My son is 5 yrs old, and reasonably healthy. He contracted the herpes virus about a year ago which resulted in multiple sores inside and outside his mouth. It was miserable for a week! Anyway, he recovered from that, and we didnt have any recurring cold sores after that initial outbreak...until September of this year. He got one cold sore about a week or so after a stomach bug. No big deal. He got another one about 3 weeks later...maybe a week after the first one healed. I took him to the pediatrician who wasnt concerned, but admitted it was more frequent than normal. We got rid of that one...now yesterday...less than a week after the last one healed, here we go again. 2 this time on his lower lip. The dr is suggesting acyclovir or something, but I am just hesitant to start that kind of treatment so young. I am also concerned why he is getting them so frequently. He plays outside a lot, and with cooler weather I know his lips get chapped, so we make him put on chapstick. Wondering if he keeps reinfecting himself using the same chapstick. The only thing I find online is that it could be the result of a lowered immune system. So I panic (i tend to be kind of a freak out worrier, jumping to worst possible scenarios like cancer or leukemia), wondering what awful thing could be going on causing a low.immune system. He eats decently, although he has never been a BIH eater. He is active, and growing, and doesnt even seem bothered by the sores. Please tell me what's going on here! I am wprrying myself sick, and the dr just thinks we should throw the drugs at it. I am NOT opposed to meds, especially since I have a.baby due in February and dont want to expose the baby to the virus. I am simply wondering if we need to be looking at the immune system or if I am needlessly worried. Would a lower immune system present with more than just the recurring cold sores?
I would suggest that you go to a health food store and get probiotics. They have chewable ones for the little guys. The probiotics cleanse the digestive tract and help with so many things. A good vitamin will also help.
I used to get those all the time. Like every other week. For years. Finally I said ENOUGH! I asked my doctor for Acyclovir pills. They helped a little, but not enough. After several months I asked her for Valtrex and in the 2+ years I've been taking it, I think I've had 2 minor outbreaks. No side effects from the pills either. Taking the pills short term may not be such a bad thing. It can stop the cycle of recurrences and give him a break from them since they really are painful and irritating. I had gone through all the natural remedies I could think of before I decided on Rx.
Getting him tested for food sensitivities may help. www.betterhealthusa.com can explain further. I did the test and am following the diet wirh great results in many areas, but I'm not willing to get off my pills to see if eliminating foods may help me not get the blisters, even though it's supposed to. I have 2 young kids who I don't want to expose those nasty blisters to. If you want to try the food thing, but can't get tested, try having him eliminate commonly allergenic foods from his diet such as wheat, yeast, milk, cheese, eggs, soy, and corn. I hope he gets better soon!
Try not to worry about bigger issues, chapped lips is enough for me to get a cold sore. And heat, coming in from the cold (change in temperature) and sun, and too little sleep, and not enough water... there are lots of contributing factors to those little buggers. And when my immune system is lowered -- I've running around doing a lot of stuff, I'm fighting off a cold or other germs I've come in contact with, I'm not eating very well, I'm not sleeping well -- my system is taxed and the sore comes bubbling up.
I agree with the other poster -- vitamin C and Lysine are helpful. He's not infecting himself with the chapstick, UNLESS he's using it ON a cold sore, then using it again on the whole mouth. Have a tube of something (I usually use Carmex, but also like MelaGel) that you use on the sore itself, and only on the sore, and don't use your normal chapstick during that time. I like stuff that squeezes out, rather than rubbing on, then I can apply it with my finger and not risk the sore germs sitting on the tube. I'd also suggest that your day-to-day chapstick should be the strongest one (medicated, ultra moisturizing) to prevent chapped lips as much as possible.
In short, you can stop worrying about worst-case scenarios and take some steps to prevent such frequent sores. There's definitely a learning curve to dealing with them, and trying to lessen them, and you'll get it figured out.
Yes, a lowered immune system allows them to break out more often. My husband suffers from canker sores, which, believe it or not, is from the same family as cold sores, and he passed the HSV-1 virus onto me. Stress, being sick, having a lowered immune system, all of them can cause a cold sore (or canker sore) outbreak. Cold weather can set some people off; for others, it might be the sun. Each person has their own trigger point(s) that they need to find and address.
Three things you can try.
Buy some L-Lysine (I like Solaray free-form L-Lysine, 500 mg or 1,000 mg) and give him one of them a day (or even half of one; I would consult with a naturopathic doctor on the dosage). By taking free-form L-Lysine every day, you might get lucky and that will be enough to keep the virus from breaking out. My husband and I take 1,000 mg every day, he takes 2 pills, I take 3 pills (I have more problems with hormones and my immune system). You can also buy L-Lysine in a small tube. It's a salve that can be put right on the cold sore when he has an active one and can be found at Whole Foods. I' ve found it to be very effective.
