Docosanol topical User Reviews & Ratings (Page 5)

• Nikkkkk
• November 7, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Doesn't work at all. I've been getting cold sores for my entire life and my mom always got me Areva because it's supposed to be "the best" but it never worked- just a waste of money. It makes your cold sore very gooey and gross. I highly recommend Campho-Phenique Cold Sore Treatment which is a little less than $4 and works wonders."

• Julyd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2017

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I am so impressed with this product. Thursday morning started to get tingling and bubbles, went to the pharmacy and purchased abreva in the afternoon and applied as Directed since then... Here I am Saturday afternoon and already scabbing and drying up. Wow, thanks Abreva !"

• Earl...
• December 23, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I've been using Abreva for about 10 years now. What does that tell you? I'm amazed at how good it works. 4 or 5 times a day and I can see it start working. after 4 or 5 days, it's pretty much gone. If you're persistent with your application, you shouldn't get any red scabby blister. My one problem with the product is that you changed the container from a thin opening to a wider opening, therefore having to use more of the product. Why can't you go back to the original container with the thin neck...therefore preventing waste."

• Cindyag
• October 3, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I experience cold sores 3-4 times a year. I'd run out of my prescription acyclovir which works the best for me. Walgreens only had the pump dispensed available. The product worked fairly well, but the pump dispenses 3-4 times the amount needed. It's very expensive, so too much uncontrolled wasted product!!"

• Grayw...
• June 11, 2015

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "First Major break out with cold sores, started on the lower lip and moved to the corner. I found this on the self and was going to pass it up when i saw the price...thank goodness i spent the money and went for it. This stuff works fast!!!!"

• Seppu
• January 16, 2019

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I could feel a cold sore coming on and I thought guess I need some abreva!! Ran to the store even though I was broke to buy a $20 tube of this stuff!! Started applying it immediately and what do you know, I’ve had the worse outbreak I’ve ever had!! Going on day three and my lip is swollen with two huge blisters!! I’m in pain!! Never again will I use and I don’t recommend use of it!!"

• Hocka...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2015

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Less than 2 days ago I noticed a large herpes bump on my upper lip and immedietly my heart sank. I grabbed the Abreva I had and applied it right away but I figured it was to late. My first time trying it and in less than 48 hours of application the "bump" shrunk down and has practically dissapeared. No outbreak, no redness or scabbing stage. It's like I completly skipped the entire outbreak!:) Im gonna start hordeing Abreva. 5 star experience!"

• Ava...
• June 6, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Love this stuff. It is worth every penny. For me, not only did it reduce healing time significantly, I stopped getting cold sores almost completely. I used to get them all the time from kissing, heat, alcohol, etc. I have the scar tissue to prove it. Any reoccurrences of cold soars has been minimal and infrequent."

• Happy...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 14, 2017

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Abreva is the only cold sore cream I have found that works. I've been getting outbreaks my entire life. More so when I was a kid, now I get one outbreak about once a year. I apply the cream at the first sign of tingling and use it every 2 hours the first day while applying with a finger and washing my hands before and after. The second day I apply it every 3-4 hours. Abreva stops the spreading for me, the earlier I catch it the better. It also takes about 5 days to fully go away, if I don't use abreva it will stick around for up to two weeks."

• Halo...
• January 3, 2017

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I was surprised to see quite a few negative reviews of Abreva. It works great for me. As soon as I noticed the itching I put it on right away and as often as I can throughout the day. There've been some times where you can barely notice there's anything on my lip. It heals up quickly and numbs the pain. I remember the old days when it would take two weeks or more to fully heal, and it would be a big, awful sore on your lip. I don't get cold sores that often, but I always have Abreva on hand. One thing I did notice is that when I had a tube for a long time that was six months or more until the expiration date it didn't work as well as a new tube. It's expensive, but I think it's totally worth it!"

• FedUp
• December 19, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "This was a waste of my $20. I felt the tingle and rushed to the store. I was using the medicine religiously. The cold sore only got worse. The swelling and the pain were almost unbearable. This is about day 5 and I have a horrible looking scab on my lip. I don't want to go outside. It's so embarrassing."

• Happy
• May 7, 2021

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I've only had a cold sore two separate times. The first time I wasn't too sure what it was. My outbreak wasn't too bad but lasted a couple days. This time I applied it when I felt the tingling and could see something was starting to flare up. It's been one day and already went through the fluid filled stage and burst. It's very small and pretty unnoticeable after applying Abreva periodically all day. Everyone reacts differently but its definitely worth a try. I think a lot of people saying that Abreva made their case worse don't realize that cold sores get worse and can spread on their own. Abreva needs to be used at the first sign of an outbreak. I'd say it can't do miracles, but for me, it has. Saves a lot of embarrassment."

