Valtrex for Cold Sores User Reviews (Page 4)

• Cleo
• May 18, 2015

"I would say it works pretty good if you catch them in the beginning,if not it could take longer to heal. I have had cold sores for at least 20 years and the best stuff I ever used for them was a product called licrogel in a little white jar which was made from scientific botanicals which I just found out today is out of business. I think the good ole FDA had something to do with it because it was a natural homeopathic product. It soothed instantly and healed fast. It used to come in a 1/2 ounce jar for about 10 bucks but in recent years it was a full ounce jar for like 20-25 dollars...but you could get several outbreaks out of the one ounce jar."

• JetBl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 29, 2014

"I have been getting cold sores since I was in the 6th grade. Unfortunately I am a special case, I have NEVER had one on my lip! They always appear either on my chin or my nose. Its awful, especially on the nose. I am giving this a 7 due to the fact its no longer reducing the size of my breakouts anymore even with the topical cream. It only seems to reduce the healing period. Which isn't that great when I get one on my nose (yes you guessed it, its the tip) and I end up looking like a clown. I even got three breakouts in just this past March! Its definitely not working like it used to and I am only 19 so I am now fearful for the years to come. I'm hoping it was just a little expired and will be going back to the doctor for a refill."

• 20som...
• October 31, 2012

"As a 20 year old girl, a huge, ugly cold sore is pretty much one of the most unsightly things that could happen to your face. I've been getting them literally once a month since I was 11, guess I caught it at my gymnastics gym sharing water, and nothing has been more helpful than 2g of Valtrex at the FIRST sign. No OTC treatment ever shortened my healing time, but Valtrex completely stops the blisters in their tracks. If I take it right when I feel the tingle/bump, it USUALLY never even breaks the skin. I would highly recommend this medicine to anyone with a cold sore problem."

• Sayruhh
• November 30, 2014

"I ALWAYS get cold sores every time I get sick, so this morning when I woke up (after being sick all night) I noticed a little bump. I was so upset, I got so tired of cold sores. Every time I get them, they are huge and awful looking. So, I went to the doctor for the first time about my cold sores, and was prescribed Valtrex and I was only given 4 pills, and it was instructed to take all 4 pills in one day, I was a bit disappointed in that, though. I took all 4, and went to bed. Usually by the next morning (without medication) the cold sore gets bigger, but this time it didnt! I still had a small bump, but it would have been worse without the medication. From someone who suffers from bad cold sores, I am SO happy with this medicine!"

• Anonymous
• April 22, 2010

"I got a small dot on my lip on Tuesday at work and thought it might be a cold sore coming on but I wasn't sure. By Tuesday evening however I was sure it was a cold sore and started putting Abreva on it. By the time I woke up on Wednesday it was a full blown cold sore. The doctor prescribed Valtrex 2 pills (1000mg each) to take immediately and 2 pills (1000mg each) to take 12 hours later. I was skeptical after reading mixed reviews online, but when I woke up this morning it had already started to scab. Had I not gone to the doctor this would have dragged out for at least 4-5 more days before it even got to the scab phase. I am so relieved to have found this product."

• SomeW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 24, 2019

"I’m a 37 year old healthy male and competitive athlete. I've gotten “cold sores” inside my mouth perhaps once or twice a year since my early 20s. Eight weeks ago I developed a single small sore. Before it went away I got another... them another... This has continued for 2 months and I haven’t had a day where I haven’t had at least one since May. I’m not sure what’s up to cause this other than workouts have been hard for a while leading up to a competition I have in August, but yesterday I woke up with 4 small lesions (one brand new from the night before) and decided to go see a doctor. I received 5 days worth (10 pills) of 1G Valtrex to be taken 2 times per day. So far I have taken 2 pills and 24 hours later all four sores are healing, I feel great, and I have no new ones. I’m pretty ecstatic right now. This stuff works very fast if you’re lucky."

• Anonymous
• August 20, 2010

"Great medication! I am a hygienist and have been looking for a treatment for cold sores for my patients. I learned about Valtrex in school, but had not had a chance to try until I got an outbreak recently. I had my doctor prescribe me 2g to take 12 hours apart as the herpes labialis prescription suggests and it worked wonders. I got tingling on Tuesday, took medication on Wednesday (had small blister forming at time), and on Thursday it is a small healing scab. Never got big enough for anyone to notice unless I pointed it out (which I did to everyone in my dental office because the healing was so great, they agreed). I am going to recommend for my patients who suffer from frequent cold sores."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2012

"When I say I have NEVER, EVER taken/applied any medication to my cold sores before that is as effective as Valtrex, I MEAN IT. I have been dealing with this virus forever and I have tried everything. My doctor gave me a prescription to have on hand and 3 weeks ago, as I was afraid to ask for it at the pharmacy. 2 days ago though, when I woke up with that infamous tingle I ran and filled it up. I messed up the dosage but once I caught up, it REALLY began to disappear. By mid 2nd day, it was practically flat and I typically swell badly. Its day 3 and I'm back to normal. Thank God for Valtrex! Try it."

