Abreva Docosanol 10% Cream Tube, FDA Approved Treatment for Cold Sore/Fever Blister, 2 grams

I hate cold sores. I HATE them. I hate them with such unbridled fury and passion that if I were to be judged at the time of my death, and the subject of my blistering hatred came up(no pun intended), Heaven wouldn't want me, and Hell would just plain fear me. But after so many years of putting up with this plague, there is a solution.I usually get fever sores(cold sores) about 8-10 times a year. Usually every 2 months, I get a new outbreak around my lips. It could be a minor outbreak, with a simple little bump on the upper or lower lip, or a grotesque outbreak cluster of about 4-7 sores at once. Usually, these sores last 1-2 weeks, sometimes longer. The day I discovered Abreva, that all changed.As it states, Abreva cuts down the duration of cold sores quite dramatically. If you manage to detect a cold sore as it just begins to form (usually indicated by a burning or tingling sensation on the lip area), application of Abreva will possibly event prevent the outbreak entirely. Upon a breakout of sores, I find that consistent application cuts the duration of sores from 1-2 weeks to a mere 1-3 days! Don't beleive the utterly ridiculous accusations that Abreva is a placebo...this stuff works, and it works well.Aside from cutting down the duration of the sore, Abreva also releives any burning and itching you may get from them, so after a while you may not even realize that they're there. The cream is comfortable, and it doesn't sting, burn or itch after application. Though the white cream leaves a film after application, if you rub it in strongly the film disappears. Though the box recommends 4 applications a day, I usually double that to 8, and up to 10 times a day for those particularly brutal outbreaks.There are some disadvantages to Abreva, and perhaps the greatest of all: the price!Amazon.com, bless them, has this item listed at 13.99...try finding Abreva at that price anywhere else and you're in for a shocker...it usually goes for $18 on average, and we're talking a VERY small tube here. Don't let the size of the box fool you, the actual tube is less than half the size of my pinky finger! So in short, the cream is a marvel, but the price is simply outrageous. If you are plagued with cold sores on a routine basis, then its worth the price. If not, then I can't justify spending $18 on Abreva if you only get cold sores once in a blue moon. But like I said, thank you Amazon for the much cheaper price!Another disadvantage is that the tube tends to leak. Upon opening the tube for the first time, the cream tends to stat pushing itself out. When you open the tube for next use, you may find that alot of the cream has been squished into the cap, and that more of it will push out immediately upon the cap being removed. This leads to a lot of waste of the product.Another disadvantage is that the cream is virtually ineffective at treating cold sores that appear on the underside of the lip closer to the inside of your mouth, mainly because you'll end up inadvertantly licking the cream off or it will get washed away by your saliva.Finally, the cream dries your lips up quite alot...I would recommend using chapstick to moisturize your lips while using Abreva, because they will become very dry and chapped with continued usage.Overall, Abreva is one of the greatest things to happen to us cold sore slaves ever. Herpicin-L is utterly useless, Campophenique does little more than burn, dry out and taste awful, and chapstick only exacerbates the sore. Abreva is the way to go. If you can justify shelling out the cash for Abreva, then by all means, do it. Those of us that get multiple outbreaks a year will love it. Others who rarely get them needn't apply, unless the breakout is particularly brutal.

Little package with lots of punch. I get a cold sore due to a combination of stress and weather related conditions (e.g traveling in windy, cold weather) about once a year. At the very first sign, I apply this multiple times a day and it stays 1 small dot and clears in about 4 days. Without, it it'll spread to like 3-4 dots which makes it extremely noticeable and takes longer to heal.

Amazing!!!!! Every time I feel a cold sore starting to come on, this little tube saves me. Almost within hours I can feel it doing it's job and getting rid of my cold sore. I can't say enough wonderful things about Abreva.The tube is pretty small and unfortunately very expensive for the amount of cream. If you don't keep it somewhere safe you will likely lose it before you get another cold sore and you'll find yourself spending the money to get a new tube.Totally worth it!!

