Over the counter or OTC Treatment for Cold Sores Explained
OTC treatment for cold sores is non prescription medicine that
can heal and/or alleviate fever blister symptoms. Oral herpes
when activated causes itching, burning, redness then blisters
and sores. Most of the OTC treatment for clod sores I've reviewed
contains anesthetic or numbing agents to limit the pain and itching
associated with cold sores. I think some of the OTC treatment
for cold sores is inappropriate or inactive and could actually
worsen symptoms. To further explain why I prefer a certain brand
to another I think it's only fair that we take together a closer
look at what ingredients are used in most over the counter cold
sore products. I'm the kind of person who just doesn't take my
pharmacist words for it and it appears I'm right. So to quote
the titile of a book I like. "Don't go to the counter without
me". I'm not saying all the cold sore over the counter products
are bad. Actually, some OTC medicines for cold sores are safe
and potentially effective. But usually the answer is not in the
active ingredients. If you're feeling lazy and you don't to educate
yourself about all those ingredients, you can directly to my
cold sore OTC medecines and products review page.
In 1992 the FDA has released
a very specific list of ingredients that could not be included
as active ingredients in cold sore, herpes medicines. For more
information Click
here. However some of the same ingredients could still be
included in the OTC treatment for cold sore formula if stated
as non active ingredients. We know (or will know by further exploring
this website) that some ingredients have been found active against
herpes simplex 1 and 2, in preliminary scientific studies. Unfortunately
these studies were considered as insufficient to meet FDA standards
for OTC treatment for cold sores. FDA standards are useful because
they protect citizens from dangerous and false claims. However
they prevent cheap, easily available ingredients to be considered
as active. In our society based on profit, who will spend a lot
of money on an ingredient that cannot be patented? If one spends
so much money proving that a product is safe and effective, it
is quite natural that one wants a good return on their investment.
So if you want to go beyond
the commercial logics imposed by our society and get what's best
for you let's study what ingredients are unofficially but potentially
active Later on , another document was released by the FDA mostly
concerning OTC treatment for cold sores regulations mostly concerning
lysine and probiotics. To see the document Click
here.
So here are the main ingredients of OTC treatment
for cold sores. This is by no means an exhaustive list but representative
one of most commonly found ingredients in commonly used OTC treatment
for cold sores.
Anesthetic,
Analgesic or Numbing Agents for cold sores
Moisturizers,
Emollient, Softening for cold sores
Antiseptic,
Microbicidal agents for cold sores
Sun Screen for cold sores
Natural ingredients
for cold sores
Anesthetic,
Analgesic or Numbing Agents for cold sores:
A lot of OTC products include
agents that can suppress the itching and the pain associated with
cold sores and fever blisters. The
most common ones are benzocaine, benzyl alcohol, camphor and phenol.
-
Benzocaine: Benzocaine is a
topical anesthetic. It numbs wherever it is applied. It is commonly
used in first aid creams and sunburn remedies. Benzocain is
a compound made from the organic acid PABA (para amino benzoic
acid) and the alcohol ethanol. It may cause allergic skin reactions
such as rashes, flares or swelling and urticaria in more severe
cases.
- Lidocaine: Lidocaine is another topical anesthetic,
similar to benzocaine. A relatively recent study has shown that
lidocaine was not effective in relieving the pain associated with
oral herpes infection. None of the OTC cold sore medecinesI present
contain lidocaine. But I know several people who claim to alleviate
the pain of their oral herpes symptoms by applying lidocaine gel
on their fever blister regardless of scientific study results.
Lidocaine gel is an OTC product that you can easily find online
or at the drugstore.
- Menthol: Menthol is usually included in OTC
treatment for cold sore because it locally relieves pain and itching
and causes a tingling sensation to the skin when applied. It is
also used in throat lozenges, inhalers, and as a flavoring. Menthol
is derived from the oil of the peppermint plant, Mentha piperita
(peppermint), or prepared synthetically from coal tar (yak!).