• Anonymous
• October 17, 2011

"I've had cold sores my entire life, recently I've been getting outbreak after outbreak. Each one increasing in severity. Last week I started to get what I thought was going to be a minor outbreak as I had just recovered from my last one the week before. I got online and started researching homeopathic remedies, OTC (Abreva, Releev, l lysine, Campho) only seem to work if I use it at just the right time. So I starting trying all the home remedies I read about. Hydrogen peroxide, ice, tea bag, toothpaste, etc. Well, nothing worked. After missing 4 days of school and barely sleeping all week I went to an urgent care, I was prescribed Valtrex. The new sores stopped forming almost immediately and the older ones started healing very fast."

• Newbie
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 2, 2018

"I recently used Valtrex for my cold sores. I was at work and some time after lunch around 1-2pm I felt a tingle and a weird sensation on my lip. When to the bathroom and saw a little tiny pustule in the center of my lip. I didn’t have any medicine with me at work and wasn’t able to get my first dosage of 2g until 6pm. I woke up and took the second dosage at 6:30am and now it’s gone! Whatever little swelling was there just disappeared. The cold sore never raised or formed. I was able to stop it right in its tracks! Btw I RARELY ever get cold sores. One maybe every 4 years or so but this year I had 2 wishing 4 months time so I was ready with medication on hand just in case and it literally was amazing. A non issue basically. Good stuff!"

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2012

"Been dealing with cold sores for 26 years now. As soon as I feel the tingle I grab 2 Valtrex from my glove compartment or back pack combined with Denavir cream and I'm going on 2 years with no visible outbreaks. Officially have the perfect herpes weapon. Even though the medication is expensive it is so worth it because you only take it when you need it if your able to tell when you may get one."

• Max
• October 27, 2016

"I have had intermitant Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) since 2012 presenting with viral-like symptoms. My ID Dr. found that a local reknowned University is treating CFS with Anti-Virals and we decided to give it a shot. It took about 4 months to work but at the moment I am currently in a 7 month remission which is unprecedented(the longest remission previous was 2 months.) I still have the fear that my symptoms may one day return but at the moment it looks like Valtrex is keeping them at bay. For CFS sufferers who test positive for HSV-1, HHV 6, EBV etc., I would recommend asking your Dr. about this medicine."

• colds...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 30, 2012

"I have suffered from cold sores since I was 3 months old. I'm now 25, I suffered bad cold sores with anything that I was emotional over. The big one is stress. My problem was I always missed the tingle, I would go to bed fine and wake up the next day with my whole bottom lip swollen, full of blisters. Over time it progressed to my cheek. Above my eyebrow, my chin and all my glands would swell. One day I woke up and couldn't open my eye. I had blisters all over my eyelid and it was completely swollen from my forehead down my cheek and the area in between. I was on every medicine. I was put on Valtrex 500mg and for the last 3 yrs and I have had very little breakouts and severity has decreased. Only side effect was dry skin but wont stop me taking it, never felt so confident."

• stephs
• December 10, 2014

"I get cold sores maybe once or twice a year. I keep valtrex on hand and if I take it quick enough when I have the feeling one is coming on, it won't even appear, if I wake up and I have the tingly feeling on my lip and I take it, it will reduce it significantly.when you feel the tingling make sure you take the full dose not just one. Also the cold sore healing patches by polysporin are amazing! If you get a full out cold sore and put these on It will shrink it almost down to nothing."

• Dee
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2022

"I took 4 pills total, 2 every 12 hours. Within 1.5 hour, I already noticed a difference. Mind you, I waited too long to take these pills (I already had 3 cold sores on lips). I felt itching and burning every night for 2 days, hoping it would go away on its own. Even after I waited days, these pills still relieved me and within 2 days, they're almost gone and just small crust now! No side effects for me. They were large but not hard to swallow, I drank a lot of water while taking them."

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2010

"I have been taking Valtrex for my cold sore breakouts now for 3 and half years. I had bad outbreaks every 3 months before I started taking it. I have been dealing with cold sores for 9 years now. I started taking one pill a day everyday 3 and half years ago. Since that point I have had only 2 small out breaks. It has totally changed my life and made me feel more confident since I am not always worrying about the next outbreak."

