Success story... perhaps? with a constant cold sore that doesn't want to leave :(

[mdellam44]

Hi Guys,

 

Well this is a mix of a success story with some medical questions in the mix.

 

I wrote not long ago that after 10 years of a relationship which gave me herpes I was out ‘courting’ with an ex boyfriend who was way too unpreoccupied with the fact I was H+, so I was doing all worrying for him and I even considered not continuing as I just didn’t want him to take the risk, I love him too much.

 

But some words of advice from the forum and my friends who all know I have herpes and also are friends with this guy gave me some new strength and we continued on.

 

Now the story is a bit complicated since we live thousands of miles away from each other but we had a little romantic escape in December for which I was prepared by starting my suppressive treatment 2 months in advanced. My doctor told me to take Valaciclovir 500mg per day which I did.

So on our very short week together things were more than amazing, we actually let go and had such beautiful sex. I had never felt so sexy before in my life and we gave ourselves entirely to each other (pardon if I can explain myself very well, English is my second language after all). We did it with condoms and the suppressive medicine minimizing the risk to 1%/

 

The thing is that half way through the week I started to feel a cold sore coming. Last time I had one of those was probably 8 years ago when my dad past away. And if I had something in between that time and today must have been minimal as I cannot remember it. Surely after the first tingling I had to cancel all kissing and also the sex because although I didn’t feel anything down there I knew the virus was active. I blamed the Outbreak to the stress of meeting up, the long hours of flights, the cold weather in the US and the whole lot of kissing that was going on. And even though I tried to cancel the OB with acyclovir lotion it seemed this one just wanted to run its course.

 

So I came back home with an OB and a horrible full on flu that left me in bed for two days. My defences were definitely compromised.

 

The problem is that this was over 2 months ago, and I am about to see him again meeting this time in South America, were I am to meet his family, oh boy... yeah this is how good is going (I may even move to where he is pretty soon). But my cold sore seems to want to stay and live on my lips forever. The first one in December got cured after that I did a bit of waxing and since that time there is a tingling going on and all the sudden during the day I get redness and that area even feels numb sometimes. I have combated it with the 500mg per day of Valacyclovir, the acyclovir lotion and I also started drinking ½ teaspoon of Lysine powder with water per day. But it is still there. It seems to calm down for a few days and comes back again. I went to see my doctor a few weeks ago when my lips looked like they were on the healing stage from and OB that never got to happen and she told me to keep doing what I am doing but now I am really worried. Is it really going to stay and live on my lips like this? What can be causing it? I never used to get them and all the sudden it doesn’t want to leave? What else can I try? I have 10 days to go until I see him again.

 

Thank you for your help in advance.

 

[WCSDancer2010]

@mdellam44

 

Hi again!

 

So glad to hear about your successful visit... and that you are allowing your BF to be responsible for his part while doing what you can to protect him.

 

I've gone through spells where I have had ongoing cold sores. And travel certainly seemed to aggravate things. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. You may just be going through a cycle where your body is rebuilding it's immunity, and all the travel/stress just probably started it off......

 

So question first... do you know if your BF has HSV1? ie, has he been tested for EVERYTHING? Because 80% of people have HSV1...most of us, like you, got it as children. If he has that one, then the cold sores would not be an issue for you anyway.

 

Also, if you have a cold sore OB, doesn't mean you can't have sex... HSV2 is a different strain and it doesn't mean that you are shedding that one genitally if you have an OB on your lip. It just means you want to avoid kissing.

 

I personally find that Ammonium Alum was great for coldsores... I would damp the sore, and dab a small amount on the sore. Tastes yucky but it dried it right up.

 

((HUGS))) and good luck :)

[mdellam44]

Thank you WCSDancer!!!

 

I will give a try to Ammonium Alum and see how I go. I am now on a good day and I hope it is stays that way. I have only 8 days to go and I will start a 36 hours trip to see him :).

[WCSDancer2010]

Get as much rest as you can and keep your stress to a minimum (as much as you can). Travel is soooo hard on the body.

 

I don't know if you have access to Abreva (might be easier to get if you are in the USA) ... its an OTC drug .. don't know how well it works though. But might be worth a try too :)

 

Good luck!