2 of the kids keep getting canker sores one after another on their lips. Tried chapstick, carmex. I've heard theirs an herb you can take, but, can't remember the name? Is there a difference between canker sores and cold sores? Thanks in advance, Laura

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), December 01, 2000

Answers

Hello Laura,

My advice is to make a lip balm yourself with some lavander and tea tree esential oils in it. I have heard marvelous things about this combination and have had great luck with it myself. You can either use a beeswax and olive oil combination or if you do not mind using petrolium products seperate a small amount and add the eoils to this. It does not take much of the oils either. There are a number of other ways to make balms if you email me I can send you some different recipes if your interested also.

Good Luck, Suzanne Wilson

-- Suzanne Wilson (mtsuz@hotmail.com), December 01, 2000.

kisses!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE,FRED

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), December 01, 2000.

cold sores are caused by a herpes virus, it is very contaigous (sp) and the great majority of people end up with it. When the sore goes away the virus goes to live in the nerves in the area, stress, or illness can "wake" the virus and the sores reappear. Some people are more prone to outbreaks than others. There is prescription medication that helps but if you want to do it yourself I'd try camphophenic (sp) it comes in little green bottles, thats what mother used on hers. When they are having sores be careful not to share cups or kisses, mother was a nurse and I escaped infection by her carful attention to control measures. Goodluck, I hope the little ones clear up soon.

-- Tina (clia88@newmexico.com), December 01, 2000.

Tea tree oil is good. I used a tinture of ruhbarb root once which worked wonders (but I used it for sores inside the mouth).

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), December 01, 2000.

I will get a cold sore on my lip within a couple hours if I drink anything with carbonated vitiamin C or just too much C, like Sunkist Orange, Minutemaid Lemonade, lemons, oranges, etc. Vitamin B's and yogurt will help them go away and not to get them again. I really love oranges but I can't have them. Also, if I sunburn my lips I might get one. The sun has lots of Vitamin C. I have met a couple other people with this same thing. I can only have dark colas. Look to see what they are drinking or eating, it's an unbalance of some sorts between the C's and B's. Carmex makes them worse, use rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to dry them up, really makes them stop growing. It stings some but if you hold it there many times a day it will dry them up. I very rarely get a cold sore anymore because I am so careful not to ever have any of that stuff.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), December 01, 2000.

Are saying the sores are on the outer lip or the inner lip? There is a difference between canker sores and cold sores, someone already mentioned the herpes virus related to cold sores. A canker sore can be relieved and avoided by taking folic acid. My daugher had them for years and then stopped when she started taking a small dose of folic acid daily.

-- Diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 01, 2000.

This may sound weird, but Cold-EEZE, the homeopathic zinc lozenges work for me. Stops a cold sore in it's tracks. Get one as soon as you feel the "tingle" and it won't ever even appear. Mine used to be extremely painful. Not any more. Good luck. Hope at least one of these suggestions work, for the kid's sake. --Deb.

-- Debbie in ne NC (demeads@inteliport.com), December 01, 2000.

Two things: One...if they are cold sores (outside of lip)...have them take Lysine..it is a amino acid found in beans and other animal products. It makes them heal faster and if you 500-1000mg when it tingles usually you won't get them. Also, I take it after a high fever and keeps them away. Two: If they are canker sores (inside of the lip or cheek, take a Qtip with some hydrogen peroxide on it and dab it. It should foam up and that oxygenates the infection and kills it. You should do it twice a day.

-- Storybook Farm (mumaw@socket.net), December 01, 2000.

I meant an amino acid found in plants!!! OOPS

-- Storybook Farm (mumaw@socket.net), December 01, 2000.

Hey!!!I know this is gonna sound wild; but for the canker sores inside of mouth, hold grape juice on them! Great for kids!!!

-- Beth Weber (talmidim88@hotmail.com), December 01, 2000.

