6 Yr Old with Cold Sore

campho phenique
I don't think I spelled it right, but one or two applications and its gone! Very effective and immediately soothing. Good luck M.!
PS I just read the other responses, and I'm probably the oldest one responding because I never used the abreva- it is probably the new campho phenique. Don't freak out- just try the stuff for a day or two and it will be gone. Those others readings might scare you, but my children are 19 and 21 and I never brought them to a dr for a cold sore. Relax!!!!!!!!

Get to the drugstore ASAP and buy abreva. I used to get cold sores all the time when I was younger and now that I am older the only thing that works on them is Abreva. A little goes a long way and it will heal it up rather quickly. Herpes is contagious. Everyone in the family probably has it but the coldsores usually flare up after a fever or if the body is fighting off a cold and the immune system is low. You can't get rid of the virus, but you can keep the cold sores from getting bigger if you put abreva on it at the first sign of a cold sore, usually itchy and puffy lip (I get them in my nose at times when I am sick).

While I will be the first to admit that it is expensive (nearly $20 for a tiny little tube), abreva works great on cold sores. You put a little dab on your finger and rub it into the cold sore 5 times a day for a couple of days. By then it is usually pretty well dried out. I'm pretty certain that it is contagious as my GYN admitted my intelligence in not allowing any kind of oral intimacy when my hubby or I have had one as it is a type of herpes that they are seeing more often in the genital area from such practices. However, I am not too sure about the use of vaseline by everyone when someone has it on their lips. I would definitely ask a doctor about that one. Until you can, though, perhaps you might want to pick up smaller containers of vaseline for each family member or maybe even, assuming they still sell them anywhere, the little tubes of vaseline that you can squeeze out just a little bit and work out a color coding system with dots (blue dot is yours, black dot is hubby's, red dot is son's) so that no one is using anyone else's vaseline. Hope that helps!

Hi M.,

You should ask your doctor or dentist about prescribing Denavir for him. I am not sure about safety for children, but surely they will know. It is by far the most effective treatment I have found, and trust me, I have tried them all. It limits the duration of my cold sores to about 4 days and mitigates most of the pain. Apply it every 4 hours or so and put a bandaid over it if he won't stop touching it. It will help tremendously!

Good luck!
T. T

Hi M.
I don't get cold sores very often (used to get alot more) but as soon as I feel one coming on-I apply ice to it for as long as I can. It seems to stop the growing. I also use abreva which is an ointment that you apply to the cold sore. It seems to help it heal quicker. THis is over the counter and can be found in any drug store.
Hope this helps.
J. h

Yes! it is contagious! So, don't share that Vaseline. Throw it out. Don't kiss him on the lips, or let others kiss him on the lips, or you could get it. There are OTC medicines, such as Abreva that can help some. I don't know if they're recommended for such young children, however. Not much can be done, except relieve the symptoms somewhat, since it's viral.
Also, there are prescription medicines, such as Valtrex, but I'm sure because of the side effects that your doctor wouldn't recommend this for your son.
It's probably best for it to run it's course (7-10 days), but see his doctor as soon as you can.
Good luck.

Hello, I am from the Netherlands where a "cold sore cream" (koortslip creme)is available over the counter. In the US it is called Zovirax (Acyclovir is the ingredient). You can get it by prescription from your doctor. It is expensive here ($38 without insurance) and in Europe the over-the-counter is about $5 for the store-brand generic or $7 for the Zovirax so I always buy a few tubes when I travel). If I feel a cold sore coming on (tingling on usually the same spot on the lip) I massage in a tiny bit of the cream. It comes in the tiniest tube so I carry it with me in my pocket and use it 4 times a day in the bathroom since you need to wash hands after touching the virus on your lips. Cold-sores or fever-blisters are highly contagious! When my kids were little I would wear a doctor's mask when I had a cold sore to prevent them accidentally touching it. They are 8 and 11 and do not have the virus (yet - wait till they start kissing - something. Something like 50-80% of the US population carries the virus, see http://www.mahalo.com/Cold_Sore, also has links for how to deal with them). I have read that mostly it is caught around age 6 or 7 when kids go to school and unsupervised start sharing stuff and taking a sips of someone else's drink or bite of cookie, etc. Call the doctor if it is the first time since I believe they can prescribe Acyclovir (cream or pills) and reduce the severity for subsequent outbreaks but only if you catch it the first time. I get cold sores when stressed or when I actually have a fever or cold - when the body is down. Keep him healthy and rested and the occurrences should be less. Also, as you (and the virus) get older the outbreaks diminish (at least for me that has been the case, I get them maybe once a year). I also find the Blistex cream useful and less offensive tasting/smelling than Campophynique (both available at CVS in the cough syrup isle). It can be used as much as you want and keeps the lips soft so the blisters don't hurt so much. There is one smaller Blistex tube that has the angled top so you can apply it without using fingers. Painkiller (I use ibuprofin) is also good to use the first few days and reduces the swelling. With the Zovirax cream when I feel the tingling and use it, I can often prevent the outbreak completely or else reduce the time to 1-2 days. I would say, talk to a doctor and get the latest advice and a prescription for Zovirax. It might seem like the end of the world at first (why does my kid have to catch this) but if you treat it just like a cold (not his fault, no stigma attached, it is a booboo) then that is how he will see it and will be able to explain to other kids (if they tease him) that he caught it from someone at school like a cold. Good luck.

