Valtrex for Cold Sores User Reviews (Page 5)

• Sil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2020

"This is the only thing that helped shorten the life of my cold sore, so I felt I had to share because I tried it after reading a review similar to mine! Instead of the usual 2 weeks it takes to get rid of mine, it took 6 days!!!! Life changing. Good luck! You’re not alone! So many people have this! I took 2 of the pills twice a day for 2 days, I think. Then I took one every day after, even though my doc told me to take one twice a day for 2 days, and that was it. But I read other people’s reviews, and they took it the way I did-and their doc told them to take it that way. If it stops multiplying and changing, then stop taking it. If it starts to flare up again, take another."

• Dar...
• November 9, 2012

"I am 21 years old, and I've been getting cold sores since I can remember. I am a New Yorker, so every winter there, I am bound to wake up with multiple cold sores! My doctor saw me one day and prescribed me Valtrex. Life saver! It stops the itching, and by the next day, your cold sore is gone! I have tried everything else."

• Lip...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 29, 2021

"Valtrex is amazing! I take 2,000 mg 2x a day 12 hrs apart at first outbreak, and it either completely goes away or only lasts a few days instead of 2 weeks. If you get it early at the burning, tingling stage, you won't get one at all. Prior to Valtrex, I was taking Famvir, but it didn't work for me. So glad my doctor prescribed this medication... I only buy the brand, as I find the efficacy better than generics."

• Anonymous
• February 18, 2012

"2 pills 2x a day. This makes my cold sore heal so quickly. A few months ago, I felt one coming and bit open a little pustule (the baby liquid-filled blister). NOTE: do NOT bite or puncture these open if possible. Once the liquid is out, it spreads the virus, and that makes it become the ugly, huge cold sore we all know. So if you don't pop those, that helps the healing process speed up. I took 2 Valtrex as soon as I accidentally bit one open, then 2 pills at night, and my cold sore never got big or obvious. As I get older and stress takes its toll, I have been prone to cold sores yearly, and Valtrex has made my life better. I also have Zovirax topical ointment I put on if the cold sore is big. So I double my fighting power."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2017

"I'm 19 years old, and I've been getting cold sores ever since I was young. The last few years, I would get them a couple of times a month, sometimes a new one every week. I've been taking Valtrex for a few months now, and I've gotten them only 3 times (which is a major improvement) because I was sick and my immune system was down. But they went away after a day or so. I'm so, so happy."

• Anonymous
• April 14, 2012

"Honestly, this is the only medication that has ever worked for my cold sores. Seems like as soon as I take the first dose, the sore won't get any larger than it is at that moment, and it begins to heal. Still goes through the stages of a scab but is much easier to live with and not nearly as visible, unsightly, or long-lasting as they were in the past."

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

"I took 4 pills total, 2 every 12 hours. Within 1.5 hours, I already noticed a difference. Mind you, I waited too long to take these pills (I already had 3 cold sores on my 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 a 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."

• AHW...
• September 30, 2020

"Woke to a hard lump, which was a few small lumps about to turn into a big cold sore. Took the Valtrex right away and every 12 hours, and it never even busted open or got bigger. Been 24 hours, and it’s barely noticeable. Best thing for HSV1!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2012

"I hate cold sores. I have gotten them sporadically for years and have tried it all. I had taken acyclovir pills and found that they did not help once the sore had broken the skin. Yesterday, I woke up with a sore forming and freaked. I have a black tie event this weekend and needed it gone. I ran to my doctor and took my first dose of Valtrex around 11 a.m. I did notice that it didn't really get bigger, but it wasn't disappearing. I took my second dose and went to sleep, this morning, I woke up and while the sore is still there, it's already scabbed and much better. I think it should be in a great place tomorrow for my event. While it didn't clear it up completely, it helped so much in 24 hours. Now I can at least use some concealer!"

• Nem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2018

"After suffering these horrid, sometimes extremely painful, ugly blisters for years, I am glad I found a doctor who prescribed this drug, Valtrex. Sometimes my blisters would last up to 10 days, and then one on each side of the bottom cheek! Now, at the first niggle, I start taking them. I only need to take Valtrex 2 times daily for 5 days, and I have relief - until the next big stressful event. But I only need to take them again for 5 days. Happy."

• Ann...
• February 16, 2018

"I've had cold sores for as long as I can remember. I used to get them every few months until about grade 12, where I would get them 1-2 times every month (and they like to spread). They were so bad that my lips are permanently discolored. It was a teacher that recommended I ask my doctor about Valtrex, and ever since then I finally have them under control, with only one getting the best of me every few months. If you're someone that struggles with taking pills, it's going to be hard on you, but it's completely worth it."

• had...
• October 31, 2011

"To posters not getting relief - the manufacturer's recommended dosage for cold sore outbreak is two grams every 12 hours for 1 day. If you are not taking this dose, that would be the reason it does not work for you. Some will heal with less, but I suggest that your first time taking it, you take as is FDA suggested. For me at least (50 years of cold sores), if the sore is already in progress, then two grams at least for the first dose is absolutely necessary. I then judge later at the 12-hour mark whether it is already responding and may only take 1 gram. If I catch it at the first tingle, then I get by with a single gram every 6 hours for 3 doses only. Personally, I have learned to try and catch it early because 2 grams gives me a headache."

