I am 53 years old and have been getting cold sores for about the last 25 years. I get them infrequently (about every 2 years), but when I do they are painful and can last for weeks. I have found taking Brewer's Yeast tablets help reduce the severity and duration of the cold sore symptoms. Once I recognize a cold sore is developing, I try to take 2 tablets 3-4 times a day until the symptoms are gone. If I stop too early the symptoms will start coming on again. I will then continue to take the tablets until the symptoms go away.

I used to get cold sores all the time. I usually get them when I'm very sick, or stressed, or if I have been in the sun a lot. It's no fun working in public with cold sores on your face. Some of the over-the-counter medications bring me some relief, but the cold sores still last for about a week.

I have been getting cold sores for as long as I can remember and it is really embarrassing. In my country people used to say "a cockroach kissed you". One time my doctor put me on a course of Zovirax tablets and that worked really well.

I had my first cold sore in my early twenties after I was sick with a stomach virus. When my 15-year-old daughter got a cold sore before a big dance two years ago, the very next day I got a cold sore in the corner of my lip. 11 months later at Christmas time, lo and behold I got a cold sore in the exact same place. A year later, this past Christmas guess what I got again, thought it was gone, two weeks later it re-appeared. Working in a dentist office and talking with a patient about my situation, she swore by table salt. I immediately put table salt on the developing lesion and I swear that sore was gone within two days. It never turned into the bumpy, oozing sores, dried up and was gone. Tonight my now 17year-old daughter and I had a heated argument and guess what I have developing on the other corner of my mouth. I immediately applied Abreva to moisten the area and put table salt on top of the area. My sores seem to always come out after a stressful time in my life. Good luck, I know how much fun they are not.

I have been getting cold sores since I was little. The best relief I have found is aspirin for the pain and instant hand sanitizer gel. I put IHS on the area at the first signs (the tingling). The cold sores don't seem to get as severe, the blisters dry up quickly, and the whole cold sore is healed in about a week. It stings but it is worth it.

I am 49 and got my first cold sore at age 16 from the sun while on vacation down in FL so I went to the drugstore and the pharmacist told me it was herpes simplex I. I was shocked! I suffer for no less than 2 weeks with ungodly pain! I have tried Abreva, Zovirax, Campho-phenique, chapstick and every combination in-between. L-lysine, found OTC with the vitamins, is the best deterrent when taken once a daily for life! "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Otherwise, I'm screwed!

I have been getting cold sores over the years. I find that the best remedy for me was taking Valtrex at the first sign of tingling and also using Zilactin-l cold sore liquid on the area at first sign of tingling. By using both products it is usually gone within a week.