Let's hope we get the natural mint derived one. Menthol overdose
can cause rather alarming but not dangerous symptoms (dizziness,
convulsions, abdominal pain and blood in the urine or no urine...)
so remember to keep your menthol gels and creams away from your
children.
- Camphor: Champhor is a local anesthetic and
anti-itch that has a cooling effect like menthol. When ingested
in large quantities it can be poisonous and can cause seizures,
confusion, irritability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity. So once
again, keep camphor containing products away from your children.
- Benzyl Alcohol: Benzyl alcohol or phenylmethanol,
phenylcarbinol is commonly used as a preservative in drugs. But
it is used in cold sore medicine for its anti-itching, anesthtic
and antiseptic properties. It has low toxicity but it can be lethal
for very young babies if ingested in sufficient amount.
- Phenol: Phenol is also known as carbolic acid.
It can be made from the partial oxidation of benzene or coal.
It has antiseptic and anesthetic properties but may cause skin
irritation if used for a long period of time. Exposure of the
skin to concentrated phenol solutions causes chemical burns which
may be severe and phenol overdose can cause harmful side effects.
That's why the FDA only allows very small concentration of phenol
in OTC products. So OTC treatment for cold sores available on
the market containing phenol should be very safe but should also
be kept away from the reach of children.
Moisturizers,
Emollient, Softening agents for cold sores:
Lip balms can relieve dryness and soften the scabs that form on
cold sores so they are less likely to crack and bleed. Apart from
vegetable oil like cocoa butter, olive oil and almond oil, the three
synthetic main ingredient are petrolatum white (vaseline), allantoin
and lanolin.
- Lanolin: Lanolin is a greasy wool by-product.
It's also known as wool fat or wool grease. When purified, it
is used as a base for ointments and creams, as a lubricant, and
in finishing and preserving leather. It can cause allergies and
irritate the skin. Keep away from children. It can cause vomiting
and diarrhea when ingested.
- Allatoin: Allantoin is a botanical extract
of the comfrey plant and is used for its healing, soothing, and
anti-irritating properties. It softens the skin, helps to heal
wounds and skin irritations and stimulate growth of healthy tissue.
It is used in OTC treatment for cold sores because it can help
heal minor wounds and promote healthy skin.
- Petrolatum (Vaseline): Petroleum jelly is derived
from petroleum. It is widely used in medicinal ointments and often
included in OTC treatment for cold sores. One major concern today
is that the FDA doesn't evaluate the purity of petrolatum in personal
care products even lipsticks or facial creams. In other words,
manufacturers could use the same unregulated petrolatum in personal
care products as the one used in shoe polish without being bothered.
Further more, recent studies indicate that petrolatum is a potential
human carcinogen and that it may promote breast cancer. I think
it would be wise to keep away from lipsticks and balms that contain
a lot of petrolatum if you live in the United States.
- Salicylic Acid: Salicylic acid is the key additive
in many skin-care products for the treatment of acne, keratosis
pilaris and warts. Salicylic acid is a peeling agent which causes
skin cells to slough off more readily. It can soften the skin
and cold sore scabs by speeding skin cells renewal. Discontinue
using if you have an open sore. Salicylic acid and its derivatives
are toxic when consumed in large amounts which is highly unlikely
when using OTC treatment for cold sores. You may however be allergic
to it.
Antiseptic,
Microbicidal agents for cold sores:
We already have mentioned some antiseptic agents above, benzyl
alcohol and phenol. But there are more antibacterial agents. Most
of them won't have a direct effect on fever blisters or cold sores.
But two antiseptic agents have been found to inactivate the herpes
virus. So keep those two in mind as they somtimes appear in the
inactive ingredient list of OTC treatment for cold sores.
Benzalkonium chloride: usually used as a spermicidal,
an antimicrobial and an antiseptic agent. It was also found to kill
herpes on contact in a scientific study.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Sodium lauryl sulfate was
found to be a microbicide effective against enveloped and non enveloped
viruses and to increases the efficacy of a topical formulation in
an animal study. For your information herpes is an envleoped virus.
