Question:
Does anyone have any "home remedies" for canker sores that they
would like to share? I have been HIV+ for 10 years now, and have
been fortunate not to have any serious problems EXCEPT recurring canker
sores. I have been plagued by them ever since I got my test results.
Anyone who has this problem knows how annoying it can be.
I heard that canker sores are usually caused by the Herpes Simplex
virus, and that nearly everybody has been exposed to this virus by the time
he/she is an adult. However, I've also heard that this same virus causes
cold sores (aka fever blisters) and I NEVER get those, so I wonder if there
isn't some "co-factor" at work. Also, for years I took large doses of
acyclovir as a Herpes prophylactic and it had no effect on the sores.
About a year ago, I started taking 2 - 3 grams daily of the amino
acid Lysine, along with restricting my intake of the amino acid Arginine
after reading that Herpes Simplex growth is stimulated by Arginine but
suppressed by Lysine. This regimen has helped somewhat, in that the sores
are typically smaller and a bit less frequent, but they still haven't gone
away. Recently, I've heard that the drug Thalidomide appears to suppress
cancker sores in PWAs. If these claims are true, I would like to try the
drug, but it has the disadvantage of being very difficult to get. Plus, I
don't know what negative side effects it might have (besides causing severe
birth defects in developing fetuses). So, I was wondering if anyone knows
of something else that might help or has more up-to-date information on the
subject than I do.
Answer:
for Canker sores, here are three natural remedies you may find beneficial:
Antiseptic washes- 1. Tincture of Iodine...............6 drops
Add to one glass of hot water and wash mouth
out well every two hours
2. Glycothymoline and water.......equal parts
Same method as above
3. Borax.............1 teaspoon
Bicarbonate of Soda........1 teaspoon
Glycerine........2 teaspoons
Water............2 ounces
Mix. Wash mouth out every three hours
