Best Cold Sore Medication Products That Work

Cold sores can be the absolute pits for anyone. It's as if they just appear out of nowhere and then stick around for the next few weeks, making life miserable. The search for help suddenly becomes your focus of attention. Unfortunately, over 50 million other people feel the same way during the course of a year. So, what is the best cold sore medication? What works the best to get rid of cold sore fast? Let's take a look at two different cold sore treatments that actually work. 

If you're like me, you've tried just about every kind of home remedy for cold sores imagineable. Well, in the last several years, modern medicine has made great strides in coming up with cold sore medications. And while it is true that there has yet to be a complete cure, prescription medicines are available to help in treating this awful virus. I want to talk about two very good cold sore medications that are available and can provide some relief. 

The Denavir Cream

The first of these two medications is Denavir cream. It was FDA approved in 1996. Produced by th e Novartis company, you put this cold sore medication directly on the sore once every 2 hours during your waking hours for 4 consecutive days. Applying the Denavir cream is quite simple. Put a little on your finger, or a q-tip and wipe in on the affected area. Be sure to wash up later so that you don't accidentally get it in your eyes. Since the herpes virus spreads so easily you need to take extra precautions to be on the safe side.

As one of the best cold sore treatments, Denavir has shown to give good results within 4 1/2 days. It has also been shown to reduce those painful lesions by at least a half day. 

Penciclovir is the active ingredient in the Denavir cream. How the cream works is simple. After application, it soaks into the infected area and chokes off the virus from being able to keep growing, thereby stopping it in its tracks so to speak. The actual cold sore loses it power source and starts to go away. 

As a side effect, you may have some dry, flaky skin afterwards, but this is not a big deal at all. The key to success with this medication is to begin applying the cream immediately at the first sign of a cold sore coming on. Don't wait until it has already formed before beginning treatment.

The Zovirax / Acyclovir Medication

The other cold sore medication is Zovirax, or Acyclovir, which it the generic name. The FDA approved Zovirax in 2002. This prescription medicine comes in a cream which is similar to the Denvavir cream, but it is also available as a tablet, a capsule, and even a liquid. The Zovirax (Acyclovir) capsule is more potent in fighting the herpes simplex virus than the creme. There are very few side effects with any forms of this medicine. The directions instruct you to take one tablet 4-6 times per day.

If you are using the Zovirax creme, the directions tell you to apply it directly on the infected area 5 times a day, for 5 consecutive days. You apply Acyclovir the same way you do Denavir. Again, be sure to wash up after using it. The company also says that their product is effective in treating chicken pox.

As with Denavir, start using Zovirax immediately upon noticing a cold sore forming. Zovirax has been shown to help heal a cold sore in 5 days.

Denavir or Zovirax will help you dramatically in fighting the herpes simplex virus. Not only will it help to reduce the pain, but it will also speed up the healing process. Instead of it taking several weeks to completely heal, it will be reduced to several days. That is welcome news to be certain.  

The only question left is, which product is the best cold sore treatment? Well, this is a little more difficult to answer. From seeing the research reports, most experts agree that Denavir is the medicine of choice, although both products do work. Naturally, you should talk to your health care professional in regards to which one is best for you. But, no matter which one you take, a prescription cold sore remedy can work.