• Anonymous
• April 25, 2011

"I don't write too many reviews but I wanted to let you know that this medicine really works. I woke up with tingling on my lip and knew exactly what it was, then 4 hours later another one appeared. I immediately started putting Zovirax on my cold sores every 2 hours. I woke up the next morning to find another one starting. I knew that I couldn't handle 3 of these hideous things on my face and I had heard from a drug rep that Valtrex really worked. But, she wasn't sure if it worked AFTER they had been present for a day or two. I called my doctor and she prescribed Valtrex -36 hrs after they started. I can honestly say that it worked. In 3 days, there was nothing but a simple little red mark on my lips."

• Anonymous
• December 15, 2014

"I've struggled my whole life with cold sores. Having this horrible problem since I was 2 years old I've been through almost every treatment for them. I've discovered for me it's always either stress, dramatic change in weather, ranch dressing, or sun/tanning bed that make them appear. Valtrex helps so much! I take four in the morning and four at night for only one day and it works amazing. I also use Viroxyn. It's magical too. These two are the only thing that seem to help mine!"

• jujuj...
• September 7, 2014

"It certainly keeps it from being worse but still doesn't nip it totally in the bud no matter how soon you take it. I'm grateful this last bout didn't end up on the skin, but even though I took it within minutes of feeling just the tingling, it still sprouted. Could have been worse I guess. I am thankful I had it in stock."

• Anonymous
• November 12, 2012

"I have had cold sores since I was a little kid and I'm always super mad and shocked a lot of the time that I wake up and find one. You would think after getting them forever that you would KNOW when you are getting one. Have used Zovirax, then Abreva became available and if you could time it right it worked AWESOME. I'm a smoker so I frequently spread the cold sores around my mouth, just as one is healing another will show up. Two months of continuous cold sores hurts and is embarrassing. My friend told me about Valtrex a year ago after having cold sore after cold sore. After the first dose the sore shriveled up, second dose they were scabbed and healing. Huge help with the pain factor too. Amazing, if you haven't already, TRY IT!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 2, 2012

"I got my first cold sore when I was 3 years old. I am now 36, and have tried every topical ointment available over that time frame, both prescription and OTC. If you have recurrent cold sores you know all too well the stress associated with having one. A few years ago my doctors MA suggested I take a sample of Valtex, keep it on hand, and when I first sense a cold sore coming, take 1 gram, then wait 12 hours and take another gram, and do this for 2 full days - or 4 total doses. I was nearly sore free in 2 days. It works best if you catch it early, but still can be effective on a developed sore. I now ask my doctor for a 30 pill supply and keep it at the ready. I find I fill it once a year."

• Anonymous
• April 1, 2015

"I've had cold sores since I was a kid and have only recently started taking Valtrex but I have to say, this stuff is a game changer! I usually get a cold sore about once a year and it last any where from a week to two weeks. I'm an entertainer so they always seem to pop up right around a big gig so you can imagine the anguish it creates. I eat healthy and workout regularly so that cuts down on their frequency but they still occasionally pop up. My doctor recently prescribed me the medication and I had completely forgotten about it until I woke up the day before a big gig with a significant bump and serious redness. I immediately took two 1mg tablets and two more later before bed in conjunction with abreva. By morning it was gone!"

• Danie...
• April 17, 2017

"Valtrex is amazing! I have suffered my whole life from cold sores, usually covering with makeup, alcohol, abreva (obviously nothing worked) then my doctor suggested valtrex which is phenomenal!!!! My outbreaks only last maybe 3 days compared to 8-12!"

• Anonymous
• December 14, 2009

"I have been taking Valtrex for the past 3 months or so with no outbreaks. I have been dealing with cold sores for over 10 years and this past year was what made me talk to my doctor about getting a prescription. I typically get them when it's cold outside, my immune system is down, or I am stressed. So far so good. I take them everyday with my pill box so I can remember. Works wonders so far. I hate those little buggers, this has been a life saver during the times I have been stressed."

• olg
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 22, 2019

"I have had cold sores since I was 3 or 4, but only in the past couple years have I seen an increase in the frequency (I used to get them 2 times a year, and now get them once or twice a month.) I was prescribed Valtrex two years ago to combat the cold sores. I take two pills at the earliest sign of a tingle. Sometimes, the tingle goes away and there is no cold sore. However, sometimes a cold sore still forms. There is initial swelling and fever blisters, but the blisters do not become enlarged and quickly scab over. At its most effective, Valtrex prevents cold sores from forming. At its least effective, Valtrex lessens the pain, improves the appearance, and shortens the cycle of my cold sores (from tingle to scab in 2 or 3 days)."