This product is not made to stop a cold sore from forming but it has and always does cut my cold sore time in half. Without it, it takes up to two weeks for complete healing. With it, I am healed and clear in 6-7 days. I am so glad I found it. It only takes a tiny tiny amount so a tube lasts a long time.

I'm not sure why the few negative posts here...I've used Abreva ever since it came out and it's worked wonders for my cold sores. Especially if you apply it when the cold sore is still just a bump or itch under the skin. Of course when it opens up, it's going to take longer to heal anyway...but still, Abreva seems to cut the healing time by several days for me. I think I apply a few more times a day than recommended - maybe ever couple of hours. And a tube still seems to last me a year or so. (I get outbreaks maybe once every few months or so.) This stuff has saved me a lot of misery.

**WARNING** NOT WORTH A DIME! First of all, after spending 20 minutes searching for the cold sore treatment that would both get rid of the itching and burning and make the cold sore heal faster... I broke down and got Abreva. After opening the package, I pulled out a tiny little tube. Not only has it been over a week and I still have it; I've developed another one and a rash from using it the suggested 5 times a day for 10 days. I'll stick to my Champhophenique Seriously, SAVE YOUR MONEY!

I am disappointed with this product. I started applying it as soon as I felt the 'tingle' of a cold sore coming on. I had realistic expectations: I didn't think it would stop the cold sore coming up, or that the sore would be smaller than usual, but I did think it would heal a few days faster, which is what Abreva claims to do. My cold sore lasted 8 days, which is usual whether I use medication or not. I don't recommend Abreva.

Nothing is going to make your cold sore go away instantly, and if you expect this product to do that, you'll be disappointed. If, however, you're looking for something to reduce the length of time the cold sore is around, keep it from getting as bad is it might otherwise, and also ease the pain/itching, this product is great. Like others have said, it works especially well if used at the first sign of an outbreak. I've been using this for several years now, and I depend on it. Another great product I've discovered more recently is Releev. If you haven't had luck with Abreva, you might try Releev.

This is amazing stuff. I suspected a cold sore was coming Monday morning and THOUGHT I was being treating it successfully with the immediate and frequent application of SuperLysine and tea tree oil. As of Monday a.m. I had a very discreet, if still open, blister, about 2mm wide...when to my horror I saw a tiny but hard bump directly under the first blister. I found a tube of Abreva I'd bought and forgotten about months ago and began applying in earnest. Much to my shock, five hours later the top of the bump sloughed off and now, eight hours later, you can hardly see a trace of the blister that was about to erupt. The first cold sore continues on its normal course and I figure will be healed by Sunday (before I figured out the Novitra/tea tree oil routine the normal course was about 10 days) RUN OUT AND BUY THIS STUFF!!

I have oral herpes, and this stuff makes them go away practically before they start as long as I use it right away. Awesome product.

It's no miracle drug but it does what it says, which is that it reduces the duration of cold sores by a few days. I also found that if I catch a cold sore early enough this seems to help prevent it from going full blown. Of course it might not have even been one, and I was spazzing out.

I have had cold sores ever since I get braces at the age of 11. I usually just use Camphophenique and lip balm, and let them run their course. After several friends and family swore by this, I broke down and bought a tube. The first couple sores I got, the Abreva worked miracles for them. They disappeared with 2 days. The past couple I have gotten, they have done nothing for. And the past couple I have gotten within one months time. I used to get maybe 2 a year. I currently have three blisters on my bottom lip and I started using Abreva the second I got the tell-tale itch and tingle. And I am going on the fourth day with no signs of getting smaller.

I've tried most other remedies and this is better than the prescription I was given! It not only reduced the redness and stopped it from spreading; it took the pain out of it. Love it and it's worth every penny!