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A member asked:
Does abreva really work to heal cold sores? i feel like it did the opposite and caused my cold sore to spread
A doctor has provided 1 answer
Not effective: Docosanol (Abreva) slightly inhibits the virus in the lab, but not effective in treating oral herpes. So it's not quite quackery, but comes close. But it shouldn't make an outbreak worse, unless maybe you're allergic and it caused increased redness, itching, etc. Ask your doctor about a prescription for valacyclovir: 2 g twice, 12 hr apart as soon as an outbreak starts, is very effective.
Answered 8/26/2017
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