Storybook is correct. The University of Utah did a study and published a paper on the use of L-Lysine for curing cold sores on the outside of the lips. If you take them at the first tingle, 4 times daily for the first couple days, then twice a day for the next few, the sore will either not appear, or will be very slight and heal quickly. My mother was telling her urologist about them when he had an outbreak, and he doubted they would work, but at her next visit, he told her he had tried them anyway, and was amazed at how well they work. Our entire family uses them. They also are effective against shingles. My parents spend the winters in Arizona, and some of the other "snowbirds" were complaining about having shingles a couple years ago. One couple took the L-lysine, the other didn't, but took several expensive prescription meds. Guess who got better? The other couple still suffers when the outbreaks are severe. Sounds too simple to be true, but they work. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), December 01, 2000.

I have a simple method of stopping the cold sore in its track, I found this out by being the guinepig myself. When you first feel the tingle of the LITTLE VISITOR, take a quetip or similar type applicator, dip it into bleach and dab it on the spot, will stop it and heals in two to three days instead of weeks. I was plagued with them and at one time had 32 between my lip and nose(not a pretty sight) The reason for this forum is to share failures and SUCCESSES. (use the quetip two or three time over a period of 10 minutes.)

-- Wayne & Lyn Roach (R-WAY@msn.com), December 01, 2000.

Our choipractor told us about lysine, since Hubby used to have canker sores in his mouth something awful. Lysine WORKS, and is inexpensive, esp. if you can pick it up at Walmart. Can't hurt, and it's cheap...give it a try!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), December 02, 2000.

STorybook is right. Lysine helps me. I seem to get them if I eat too much salty foods like popcorn or chips or citrus fruit. Also out in the sun too long without protection for my lips. Try the lysine.

-- JoAnn (jonehls@excite.com), December 02, 2000.

Laura,

The sores are caused by food alergies.

Try to find the offending foods and eliminate them. The first food group I would suspect is the nightshades family: tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, egggplant, papprika, cashews.

In addition to the sores, your children might have itchy, red ears.

You can eliminate the symptoms (the sores) by taking a homeopathic remedy: nitric acidicum 9X.

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), December 02, 2000.

For over 20 years, I use to get multiple canker sores all over the inside of my mouth (inner lips, gums, tongue). I tried many canker remedies incl taking zinc, extra vit C, yogurt, daubing on creme of tarter- none worked for me. A few years ago, my husband read a research article reporting the effect of sodium lauryl sulfate (sls) in toothpaste on people that were prone to canker sores. The study found that for people that got canker sores frequently, they got more of them more often if they brushed with a toothpaste that contains sodium lauryl sulfate. It's a very common additive that if I'm remembering correctly, makes toothpaste "foamy". Most toothpastes contain sls, Biotene (check Walgreens) and Rembrandt for Canker Sore Sufferers (check Target) do not. I like the taste of Rembrandt better. Since switching toothpaste I've been nearly canker free the past few years. Both are expensive but worth it to me to not have a constantly painful mouth.

-- Kim in WI (pdmille1@facstaff.wisc.edu), December 02, 2000.

Frequent canker sores are often caused by sensitivity to gluten.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), December 03, 2000.

If we are talking about coldsores (on the outside of the mouth) I agree with L-Lysine, but it really should be taken on an empty stomach with plain water for it to be the most effective. (If it mixes with food or milk, etc. it changes to a different amino acid.) I had them frequently as a teen, thank goodness I rarely get them now. If I get extremely run down, I get a coldsore. I also use a Qtip in alcohol to dry it up at first.

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), December 03, 2000.

Funny, I was gonna mention Lysine when I rad the question. Guess that is a pretty well known cure. I've been lucky and have nver gotten a cold sore, but my brother was terrible with them. My aunt told my mom about the Lysine and my brother was finally able to go out on hot, sunny days again! Elle

-- elle (hotging@aol.com), December 08, 2000.