A 41-year-old member asked:
What does abreva do to cold sores?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 26 years experience
Abreva: Abreva (topical Docosanol) is an antiviral medication that can be used to treat recurrent oral/ facial herpes simplex virus infections. It works by blocking fusion of plasma membrane & envelope of herpes simplex virus. This decreases replication of the virus.
559 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 34-year-old member asked:
Can abreva work on cold sores?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Douglas Tavenner, jr.answered
51 years experience
Yes But: Do not play with it or it will get bigger, do anything that makes you comfortable. It takes about 2 weeks to go away no matter what you seem to do. However check with your pharmacy for a few items that may make you more comfortable - remember that they generally do not shorten the 2 week time.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
How will i know what does abreva do for cold sores?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 26 years experience
Docosanol.: Abreva contains docosanol which is reported to prevent the herpes simplex virus from penetrating the membranes of your cells. I am hoping some other physicians who prescribe this produce can comment on effectiveness.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
How effective is abreva at treating cold sores?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Donleyanswered
Dentistry 55 years experience
Don't know: Don't know about abreva, but a dental laser can be used to shorten the life of the cold sores and may stop them from returning to the same tissue area.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Phillip Frist commented
Dentistry 47 years experience
Abreva can help but usually only to abreviate the normal duration of the lesion.
Aug 20, 2012
A 40-year-old member asked:
Is abreva effective in treating cold sores?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Richard Rudenanswered
Dentistry 39 years experience
Has some effect: The best treatment is laser such as the biolase md laser which will relieve the pain immediately and decrease the normal healing time for the cold sore.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Aug 9, 2018
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