When you feel that tingle of a cold sore coming on, you know how painful and unsightly they can be.
Because there is no known cure for the HSV-1 virus,1 cold sore sufferers want to do something that will minimize and alleviate the cold sore when it’s beginning to form. While nothing will always prevent a cold sore from developing, there are ways to reduce the symptoms and even lengthen the time between cold sore episodes.
10 tips to follow when you feel a cold sore forming:2
- Ice the area for 10-15 minutes
- Avoid touching the tingling spot with your hands
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Stay away from spicy or acidic foods
- Be careful when brushing your teeth
- Limit your stress as much as you can
- Use lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 at all times
- Never share food, makeup, or eating utensils during a cold sore outbreak
- Get plenty of rest
- Talk to your doctor about cold sore treatment options, and ask if prescription Sitavig® (acyclovir), 50mg Muco-Adhesive Buccal Tablet is right for you
1- WebMD.com – Herpes Simplex: Herpes Type 1 and 2
2- Prevention.com – Kicking Cold Sores 101
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.