• Lene
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2019

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I've used Abreva in the past it worked amazing. Normally I apply as soon as I feel the tingle but this time oh my goodness my face is so swollen. They must have changed the formula this stuff used to be amazing now it is garbage."

• I...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I ran out of acyclovir so thought I'd try Abreva since I couldn't get in to see my doctor. Have had cold sores for 20 years and since using Abreva, I have had my worst episode yet. Seems to heal the area, but then the cold sore keeps popping up in new parts of my lips, despite using q-tips and being very careful not to spread it. Have had this for 10 days now and am frustrated. Not sure why this is happening but I'm going back to my doctor to get a prescription for acyclovir cream."

• theli...
• August 2, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I bought this after I had my first breakout in years, it wasn't that bad but I had an event coming up and wanted it to be gone asap. So I go to the pharmacy buy this really expensive product, apply it just like the package said to and it got worse and took longer to completely heal. The cream was painful and just prolonged everything. I stupidly decided to give it another chance and the next time was even worse. After that I started having breakouts all the time, sometimes twice a month. I wrote the company and complained but no one bothered to write back. Since then I've been using high doses of vitamin c and it's awesome. I take 6000mg vitamin c right when I feel one coming on and it prevents it 99% of the time."

• Ugh
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 26, 2022

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "It definitely seems to help one from forming but once it's already there I'm pretty positive it's making it worse. My sores last over a week with using the Abreva every 4 hours. Next time I'm trying without it"

• 333rmd
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2017

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Right before bed I felt the tingle and saw the tiny hint of a cold sore. Not new to this, and knowing I couldn't get prescription meds until the next day, I sent my husband to the store to get Abeva. I applied it that night and in the morning and again mid morning. I went to the doctor in the afternoon to get a prescription medication. Before I got home from the pharmacy I had a HUGE cold sore. I took the meds and continued the Abreva. The cold sore continued to grow in size and is hideous. I stopped the Abreva and am using Petroleum on the lip with the medication. It's slowly getting better now. I'll never use Abreva ever again."

• EMS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2015

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I was really skeptical about paying so much for a small amount. Usually my cold sores do not get very bad or noticable, however, it did this time. The first day I could feel the tingle, the second day my lip was swollen to where my mouth couldn't close comfortably and blisters had started, by the third day my lip had swelled even bigger and blisters were extremely noticable. And by day four, blisters had popped leaving a dark crusty look, some swelling went down. By the beginning of day four I was ready to pull my hair out. Went to the pharmacy and bought a small tube and began to use it like I use oxygen. Overnight I applied a heavier coat and by day five, the large scab from the blisters fell right off!! Swelling was completely gone!"

• Total...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2017

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I am so happy with this products. Everytime I get a high fever which is usually once or twice and year I always have a break out of fever blisters. I have tried everything under the sun from ice, tea bags, herpicin L, releev, carmex... Anything and it would always take a 3-4 weeks to just see it start to scab. I bought Abreva yesterday morning and it is already at the scabbing stage and I had a fever blister start the day before. I apply every 2-3 hours and its working great! I do make sure the wash and dry hands before and after applying abreva."

• the...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 31, 2015

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I have used this product for years. I had no idea how well it was working till I went without it one time recently and had the most painful coldsore in recent memory. I will never leave home without it again. Yes it's expensive but when you think of it like paying 18 dollars to get rid of a couple cold sores faster and with less impact it is well worth the cost."

• k mcc
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 10, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Abreva is a expensive cold sore medicine that does not work. There was one that worked well, but I figure the manufactures of Abreva paid them off. It was called Viactrine and it worked well. I am not sure of the spelling as I have not been able to locate it for years"

• Shay
• February 8, 2015

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "I love Abreva! I was exposed to the virus that causes cold sores on the lip one year ago. The first time was terrible is never been through it so I didn't know what to do, but this time round I knew exactly how to handle it"

• new0r...
• September 29, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "Its just a placebo just meant to slightly reduce the discomfort associated to an herpes outbreak. Has no effect whatsoever on the root cause, which is the virus itself, and therefore it does not shorten the course of the outbreak as other more effective over-the-counter medicines do."

• George...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 25, 2016

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "So worth it. No product has helped except abreva. I put it on as soon as I realize I'm getting a cold sore and within 2-4 days its gone. Tip don't let your thing burst or this product can't help you. Only works if used before you pop the blister and the blister won't pop."

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

Abreva (docosanol) for Herpes Simplex "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 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."