ask your pharmacist

What is Abreva?

Abreva works by preventing the virus from entering cells and multiplying. Since it doesn’t act directly on the virus, Abreva is unlikely to encourage HSV to become resistant. Most other antiviral medications act directly on the virus and may lead to drug resistance.

Do not use Abreva in or around your eyes or on your genitalia, and avoid getting it inside your mouth. For best results, apply the cream to the cold sores as soon as possible after the signs and symptoms appear (for example, pain, burning, or blisters) five times a day until healed. Cold sores normally heal on their own in 10 to 14 days.

Cold sores normally heal on their own in 8 to 10 days but may last up to 14 days. Abreva is the first non-prescription cold sore medicine approved by the FDA to shorten healing time and duration of symptoms. Abreva also reduces pain, burning, itching, and tingling associated with cold sores.

If you apply Abreva at the first sign of a cold sore, you may prevent a blister from forming.

Sources:
“Docosanol Cream (Abreva) for Recurrent Herpes Labialis.” Medical Letter On Drugs and Therapeutics.42 (2000).
Abreva Product Information. GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, 2006.
Drug Facts and Comparisons, Facts & Comparisons, 2006.
Habbema L., K. De Boulle, G. A. Roders, D. H. Katz. "n-Docosanol 10% cream in the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis," Acta Dermato-Venereologica 76 (1996).
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2006.

This answer prepared 7/2/2001.
This information updated 1/25/2007.