Question:
Does anyone know how I can get rid of cold sores, and how I can prevent
them? I tried supplementing with L-Lysine but that just seemed to cause
them.
Answer:
I get cold sores maybe twice a year on my lips, especially near a
scar no the inner upper lip where I split the lip during a fall when I
was about six. It didn't leave a visible scar, but it's there on the
inside and any cold sore that develops on or near it is pure hellish
agony.
I've been getting them since I was 19 and have tried just about anything
from rx to OTC to herbal remedies and any and all alternative tips I've
come across. I don't think there is way yet to cure the virus forever,
but I have found one treatment that makes a world of difference for me.
This is just personal experience, but the improvement for me was so
dramatic, the sores, when they show up, no longer bother me. We're
basically talking a difference from suffering incredible pain and
disfigurement for 7-9 days that caused me not to leave the house in the
past, to a barely visible sore, very little swelling, almost no pain and
a course of 3-4 days. Eating, talking and smiling is no longer an agony
The "secret" treatment: THC extract in rubbing alcohol. Take about a
fingernail sized marijuana bud, put in a thimble-sized container (you
can make larger amounts, but a thimble full is all I need for a cold
sore appearance), fill up the container with rubbing alchohol (you could
also use very high proof drinking alcohol, such as Everclear, but
rubbing alcohol does fine). Let the marijuana bud soak until the liquid
has turned greenish and looks oily (a few hours - you can then remove
the bud or leave it in, doesn't matter). Apply the extract to the cold
sore as soon as you feel the first signs of tingling and then several
times a day afterwards until it is gone.
I have no idea why this works or why it is the only treatment that
significantly eases the symptoms of my cold sores. But I live in a state
where 57% of voters decided that medical marijuana should be legal, and
this is one of the reasons why. I've tried to treat the cold sores with
just rubbing alchohol , but that doesn't work. It's the combo
of THC and rubbing alcohol that does the trick. I first read about this
treatment in a High Times Magazine ca. 1988. This means that cold sores
have been nothing more than a minor annoyance for me for 10 years now. I
always keep a little container of extract on hand . i've also been getting them less often since I discovered the
extract (1-2 times per year, as compared to 3-4 times before), but I
really don't know why that is.
