Large spot: The redness is not centered around a specific spot. Intense dryness can extend beyond the lip with irritation, pain and possibly splitting or bleeding. If this is the case, you probably have chapped lips. Underneath the scab, healing of the sore takes place. As your scab shrinks, it may leave you with painful cracks that are prone to bleeding.
You may also experience itching and burning. Let the scab fall off naturally. As your scab starts to come off, you may notice some dry flaking and residual swelling. Your skin may also remain slightly pink or red. If your cold sore persists for longer than 10 days, consult your healthcare professional for advice. You are now leaving Sensodyne site and moving to an external website independently operated and not managed by GSK. Scroll down to explore more. Swipe to explore the coldsore stages.
In this case, just skip the missed dose and continue with your next one as normal. Taking too much aciclovir by accident is unlikely to harm you, unless you take too much over several days. Like all medicines, aciclovir can cause side effects in some people, although not everyone gets them.
These common side effects happen in more than 1 in 10 people who take aciclovir tablets or liquid. Keep taking the medicine, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist, if these side effects bother you or do not go away:.
The cold sore cream is generally very safe and less than 1 in people experience any side effects. Keep using the medicine, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist, if these uncommon side effects bother you or do not go away:. In rare cases, aciclovir can cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis. Speak to your doctor, who'll be able to explain the benefits and the risks of taking aciclovir when pregnant.
For more information about how aciclovir can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet on the best use of medicines in pregnancy bumps website. Talk to your doctor if you want to breastfeed while taking aciclovir.
They can advise you on what's best for you and your baby. Some medicines can affect the way aciclovir tablets or liquid work. They can also make you more likely to get side effects. If you're using aciclovir cream on your skin, this is less likely to react with other medicines. It's important to tell your doctor if you take any of the following medicines before taking aciclovir:. There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements while taking or using aciclovir. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements.
If you're not feeling better after you finish your prescribed course of aciclovir, tell your doctor. If your genital herpes sore is not better after 5 days, you can use the cream for another 5 days. If the infection gets worse at any time or the sore still has not healed after 10 days, speak to your doctor. If your cold sore has not healed after 4 days, you can carry on using the cold sore cream for another 5 days.
If your cold sore still has not healed after this or it gets worse at any time, stop using the cream and speak to your doctor. Some people feel dizzy when taking aciclovir tablets or liquid. This may make it more difficult to concentrate and react. If you have been prescribed aciclovir for genital herpes, do not have sex until all your sores or blisters have healed. Aciclovir will not stop your contraception working. This includes the combined pill and emergency contraception.
But if aciclovir makes you get sick or have severe diarrhoea 6 to 8 watery poos in 24 hours for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Find out what to do if you're on the pill and you're being sick or have diarrhoea. Page last reviewed: 8 July Next review due: 8 July Aciclovir including Zovirax On this page About aciclovir Key facts Who can and cannot take aciclovir How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.
About aciclovir Aciclovir or acyclovir is an antiviral medicine. It treats infections caused by the herpes virus herpes simplex , including: cold sores genital herpes Your doctor may prescribe aciclovir to prevent you getting these infections if you have had them before or you have a weak immune system. It's sometimes given by injection, but this is usually only done in hospital.
Start taking aciclovir as soon as you get the first signs of infection. For most infections, you should start to feel better after taking aciclovir for a few days. For cold sores, valacyclovir is usually taken in two large doses of 2, mg, split 12 hours apart from each other.
Like with other outbreaks of HSV, valacyclovir will speed up the speed at which cold sores heal, but it can still take seven to 10 days for them to fully disappear. From cold sores to genital herpes, acting quickly helps you treat and control a herpes outbreak in the shortest amount of time.
For this reason, most doctors recommend using valacyclovir in the first hours after noticing a cold sore or other herpes blister developing. Read about others here. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. For many, a tight and itchy sensation on or around the lips is what typically indicates the first stage of a cold sore. But with Zovirax you could be cold sore free in 3 days. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus HSV-1 , and for the majority of people it remains inactive throughout their lives.
Learn more about how to identify common triggers so you can avoid them and reduce the occurrence of cold sores. Zovirax contains aciclovir, an antiviral, which penetrates deep into the skin to fight the virus which causes cold sores. Be kinder to yourself and tougher on your cold sores with Zovirax. Find out how you could be cold sore free in 3 days. AVO: One of the worst things about a cold sore is how it can make you feel.
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