Comment by i_have_an_idea | Hacker News Reader

Comment by i_have_an_idea | Hacker News Reader

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As a long-time cold sore host, I have figured out several things that are true (for me):

1) Generally any viral infection that runs down my immune system can create a cold sore. A flu, a bad cold or covid.

2) Sometimes just stress and/or being sleep deprived will do it, but there usually needs to be at least 3-4 months since the last outbreak for that to happen.

3) You're lucky if Abreva works for you. For me, the creams do almost nothing. The only thing that seems to help is Valaciclovir oral tablets. If taken early enough, they can prevent the outbreak or make it a very small cold sore.

So, in summary, I don't think there's anything special about covid with regard to cold sores. It breaks me out about the same as any other virus that runs me down / gives me a few days of fever.

You should also probably check out Valaciclovir, as it sounds like your immune system does quite well against cold sores, so the extra boost from a more powerful antiviral might completely stop your outbreaks.

Valaciclovir is magic. I use the 1G tablet whenever I feel the tingles.

Between that, routine vitamins, and habitual chapstick use I haven’t had a bad outbreak for almost a decade. Before that I’d get one like every other month it seemed.

I used to get more outbreaks when I was in a worse physical shape (overweight, little exercise). Then it was maybe one every 2 months. Now I'm in the normal BMI range and I exercise regularly (albeit not to a high level) and my outbreaks are 2 times a year.

Valaciclovir definitely helps, but one's own immune system plays a huge role. After all, most people in the world have that virus, few actually get outbreaks.

4) And spikes in your UV light exposure can trigger them.

virus knows you have crawled out from under your rock and it is time to party.

Interestingly, that was the case when I lived in the UK. Now I live in a much warmer country / more UV, so that stopped triggering them.

edit: also proactively take L-Lysine before sun or stress and Valacyclovir if it is too late

My cold sores are rare and rarely break the skin; I would never take something systemic rather than topical (and weak, Abreva is also a food additive) to control them. The only time they've ever been this bad was covid. I've had 1000 colds and flus over the past half-century, so I do have a basis for comparison.

You know your body best. My advice should be mostly considered by people who want to prevent cold sores that break the skin and have less of an immunity than you do.

You should try using hydrocortisone. There are some studies on it in combination with antivirals and it works quite surprisingly and very cost effective....

thanks for the tip. how does it work in your experience? Does it work to prevent the cold sore from breaking the skin or does it just speed up its healing / reduce the size of it.

Really makes a difference early to prevent anything from developing.

From what I've read there isn't much consensus on why this works, but it is not for me to question why..

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