Another idea is to find him a toothpaste that doesn't contain sodium lauryl sulfate. It has been proven that that ingredient really irritates a lot of people who are prone to having cold sores or canker sores. My husband used to get canker sores all the time, continuously, and they were big and ugly and hurt. He stopped using toothpaste with this in and he hasn't hardly had any canker sores to date. I use a toothpaste called Neem Toothpaste w/cinnamon that I think your son wouldn't mind using (there's also one with a mint flavor) that is free of sodium lauryl sulfate. I find it at Whole Foods. They have it in their system, so if your store doesn't carry it, ask if they can get it for you. A lot of people who take homeopathic meds use Neem toothpaste with cinnamon because mint counteracts/negates the healing power of homeopathic remedies.
And last, boosting his immune system wouldn't hurt. If his immune system was really strong, he wouldn't be having any outbreaks. My daughter takes a 2,000 mg of Vit D3 every day, as well as Vit C chew (2x/day) and a 10-medicinal mushroom complex once a day just to insure that she doesn't get sick. She hasn't been sick with a cold or flu for the past four years, so it must be working. I buy all of my supplements at vitacost.com, which has high-quality supplements for a lot cheaper than Whole Foods or anywhere else I can purchase them.
I feel for you; until four years ago, I never had an issue or problems with canker sores either (that means, for 40 years of my life, I never had a canker sore). That's when my husband passed the virus to me. Given that, at that point, we'd been together for ten years, the naturopathic doctor said my immune system was low/overloaded with other problems and that's why I caught it.
Stop using the same Chap Stick that can easily spread it. I would try and keep his immune up. Lots of vitamin C and a good balanced diet. From what I know, once you get this virus it stays with you forever. They do make OTC topical treatments you can find them in the pharmacy. I don’t know of anything the dr can prescribe to you, antibiotics won’t help a virus.
Lots of people need immune boosters. my bet is that if you get your child on some good vitamins you won't see so many outbreaks. I agree with dumping that chapstick and increasing vitamin c. Kids love chewable C. There are other things that can help. I'd get your baby on pre and probiotics too. Increase his fiber intake. That will work as a sort of detox.
Nutrition is the key to all our good health. Most kids(and most adults) don't eat what they need...... another reason vitamins help. If I can make recommendations shoot me an email.
Best!
I know when I get cold sores, I take Lysine. It's a vitamin/diatary suppliment. And when I get them in my mouth, I put Alum on them. Alum is in the spices section of the grocery store. It clears them up over night. It's normally used to pull blood out of birds after hunting so that you can cook it.
You might want to talk to your pedi and see if you can used any of these on your son. And maybe some blood work up on your son would be a good idea to see what his white blood count looks like.
As one who has suffered with the cold sores since roughly the age of 5 as well, here are some tips to keep them at bay:
1: Throw away toothbrushes as well as your chapstick to keep from re-infecting the mouth area. Also, in regards to the toothbrush, does he touch the tip of the toothpaste bottle with his toothbrush when applying toothpaste? This also goes for disinfecting any toys he may mouth while infected.
2: Stress plays a role in cold sores, so try to keep him from getting worked up for too long of periods.
3: Weather changes can also bring them on as it can play a number on the immune system. Keep a good healthy diet, no sugar (this is a huge killer of the immune system) and drink a lot of water to keep the body flushed of toxins.
4: Wash hands frequently and teach him NOT to touch the cold sore. Use cotton swabs to apply OTC ointments instead of fingers.
5: Use a little rubbing alcohol on and around the cold sore and then top with an OTC treatment of choice. Once it starts to wear off, clean again with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab and reapply ointment.
If they are still persistent, his immune system is all out of whack and you need to look at upping certain vitamins/minerals in his diet.
GL!!
Vitamin C and Lysine are good supplement for cold sores. My kids take a chewable Vit C tablet every day during the winter and they rarely get sick.
Finding foods that are high in both would be beneficial as well. Found this link with a Google search: http://www.natural-remedies-review.com/foods-high-in-lysi...
Herpes virus is something that, in general, never goes away. It remains latent in your body until something causes a weakening of the immune system and then there may be a flare-up of symptoms. Anytime you get sick with anything, like a cold virus or stomach bug, your immune system is trying to deal with it and may not be strong enough to keep the herpes virus in check. Then the cold sores break out. There are many things you can try to help bolster his immune system, like vitamin C, other antioxidants, and lysine. This time of year, every kid is getting more sick with every germ floating around - they are back in school, they are not outside as much, and they catch things some each other. If you are not convinced that your doctor has the right idea, you can seek a second opinion, or even consider a consult with an immunologist or infectious disease specialist, if it's an option.
I have had cold sores nice I was a child. They flare up when my immune systems is compromised or during times of high stress. Do NOT reuse chopstick if you have the sire. Also I found that abreva cold sore treatment helps a lot.
One of my kids gets them all the time. One thing that will make them flare up is the sun. Get some chap stick with spy 30 and keep it on her when ever she is outside.
