Generic Zovirax
Acyclovir 200/400/800mg

Zovirax

Cold sores sometimes seem to strike with almost no warning. You feel a little irritation on your lips - a slight tingling sensation - and the next thing you know you have an unsightly, painful cold sore. You don't want it there, of course; it’s a sure way to ruin your chances at getting kissed, spoil the fun of eating a good meal and cause a lot of unnecessary misery.  In a perfect world, there would a way to avoid cold sore outbreaks completely... but this is not likely to happen any time soon. However, current medical advances are doing the next best thing: making the sores go away as soon as possible. Two of the top cold sore medications currently available for use are Abreva & Zovirax. Though neither of the drugs is a perfect solution, both offer positive benefits.

The good news and the bad news for Abreva is basically the same: it is an excellent preventative measure. If you are lucky enough to notice the beginning of a sore on your lips (even if it’s just a slight reddening), you can place a small amount of it on the area and expect that the sore will subside before it’s really even developed. A secondary benefit is the price. It sells in the drugstores for about twenty dollars; that may not sound like a steal, but when you compare it to other remedies offered and how potentially effective it is, paying so much for a 0.7 gram tube isn’t really that bad. Thirdly, Abreva is available over the counter, meaning you don’t have to wait for a doctor’s appointment to get it; you just need to visit the drugstore around the corner.

However, the bad news is that it is a great preventative measure… and nothing else. If you attempt to use Abreva on a cold sore that is in full bloom, you are likely to find that you’ve wasted your time. It doesn’t do much to stop an outbreak once it has begun.

Zovirax (or generically, aciclovir) is a little bit different. First, there is the most important fact to consider: Zovirax works. And, not just as a preventative aid, similar to Abreva – in works on any cold sore, in any stage. Even after you lips have blistered and popped, the prescription drug will help you heal. It has been demonstrated to heal a cold sore in less than 3 days – a huge accomplishment, given that many cold sores last more than a week. The downside to Zovirax is that it is expensive. This is primarily due to the way regulation is set within the United States. A pharmaceutical company is allowed to hold a patent over drugs for seven years. During that time, no one else is allowed to make a generic form. Once the seven years has passed, the drug formula becomes available to everyone and generic pills can be sold at a highly discounted rate. Unfortunately for cold sore sufferers, Zovirax remains patented for now, so there is no generic version. The price is high, then: $120 for a 5 gram tube. You will need to think of a purchase as an investment (or a deposit down on a pain-free mouth).

Both of these drugs are helpful in their own way and if you a frequent sufferer, you should consult a doctor to determine which treatment course will be best for you. You can also make changes to your daily life to avoid the sores, including eating healthy foods and getting plenty of exercise. Also try to avoid stress, as that can lead to an outbreak as well.