When Should I See a Doctor About Cold Sores?

It can be difficult to determine when to see a doctor about cold sores. Whenever you first feel a cold sore coming on, it’s important to take action immediately. Should you have questions about the best treatment options, or you simply need guidance on how to handle the situation, we suggest consulting your physician.¹

In some cases, cold sores may be prevented from developing if treatment begins at the first sign of an outbreak. Without immediate treatment, it’s more than likely that the cold sore will develop, causing pain and discomfort. If you’re interested in learning how you may be able to stop cold sores before they start, ask your physician about prescription Sitavig® (acyclovir), 50mg Muco-Adhesive Buccal Tablet.

During Which Stage of My Cold Sore Outbreak Should I Contact My Physician?

A cold sore usually passes through several stages, which often include symptoms such as redness, tingling, formation of bumps, blistering, cracking and scabbing.

If you are currently suffering, or have recently suffered from, any of these extreme cold sore symptoms, contact your doctor immediately:²

• You’re not sure if it’s a cold sore or something else
• You have a weakened immune system
• Your cold sore doesn’t heal within two weeks
• Your symptoms are severe or atypical
• Your cold sores come back frequently
• You begin suffering a high or persistent fever
• You experience difficulty breathing or swallowing
• You experience irritation in your eyes
• You’re unable to eat or drink adequately
• You become dehydrated because you’re unable to eat or drink
• You notice a decrease in urination (a symptom of dehydration)

1- EMedicineHealth.com – Oral Herpes
2- MayoClinic.org – Cold Sores

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Sitavig should not be used in patients with known hypersensitivity to acyclovir, milk protein concentrate, or other components of the product.

Sitavig has not been studied in pregnant women or in immunocompromised patients and no interaction studies have been performed. Sitavig’s safety and efficacy have not been established in pediatric patients.

Sitavig is a Pregnancy Category B product; therefore it should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. It is not known if Sitavig is excreted in breast milk; however, systemic absorption is minimal.

In a controlled clinical trial, Sitavig’s most common side effects (greater than or equal to 1%) were: headache (3%), dizziness (1%), lethargy (1%), gingival pain (1%), aphthous stomatitis (1%), application site pain (1%), application site irritation (1%), erythema (1%) and rash (1%). In the same trial these side effects ranged from 0%-3% for placebo.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch.com or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

View Full Prescribing Information.