Questions

Are there any over-the-counter treatments for cold sores?

• Docosanol cream (Abreva)seems to reduce severity, pain and duration of cold sores (Sacks 2001). Docosanol is FDA approved in the United States. Ask your physician's opinion.

What can your physician prescribe for colds sores?

• Topical (cream) prescription treatment with Pencylcovir 1%: Use of this cream four times daily has been shown to reduce the severity, pain and duration of cold sores in adults (Spruance 1997). It is more expensive than docosanol.
• Oral (pills) prescription treatment - Available oral anti-viral medications include acyclovir (Zovirax), famcyclovir (Famvir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex). There may be some modest benefit obtained from using these medications; these medications may shorten symptom duration by 1 day and reduce symptoms. However, the research is not conclusive and such treatment is not standard practice (Emmert 2000). You will need to discuss this with your physician.