Docosanol topical and Pain: What Users Say

• Kan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 16, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "So, unfortunately, I have had cold sore outbreaks for years. I hate the stigma attached to them. But I've always used Abreva, from the pump or the tube. Both worked great. However, this time I'm currently laid up in bed, unable to speak because my cold sore has literally multiplied into several little bumps. It's incredibly painful to do anything, and my lip looks so swollen I feel like I was punched in the lip. I don't know what happened to Abreva, but it used to be good. This time has almost got me wanting to go to the hospital."

• Gre...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 6, 2017

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I have taken this medicine since it first came out. I felt the tingle of a new sore the other day and bought a bottle of Abreva (this bottle has a pump to supply the medication, which is more liquidish). After 2 days of use, I realized that not only had the Abreva NOT worked, my cold sore had spread to 3 times the original size and was still contagious (tingly and sore). I mentioned this to my husband, who said we had an older squeeze tube of Abreva (paste consistency) in his bathroom, and he suggested I try that instead. After 12 hours and 2 applications, the cold sore is already getting better. My guess is that the makers of Abreva have watered down the active ingredient so much that it is no longer effective, so they make more money."

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

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "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!"

• Sep...
• January 16, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "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 worst 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 it, and I don’t recommend use of it!!"

• Tdp...
• February 25, 2017

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "My doctor recommended I buy Abreva. I used it several times, and it did temporarily help with the pain, however, when I woke up in the morning, my sore was gooey and looked like it had melted all over, causing it to spread to other parts of my lip."

• the...
• August 2, 2016

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "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 6000 mg of vitamin C right when I feel one coming on, and it prevents it 99% of the time."

• Kat...
• January 19, 2017

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I have suffered from cold sores since I was a toddler. It was miserable getting them several times a year as a child, with no remedy. Just two+ weeks of misery and embarrassment because those suckers would always sit right in the middle of my bottom lip. When Abreva came out, I was so desperate to try it, and it works for me. If you use it the second day of getting a cold sore, no, it is not going to work as well because the virus is now going nice and strong. It will help with the pain and aggravation and will still help shorten its lifespan a bit, but not as much as within the first 8 hours of getting one. I also use it in conjunction with Vicks Vaporub. Sucker dies in under a week and definitely cuts a lot of the painful scab stage out!"

• Mon...
• April 19, 2017

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I get cold sores when I go in excessive sun at least once a year. I could see that the sore was coming this time around, so I grabbed some Abreva. Not only did it seem to be of little effect, but it made my blister grow more than I have seen it without treating it with anything. The Abreva takes the pain away, but as for the blistering, it only makes it larger."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Abreva takes some of the pain away and helps in healing, but then I notice that I will get another outbreak worse than the first one a few weeks later. This never happened until I started to use Abreva. It happens every time. No more Abreva for me!!!"

• ant...
• June 3, 2015

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Damn, this stuff really works. I first got a cold sore 4 years ago, and it usually happens every 6 months or once a year. And I knew it was due for an outbreak, and once I felt a bump coming, I told myself I'd buy a cold sore treatment, and WOW, in 3 days it's already gone. The BEST part is the swelling and pain go away, and it's not even noticeable. I will always buy this product. There might not be a cure, but thank God for whoever made this product to ACTUALLY work. I'd pay double for this if that was the price. Whoever hasn't tried this and is HSV-1, I very highly recommend trying this product."

• Col...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2015

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "HOLY CRAP, I FINALLY FOUND ME A HOLY GRAIL. I'm a teenager who doesn't really suffer from cold sores. I've had it three times in my life: in 5th grade, 10th grade, and right now. The other two times I had a cold sore were not that bad, I recall. My lip was not as swollen as it is this time. I woke up two days ago feeling a tingling and seeing a few little blisters and thought, yes, I caught it right before it gets too bad. I found some lysine. I was sure by that time the next day I'd be all set to go to work and no one would even know I had a cold sore. Turns out the lysine was expired, which I didn't know, so my lip kept getting worse. The next day my lip was huge, and I was in a bunch of pain. After work, I bought Abreva and followed directions. Now I'm way better."

• Tre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Exactly as others have said - I put it on at the first tingle. Used it religiously ALL day. This morning I woke up with TWO huge blisters, my entire lip swollen, and pain radiating down my jaw. I am 31 and have had cold sores since before I started kindergarten. Never in my life has a product caused them to WORSEN. Biggest mistake, and waste of money. I don't know what to use now."

• Fed...
• December 19, 2016

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "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."

• Tao...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I agree with everyone here that says it made their cold sore 10x worse. I get cold sores like once or twice a year, and the last time I started to get one, I immediately applied Abreva, and the next day my lip was enormously swollen and spread to my bottom lip. I personally feel the best thing for cold sores is to apply Orajel for cold sores to it, ibuprofen for pain, Benadryl for the itching, and to use peroxide to clean it with cotton balls or just pouring it over the affected area. Abreva is awful and not to mention ridiculously expensive!"

• HDL...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2015

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I used to swear by this stuff... until today! I woke up this morning and thought I was beginning to feel it. I immediately went to the bathroom and put some on just in case. I reapplied a few times after realizing it was definitely a cold sore coming on. I usually can use it and they never fully develop. Not this time... this thing has exploded in blisters all over the right side of my top lip and this is the most painful one I ever remember having. Every time I reapply, it takes the pain away for a short time, but then it's back with a vengeance!! I'm not sure if, because my lips were kind of chapped, maybe it was able to take off, or it's a real aggressive one this time, or my body is used to Abreva and it's lost its superpower?"