This stuff is amazing!Im unfortunately someone who gets blisters for as long as i can remember and this stuff has been the only thing keeping me sane. I normally have a blister that lasts two weeks, but this cut that time to one week.You can tell when this stuff is working almost immediately when you place it on your cold sore with a q-tip. I do recommend using Abreva the moment you feel a tingle on your lips for more realistic quick results.Pros- Effective and a little goes a long way.Cons- Small Packaging

Works fast, great value, must start using ASAP

I've been using Abreva for about 6 years now. There has been ups and downs, but overall Abreva is one of the best treatments for cold sores. Over the years, I've tried a couple of other topical creams, but all of them have failed or made it worse. Products such as Lysine+, Carmex, Blistex, Chapstick or any other lip balm type creams that claim to heal or help cold sores do not work for me. (You never want to use a product that doesn't eventually dry. Keeping the cold sore wet will just make it worse and risk spreading it to other areas.)A little about me: I usually only get cold sores on my lips (usually the upper lip). But I would think that if you got it somewhere on your face (where you can actually still eat normally) then you can use Abreva all the same. I get about 2-4 outbreaks a year, which is probably not one of the worse cases of the simplex virus. Still, it is annoying and embarrassing all the same. Sometimes it lasts a few days, sometimes a week. Sometimes it goes away and comes back the next day. (I just had my last outbreak on Monday, and after applying Abreva for two days, it has healed significantly today.)I'm pretty sure Abreva.com doesn't teach consumers how to use it properly (I just checked their website), so I hope this helps anyone new to Abreva or needs a few suggestions.How to use Abreva (according to 6 years of experience):1) Wash your face/infected area and pat dry with a tissue or paper towel. Don't use a reusable towel because you might forget and accidentally use the towel for something else and possibly spread it. Applying lotion or other medicines after washing the targeted area usually helps to absorb the medicine better.2) Slowly and gently squeeze out a little of the cream onto your index finger (I'll tell you why later). You don't need a lot of it because using more won't help it heal any better or faster.3) Using your index finger, gently rub the cream over and around the cold sore. If your cold sores are open and wet, try using a paper towel to gently pat it dry first. This will help prevent rubbing the nasty liquid all over your face and spreading it.4) Make sure to take your time and rub the cream into the infected area, preferably until it disappears. I've noticed that with topical creams (i.e. lotion or anti-itch cream) to make it the most effective, you have to rub it in really good and do your best to help get it inside and absorbed into the skin.5) Use the thumb on the same hand as your index finger with the cream, and gently scrape the index finger with the sharp/back part of the nail to get any cream that may have spread over your index finger (that's how to get the most of the cream. Told you I would come back to it :).)6) If you have to, squeeze a little more out and repeat steps 2-4 to get an even coat.7) You'll want to try and do this at least 3 times a day. Preferably after a meal, so that you won't have to wash your mouth any time soon after. And if you have to wash your mouth/face for any reason, repeat steps 2-4.8) Wash your hands with soap thoroughly and under the nails too.Make sure you do all of this before bed as well. While we are sleeping, our bodies do the most healing and it is the one time you don't have to worry about going out or being seen.Now I haven't tried the pump tube version of this so I can't comment on it. But I will say this. The pump probably comes in a hard plastic casing that can't be easily cut open like the squeeze tube. You will get a few more uses with the squeeze tube, which is the one I'm doing the review on.In addition to Abreva, about three years ago I found out from a friend of mines that you can also get prescription medication, in the form of pills. My friend gave me a few to try and it significantly boosted healing times and dried out the horrible outbreak I had at that time. So if you have health care, ask your doctor for treatment options as well. If you couple prescription medicine with abreva, healing times should shorten.A few other tips to follow:Do not eat tomatoes, peppers, spicy food, oranges, lemons, limes or anything citrus or oily. These foods may irritate and worsen the outbreak. You can run hot water on your sores to help dry it out. If your sores start to dry and crust over, do not peel the skin, just let it heal and fall off by itself. Do not put lip balm or any other creams on the sores. Throw away any toothbrushes, straws, lip balms you used while you had the outbreak. DO NOT share utensils, cups or anything else with anyone when you have an outbreak. Try to get lots of rest and don't stress. Stay out of the sun and extreme heat. Remember to keep smiling!Anyways, like I said earlier, it's been 6 years for me and the fight still goes on. You never quite know when you will have an outbreak. (You might get a tingle or itching sometimes, in which case you should apply it as soon as possible.) Sometimes it happens at the worse time possible, like during a vacation, the day of a wedding or date, before a job interview or any other event that requires you to go out and be seen by other people. And I know it is extremely embarrassing and sad sometimes, but it's just something that we all have to deal with. Just remember that you are not alone. And until they find a cure, Abreva will be my best bet to continue the fight. I hope that this review has been helpful and I wish you all the best.P.S. Buy it from Amazon, it's usually always cheaper than Walgreens or any other store. Plus, you don't have to go out and be seen in public.