes simplex type 1 virus. They help cold sores heal an average of 12 hours faster than when no drugs are used. These products must be used three to six times a day for four to seven days to be effective.

These medicines will not prevent an outbreak of cold sores. But they can help reduce symptoms if you start using one as soon as you feel a cold sore develop. If you have herpes simplex type 1, keep one of these medicines on hand to allow prompt treatment.

Sources:
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2007.
Drug Facts and Comparisons, Facts & Comparisons, 2007.
Medline Plus. Medline, 2007.

This answer prepared 10/19/2000.
This information updated 1/11/2007.

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