Hi there, yes, cold sores are contagious and try not to let him touch it. The best ever stuff to use is Abreva. It's like $15 for a tiny tube, but just put a tiny bit on the cold sore a couple times a day and it'll be gone. This is amazing stuff. I have a tube but threw away the inner paper of instructions, so, not sure if it's ok for a 6 year old. Maybe call a pharmacist and ask them then you won't have to pay for a doc visit. Hope this helps. It's amazing stuff and worth every cent.
B.

Cold sores are very contagious - a form of the herpes virus. Stop sharing the lip balm! Hopefully it's not actually a cold sore but something else. I would get him into the doctor as soon as you can. It won't hurt him, but there's nothing you can really do about it, I don't think. I don't mean to scare you, because it's likely something else, but better safe than sorry.

Hello M.,
I would double check on the internet, but I think cold sore's are contagious. And, in my opinion, you shouldn't share the same vaseline. Also, try hard to convince him not to pick at it. I think there may be some over-the-counter creme you can buy to put on it. Check with the local pharmacist.
Good Luck.

Hi - just a minor correction to one of the other posts. THere are different kinds of herpes - Herpes Simplex II causes genital herpes, Herpes Simplex 1 causes oral (cold sores) herpes. Herpes zoster or varicella zoster causes chickenpox and, later, shingles. They are all herpes family but not exactly the same. Hope that helps clarify. All are highly contagious. Don't share the lip balm or vaseline for sure.

Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus, which is also the same virus that causes chicken pox. It is very contageous. You have many great responses, so I won't go any further than this. good luck

Hi- I learned that for the most of us who are infected with the cold sore virus (which is a majority of the population), we get infected at a young age, from parents or relatives kissing us on the lips. It is spread overwhelmingly by direct contact, but can also possibly be spread by sharing things by mouth. The initial infection is usually more severe- with a fever and flu symptoms. Future infections may present as just the cold sore, and some people may not even have any future outbreaks with it. The problem is, it is very contagious- and the virus sheds through the skin periodically, even without a visible sore. So, it is good to be careful about sharing things- and particularly during an outbreak. You know- it is also possible that it is just a canker sore, or cheilosis- a crack that can occur in the lips that then gets a little infected-

Hi M.,
I use lysine creme when I get a cold sore. You don't need a prescription. You buy it in a natural/health food store. Some people take lysine pills by mouth when they feel like they are getting one. But, I find that the creme works the best. Cold sores are usually pretty painful. So, I would get the creme right away. You also don't have to worry about using too much. I always apply it with a q-tip or kleenex to keep the tube of it clean. I have used the prescription med in the past, but I find that the lysine creme takes away the pain faster. Hope this helps!

Hi M. W,

They are very contageous. I would immediatley discard the vaseline you are all sharing. Go to CVS and look for abreva. I'm not sure what the age is on it. I know from my own experience that you can make matters worse by picking at them.

Buy some Lactinex Tablets. You ask the druggest for them and tell them that they are in the refrigerator. They come in granular form, but the tablets work the best. Have your son chew 2 of them 3 times a day for the first 2 days and you will see them go away! Continue for about 4 days at 2 Tabs. 2 times a day. You will also see them appear less and less if he takes them the next time he gets one again. I used to get them off and on for years and that was the only thing that really worked. My boss used to get them all the time too and that was the only thing that worked for him too. If I took them for a few days at the first sign of it, it would not even form. You have to catch it early though. Don't let anyone tell you that it won't work, or it's not the right thing to take because of what the bottle says. It will!

If it is a cold sore yes it is contagious. A cold sore is a type of Herpes virus.