• Flo...
• August 29, 2020

"My sister and I have always gotten fever blisters. I’m convinced that we got them from our mom when we were babies because she has the same issue. We both get them on our chins, cheeks, foreheads, nose, lips... you name it! They are very embarrassing and even more painful. They were all over my face, like multiple blisters when I went for my Pap smear years ago. When he saw them, my OBGYN gave me a prescription for once-a-day Valtrex. I took it daily for a year and didn’t get an outbreak for 3 years. Then, I had to start taking it daily again. After stopping for another year, I started getting them on my cheeks and mouth again. Taking 4 twice a day for one day at the first sight of one hasn’t been helping and another just comes back somewhere else, so I have obtained a 90-day prescription and plan on taking it daily for longer than a year for suppression. I’m so sick of dealing with HSV-1, it’s unreal! Valtrex works if you’re consistent with it and are aware of your body."

• oma...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2015

"I have had cold sores since I have been a child. I would get them about every six weeks. I would treat them as soon as I felt the tingle. A year ago, I was getting tests done in preparation for a trip to Germany. I had a fever blister. The doctor prescribed Valtrex. I took one pill for two days. I have not had another breakout in over a year. Miracle for me."

• Anonymous
• May 12, 2010

"Thanks for the feedback. It has helped me feel better. I'm getting married in a day and a half and woke up this morning with an outbreak! I was so bummed out, so I made an appointment with the doctor immediately. She prescribed Valtrex, and it has been 7 hours since I took the 2 grams, and it's already starting to work! I hope I wake up and the blisters are all gone!"

• juj...
• 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
• April 4, 2012

"I also suggest using Zovirax (cream or ointment) while dealing with an outbreak. It works great in combination with the Valacyclovir. Been dealing with cold sores for 25 years, and I've been using this combination for about 5 years. Nothing works better."

• Rae...
• July 4, 2021

"Recently had a breakout, I haven’t had one in almost two years. The last time I had one, I went to urgent care, and the doctor prescribed me Valtrex. I was a couple of days into the outbreak, but I saw a MAJOR difference it made in symptoms such as pain and swelling. This past Monday, a bump appeared on my bottom lip, and I took Valtrex. Anyone who has experienced these outbreaks knows how painful and embarrassing they are. So, of course, my mind just went to a sad place. LUCKILY, Valtrex kicked in right away! I didn’t have the awful swelling or pain! Only one blister came about and wept. Got a scab on day three, and it has basically gone now…the scab fell off last night. So what would have lasted 10 days cleared up in 7, and that’s probably only because I waited to take it rather than right away. Already got my prescription refilled. I’m so happy I was introduced to something that not only relieves symptoms but clears up these nasty breakouts quickly!"

• Mon...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 22, 2023

"I use this medication as soon as I feel a tingle. I don't let it get bad or out of control. As soon as I take it, I notice the tingling stops. It's a very good medication for cold sores. I recommend it."

• Anonymous
• December 14, 2011

"I have around 6 or more cold sore episodes a year - they are terrible. I finally tried Valtrex, and it's amazing. I took it just as I noticed a red spot forming. I took 2g and then 2g 12 hours later. The cold sore still formed the next day but never got 'crusty' - just redness and slight swelling. It was basically gone in 4-5 days. I think next time I'll take it for 2 days to see if that works better. I've tried the prescription creams, but they didn't always work well for me. I'm a believer in Valtrex. Wish I had this years ago."

• Bus...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 20, 2022

"Works every time. I always keep 2 grams of Valtrex so I can take it at the earliest sign of oncoming cold sores. If you take it in time, it sometimes stops the cold sores completely. It's all about the timing... For me, I get a tingle in my jawline, I take 2 grams right away. Then 2 grams when I get home or 12 hours later. That's it... best thing other than a cure."

• Val...
• August 12, 2011

"Let me start by saying I'm compulsive in terms of researching everything. I get the worst cold sores known to man, and my lip blows up about 4x. With all that said, Valtrex is the real deal. A cold sore is a virus (as I'm sure you all know by now) that injects its own foreign DNA into your cells, which in turn mutates them, which is why you get a cold sore. The way Valtrex works is by blocking the virus's ability to inject its own DNA into your cells. So, if you take Valtrex at the FIRST sign of 'tingling,' you may never develop a cold sore. I, on the other hand, developed a sore this past Tuesday (took Valtrex too late), have been taking Valtrex every 12 hours since, and it is now Friday, my lip is fully deflated and scabbed."

• Anonymous
• July 15, 2011

"I am 34 years old and have been a sufferer of cold sores from the age of 9 or 10. I asked my doctor about treatment, and she prescribed Valtrex for me in 2002. When I get that tingling feeling in my lip, I take a pill and then take one exactly 12 hours later. I have not had a visible cold sore in nearly 10 years. Valtrex is a little expensive, about $4.00 per pill, and I use about 15-20 pills per year. As a long-time user, I would definitely recommend this medicine to anyone."

• Anonymous
• June 16, 2012

"This was my third breakout ever! And worst ever. I am 24 years old if that helps. Well, a small sore began to develop on my bottom lip. Friday morning, my doctor prescribed Valtrex 500 mg every 12 hrs. I took 1000 mg by 10 am. Second dose by 8 pm. It is now 12:45 pm Saturday, and my lip is almost back to its normal size, and it is almost completely dry and in the scabbing stage. Don't hesitate!"

• gif...
• July 26, 2011

"First outbreak was horrible. Once I got Valtrex in my system, the outbreak cleared up within two days. Lysine helps prevent outbreaks and is for immune health. Has been working well for me and haven't had any real problems since first outbreak."