• RSS...
• June 4, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I wish I'd read these reviews before sending my husband to the pharmacy yesterday to buy me some Abreva. I get cold sores from time to time, and this time I decided to actually buy something to speed along the healing process. BAD IDEA. I applied Abreva to my very small, barely noticeable cold sore yesterday afternoon. By bedtime, literally 4 hours after the first application, my lip was swollen to twice its normal size and what started as a tiny spot is now dime-sized. It literally looks like someone punched me in the face. Anywhere I applied the Abreva broke out into a huge cold sore. My lip looks terrible, and it hurts and itches like crazy. I am so upset! What was supposed to help made everything significantly worse! I should have just left it alone! I called the doctor, and they are calling me in a prescription for Valtrex so that maybe this monstrosity will go away! I have never been so embarrassed. Seriously... This is the worst cold sore I've ever had in my life!"

• Myo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2016

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Bought Abreva on the first day, by the middle of the night, my lip had a blister, a big one. Five days later, my lip still has a nasty spot and is a bit swollen. I do believe I could have just saved my $20 and it probably wouldn't have been different. Helped with pain a bit, yeah, but healing it fast, no."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 7, 2018

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I highly advise against Abreva, especially if you have sensitive skin. If I could post a before and after picture, I would. I use the generic CVS brand, and it fastens the process of healing the sore. It comes in a small white tube, and for the pain (if any), I use CBD oil to numb out any uncomfortableness. Abreva has actually made the sore grow, and it blistered up my lip, causing it to crack and split down the middle. I've never had a sore so bad or for more than 7 days. It has been three weeks, and it's finally almost completely unnoticeable or gone. I used the CVS brand for a week, then began to use Blistex (medicated), which you can buy also at your local pharmacy. I would only recommend using the Blistex chapstick once the sore is scabbed over or almost healed in order to help the healing process and also fasten it. I've been doing a lot of research on what products would help heal or prevent the sores from popping up, and Abreva is not one!"

• Csk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2018

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I've tried it twice. Both times it exacerbated the cold sore. Ended up tossing it out. Save your money. Wanted to share my experience. Had a breakout of small cold sores over a period of time. Used Equate antibiotic cream. Dabbed it on... gone next day. Each time. Just figured it was luck. Woke up with a big one one morning... used Equate liberally at home all day. It stopped all irritation, redness, and swelling. Still had some pain. But the sore was hardly noticeable. Dabbed it on for the next two days and it was gone. The whole time I had it I wasn't self-conscious about it. Also works on other blemishes. I had an age spot on my forehead that would grow. I would scratch at it. It would bleed and come back. Last year same thing. I scratched it off but this time used Equate cream... the age spot is still gone... been about a year. This stuff is cheap. It won't irritate your skin, and you have nothing to lose by trying. Hope it works for you. Best of luck!"

• Zar...
• December 11, 2015

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Did not work in reducing anything but the pain. Sore remained to get bigger and bigger, regardless of how many times I wash my hands and apply cleanly. Try garlic and apple cider vinegar. Costs less and works so much better than this stuff."

• Wal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2017

For Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I get cold sores once or twice a year. The sun usually is the cause. Usually, I take acyclovir orally, which works great if taken within the first day of the tingle warning sign. This time, I was traveling, and I had no refills from the pharmacy. After 3 days, the herpes popped out on my lower lip. I felt a lot of pain, and I had trouble eating and drinking. I bought Abreva at 10:30 last night. The pain has been reduced dramatically. The lip still looks horrible, but it feels a lot better. I spent $17 on Abreva, but it was worth it. I will refill my prescription for acyclovir so that I can take it right away next time I get the tingle after being in the sun. The acyclovir taken orally actually can prevent the herpes from erupting. But if you wait."

• Iwa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2017

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I've been getting cold sores once or twice a year for the past 20 years, and they've always been the same size, so I know my personal cold sores. I felt the signs of getting a cold sore, so having heard Abreva actually worked, I thought I'd give it a shot. At this point, the cold sore was a tiny bump no bigger than a pinhead. After trying the pump bottle, my cold sore got a little bigger, but I didn't think anything of it at first other than that I must not have caught it in time, so that's why it grew more, and I kept using Abreva. THIS WAS A TERRIBLE THING TO TRY. This cold sore is now the biggest I have ever had in my life, has spread to HALF of my upper lip, and it is so swollen and painful! This is because of Abreva. DO NOT USE!"

• Neu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 17, 2016

For Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Abreva (docosanol) is the only over-the-counter antiviral cold sore treatment available in the US. Most other over-the-counter brands will not have any effect on the duration and severity of the blister(s), other than treating the symptoms, which include pain, itchiness, etc. You should apply antivirals once you start to feel the 'tingly,' warm feeling in your lip before the blister arrives. This will inhibit the virus particles from replicating and infecting more cells, which would have made your sore bigger, more painful, and longer lasting. That being said, this doesn't work perfectly all the time. I swear by this, and I will NEVER waste money on anything that does not contain antivirals. Read the content label before you purchase and Google!"

• San...
• June 6, 2019

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "I get cold sores maybe once a year and usually just wait for them to go away on their own. Decided to try Abreva this time around. Worst mistake of my life. Within a few days of using the cream, it had spread to a painful quarter-sized patch of fluid-filled blisters all over my upper lip and the skin below my nose. I've NEVER seen anything like it; it was so hideous that people would flinch when they looked at me (as I still had to go to work and have a life while this was going on). Took almost three months to heal, and I still have a scar from it. I don't know what they put in Abreva, but stay away."

• no...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 25, 2022

Docosanol topical for Herpes Simplex (HSV) "Abreva was my no. 1. Always when I felt a cold sore coming, I made sure it was in my bag, so no matter where I was, I had it with me at all times. But lately, their formula changed. Now it does not work, I get full-blown, swollen, hurtful, painful blisters. WHY, what did they change? It lasts for 2 weeks."