For more information Click
here.
I must add one remark though. Dosage is an important factor and
the higher on the list, the more concentrated an ingredient is.
So if one of these two is last on the list, they may be in insufficient
amount.
Sun
Screen for cold sores:
Sun exposure may trigger oral herpes and promote fever blisters.
That's why many OTC treatments for cold sore include them in their
formula in order to prevent cold sores.
There are two kinds of sunscreen, one
based on zinc oxide and the other synthetic ones, PABA, oxylbenzone
and so forth...
Zinc oxide: Zinc oxide is
a chemical compound, ZnO, which is nearly insoluble in water. Because
it absorbs ultraviolet light, zinc oxide can be used in ointments,
creams, and lotions to protect against sunburn. Zinc oxide is considered
fairly nontoxic but if swallowed in large quantities it can cause
reversible symptoms such as yellow skin abdominal, nausea... very
unlikely to happen when using OTC remedies for cold sores.
Chemical sunscreens: Chemical sunscreens are the
most commonly used. Most commercial sunscreen contains several UV
radiation-absorbing chemicals. Some of the most widely used chemical
groups that block UVB radiation are PABA (p-aminobenzoic acid),
PABA esters (padimate O), cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl-p-methoxycinnamate),
salicylates (octylsalicylate, homosalate), and anthranilates (methyl
anthranilate). While these all block UVB radiation, the chemical
group known as benzophenone (oxybenzone and dioxybenzone) provides
protection against both UVA and UVB radiation. PABA has been banned
from all sunscreen products in Europe since 2004. They're thought
to potentially increase the risk of cancer. I don't know if you're
aware that there's a growing concern about PABA usage safety. Actually
an Oxford University scientist John Knowland has shown that PABA
seemed to damage DNA, thus increasing the risk of skin cancer. He
recommends using non-PABA products. Chemical sunscreen can cause
allergic skin reactions in some cases such as a rash, irritation,
itching, stinging, acne, redness, swelling and drying. Do not use
oxybenzone and dioxybenzone products if you're allergic to, benzocaine,
procaine, novocaine and the likes.
Natural
ingredients for cold sores:
Most of natural ingredients are considered non active. OTC treatment
for cold sores often include them. But some studies indicate that
they're may not be all inactive. Melissa officinalis, aloe vera,
vitamin, some essential oils, green tea and over tannin and several
plant extracts have shown efficacy in the lab. Most where in vitro
studies and these kinds of studies are considered insufficient.
But lysine, melissa, aloe vera and vitamin C as well as other natural
ingredients received partial human studies unfortunately still considered
insufficient by the FDA to validate as OTC treatment for cold sores.
You can find more information on natural ingredients on several
pages of this website: Home
remedies for cold sores, herbal
treatments for herpes, genital
herpes herbal treatments
In conclusion, I would say OTC treatment for cold
sores comes in many forms and some appear safe and effective and
sometimes could do more than just alleviate symptoms. But according
to FDA regulations it must be kept secret. But we know better now.
Don't we?
For a review of those products designed for the OTC treatment for
cold sores click directly on the links below:
Releev for
cold sores
Pure Lip cold sore remedy
Zilactin
cold sore relief gel
Carmex for
cold sores
Chapstick
cold sore therapy
Abreva
and more to come...
By the way, if you hate, love, detest or adore a product for the
OTC treatment for cold sores, please express yourself. Let me know
by completing my herpes
treatments testimonials form. That woul be great to hear from
you.
More exciting
cold sore remedies:
If you want to know more about cold sore medecines, herbal and
natural treatment and learn more about OTC treatment for cold
sores, this is the place to go to. |
Relieve
cold sore pain
If your cold sores get painful at times and your fever blisters
won't leave you in peace, the information on this page could
become very handy. |
Homeopathic
cold sore remedies:
Did you know that homeopathy could prevent and treat herpes
and cold sores? Find out how and what cold sore homeopathic
remedy may work best for you.
|
|
