Abreva for Herpes Simplex (HSV) User Reviews (Page 2)

• SR7...
• June 4, 2019

"Have had cold sores since the '60s. When Abreva first came out, I bought some and it worked wonderfully. Not anymore and not at all. This is reflected in the reviews. Older ones are almost all positive and newer ones almost all negative. I believe the reason people are having sores explode, becoming the worst they have ever had, is that it no longer has ANY of the active ingredient in the cream, and when it's applied, it spreads the virus around without blocking it from entering healthy cells. I plan to call the company and complain loudly and maybe the FDA as well."

• nev...
• October 23, 2019

"I had 2 little bumps near the bottom of my lip. I put Abreva on it as soon as I felt the tingling and saw the bumps starting. I went to bed and woke up the next morning. It now looks like I got punched in the mouth, and I have about 7 bumps on my lip. This is the worst product I have ever used. It's 5 to 6 times the size it was before I went to bed."

• Aub...
• July 6, 2017

"Abreva used to work for me very well, but it no longer does. I used to put it on, and it would shorten healing time significantly, and if I caught it early enough, it would go away before blistering. The last couple of times, I caught one right away and put it on at the first tiny tingle. It still spread to a huge multi-blister sore and took 2 weeks to heal. Either my body has grown resistant to the active ingredient in Abreva that used to work, or they have changed their formula. Very disappointed."

• Anonymous
• December 11, 2011

"If you use Abreva at the onset of itching where the cold sore (herpes simplex) begins, apply it immediately at the dosage on the bottle (as with any prescription). The cold sore does NOT crust over; this medication actually starts the healing process within by absorption. I'm just getting over one, and it was gone in 3 days without the crusty look or scab formation that is the most embarrassing part of a cold sore. With Abreva, this does not happen. I highly recommend it. Also, talk to your Dr. about Zovirax (Acyclovir). Using it in conjunction with the Abreva works wonders!"

• boo...
• January 18, 2015

"I love this product. The first day I felt the tingling, I went to buy the product, and by the morning, I had no itching, tingling, or much of anything. They were really small. By the third day, they were pretty much gone. No one noticed I ever had it."

• ano...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 19, 2017

"Abreva worked for me up until now. It seems to make it worse. I have tried other things lately because the Abreva isn't cutting the healing time at all. Note, I have been soaking a cotton ball in whole milk and applying it for 5-10 minutes every 2 hours. It takes away the inflammation of the cold sore, feels much better, blends in with my skin... The milk has antiviral and bacterial properties that help. Try it!"

• Sar...
• October 18, 2014

"I suffer from cold sores once a year, usually October or November, but I find Abreva works well when the first signs of cold sore appear. I can't ever seem to catch it at the 'first tingle', I usually wake up with one trying to pop out. I immediately throw on some Abreva, then take some lysine pills and some Vitamin C. Seems to heal it fast, in like 3 days. If the blister sadly appears, I use Abreva every other hour and take 2 lysine pills every other 4 hours."

• Ugh...
• January 24, 2016

"Abreva used to work for me, but the last couple of times I've used it... it seemed like it didn't do anything to help suppress the sore... this time, my sore keeps getting bigger and bigger! I started applying as soon as I felt the sore coming on, and it just didn't help at all! Same thing the last time."

• Are...
• October 31, 2019

"Ok... Guys... This cream may work only at the very beginning of this awful sickness, hahaha... Was reading the reviews... Found this saltwater recipe that works. Seriously, it burns your lips, but it is good. You see, I applied this cream many times, but it only worsened my condition. My blister was getting bigger. Till I made a very strong saltwater mix and washed my mouth with it a couple of times. My blister skin peeled off. Oh yeah. You betcha. It works. A couple more times and I'm all good... Try it!"

• A...
• June 26, 2016

"I suffer from cold sores very often (a couple of times per year), and usually I treat them with Zovirax, an acyclovir cream. Apparently, in the US, you need to have a prescription for it, which I didn't have the time or money for, so I bought the next best thing the pharmacist recommended to buy off the shelf. I was very skeptical at first, but I have to say IT WORKS! After 2.5 days, my cold sore is almost gone - that's faster than how it works with the acyclovir cream! The cold sore got smaller each time I applied the cream (I applied it more than 5 times a day), and I also started to use it after the blisters had appeared already. I can definitely recommend this cream!"

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2019

"Just awful; I cried. I used Abreva at first signs of a cold sore, and within hours, my upper lip erupted into massive, painful blisters that resembled a marble. I thought it was a fluke, so I gave it another shot next time. Same reaction; I'll never use Abreva again."

• PRM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 22, 2020

"This is my first outbreak. The pain is unbearable. Started using Abreva, and I feel like it just made my sores worse, and it also caused them to get bigger. Now I have two huge scabs that look absolutely disgusting. I wonder if leaving it alone would've been a better option."

• Gir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2020

"I used Abreva when I was younger, and it really helped a lot. Now I recently saw a fever blister on the corner of my lip, so I went and bought Abreva right away and applied it to both sides of the corners of my lip. The next morning, both corners of my lip were super swollen, and there were several blisters! I couldn’t even close my mouth without being in such pain. Definitely won’t be ever using Abreva again. Very expensive, and I can’t even go out in public like this!"

• Fir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2016

"I get a cold sore every one to two years. I've tried home remedies and haven't had much luck. It was my first time using Abreva yesterday. Felt the cold sore coming on in the morning around 5 a.m. I made a trip to the store after a 9-hour workday. Thought I would give it a try as it was the most expensive. I applied it immediately when I got into the car and every 2 hours after that. By 10 p.m. it had already blistered and started to decrease in size. I've applied it three more times today, and by 1 p.m. you could barely notice it. Abreva knocked out my cold sore like a boss!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2019

"I thought I had a cold sore, but I think it was actually just a crack at the corner of my mouth from dry skin. I started applying Abreva and began to get little red bumps around my mouth, mostly where I was applying the Abreva. The rash spread, and now I have blistery red bumps all around my mouth and a split lip. I will never buy this stuff again."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2015

"When it comes to cold sores, I've tried every remedy there is, both medical and home remedies. When I read all of the 'amazing' reviews of Abreva, I was pretty skeptical because I thought they might have been paid, but after I bought and used Abreva, I felt compelled to write a review. It is the best! My cold sores tend to last for about 10 days, and when I use Abreva, they usually only last about 3. I'm pretty diligent with reapplying throughout the day, but I'm seriously so happy to have finally found a product that actually works."

• Anonymous
• December 4, 2014

"I am currently using Abreva for the first time, and I will absolutely use it again! I did not apply until after the blister appeared. It was a large cluster of sores (about the size of a dime). I am so happy with how fast it worked! Typically, my cold sores last 10 days. It's been 4, and my cold sore has significantly reduced in size - it's practically gone. I'm confident it'll be gone by day 7. There has been no crusty dry stage - which I feel is the most embarrassing. I have to agree with another comment I read about the bright white color. I would have liked to use it more frequently throughout the day, but didn't want to draw any more attention with white paste all over my face at work. It was worth the $20, a little goes a long way!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2016

"Don't waste your money on this. All this product does is take away the pain. I got this as soon as I felt a cold sore coming and applied it religiously, and it did nothing for me. On the 4th day of my outbreak, someone told me to try 'New Skin.' It's a type of liquid band-aid, got it at Walmart for $4. Less than 12 hours after putting New Skin on, the outbreak has drastically gone down in size, and the nasty scabs were gone. It just looked like a small burn."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 13, 2023

"I used to swear by Abreva growing up, as I got multiple outbreaks a year, one after another, and they would last a week or so with Abreva. Due to the cost of what I was spending on Abreva, I turned to more natural remedies, and in doing that, I usually only get 1-2 outbreaks a year. I don’t know if the rate of how often I was/am getting them is related, but it seems a bit like a coincidence. Instead, I now use ice when I can feel it tingle to help with swelling, and I use a baking soda/water mix, followed by a skin-safe tea tree oil mix. This new process has helped my cold sores last about 3 days total, from tingling to disappearing. I do not touch Abreva anymore."

• sss...
• November 30, 2009

"I get cold sores once or twice a year, and Abreva has made them less noticeable and has shortened their length significantly. You have to catch them the first day, though, or it makes little difference. It skips the blistering stage entirely - it goes from a tingle to having already crusted over."

• Her...
• June 13, 2016

"I constantly get cold sores. I think it's because I lick my lips too often instead of using Chapstick. But I always keep two bottles of Abreva in my house. The price might throw you off. But it works miracles, gets rid of my blister in a day or two. Love it, can't live without it. Highly recommend it to everyone!"

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2016

"Every time I felt like I was about to get a cold sore, I used to use Blistex. Recently, my brother used Abreva and told me it got rid of his in 2 days. And I just recently got a cold sore, but I didn't use any product on it the day I felt the tingle that means one is about to come, so the next day I woke up and, of course, had a cold sore. I went to the store because I remembered that Abreva worked on my brother, so I got the product for $22. This is my second day using it, and it is damn near gone. I have been rubbing a little on and then put another dose on it and just let it sit there and soak, and once it dried, put another dose on top, and keep doing it. After a while, dab it clean with a hot wash rag to clean it and let it breathe a little. ❤i"

• War...
• March 12, 2016

"Twice now felt that dreadful tingle in my lip, whipped out the Abreva and boom, it kept away the full-blown breakout. Just a non-painful small bump for 3 days. I kept up applying for 4 days and it never blistered, never progressed. Abreva WORKS, I am proof. I get a cold sore 2 times a year on my lip, same spot. What used to take 7-9 days for it to run its course now is 4, with no blister and no pain, and nobody can even tell. Abreva A+"

• all...
• November 11, 2013

"As soon as I feel a tingling on my lip, I apply Abreva - have a tube at work, in the car, and at home. In 5 years, I have not had a cold sore breakout if I apply Abreva in time. I love this stuff and would pay a lot more than the $20 cost - also, Harmons has it for $15."

• LAM...
• September 1, 2017

"I, too, thought Abreva was magic for a while. It was so reliable. If I caught the tingle early enough, no cold sore developed. If it was already in progress, it healed so quickly and painlessly. It always worked, and so I gladly paid the high price. A little over a year ago, I got one that started on my nose and took over half of my face. It got infected, and I needed two types of antibiotics. I didn't suspect the Abreva until now. This week, I used Abreva on a really small one on my lip, and now it's all the space between my lip and nose, advancing toward my eye, and I'm so swollen I can't eat. Antibiotics again. Goodbye, Abreva. Forever."