My son has been getting frequent cold sores since September...we've had 7 of them since September...they're about every 3 weeks, and there's no triggers that we can find. Dr says it's just bad luck and that his immune system is just trying to figure out how to fight it. But, in the mean time, I can't exactly close down daycare when he has one. They last about 5 days with the help of abreva, and we handwash a lot during the outbreak. I'm at the point of considering suppressive therapy with an antiviral like acyclovir, but I also feel like the main reason I'm thinking of it is because of my daycare...not because my son is bothered by them. He's 5, and the only thing that bugs him is me bugging him every hour putting some kind of cream or ointment on him.

What are your thoughts?

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One thing that can cut down on the frequency of cold sores is upping his vitamin C. There are a ton of ways to do that. A glass of OJ in the am, a chewable vitamin C a day...adding bell peppers and other C rich foods to his diet...I sneak it in any way I can.

Herpecin is another over the counter cream, and it works well on my cold sore kiddo. He seems to get them more in the winter, and more when it's super dry out.

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Thanks...we're wondering if its because of the weather as well. It just started this Fall as it started getting cooler out. He gets them every 3 weeks since september, and we have tried everything short.of prescription meds to prevent them. He wears herpecin chapstick and we throw it out after he heals from a cold sore. He is on a multivitamin with a vitamin c supplement already. He isn't bothered at all, and the pediatrician just.says "its bad luck" that he gets them so often. He was just infected last December and had a full blown gingivistomatitis infection for over a week. That was when we learned he may have cold sores all his life. But the average person's outbreaks are muchless frequent

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Do you throw his toothbrush away right after a cold sore? He could be reinfecting himself with something. (pencils at school..anything he's touching his mouth with)

Lysine helps too, if he can swallow those, they are pretty big.

Vit C.

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We wash his toothbrush in dishwasher every week. I don't think he has his own pencils or anything at school. Its all shared. We do lysine, 500 mg daily. I buy the capsules so I can break it open into his morning milk. he had that primary outbreak and then NOTHING for like 9 months. He got dehydrated with a stomach bug, and then got a cold sore. I wasn't concerned, but its the frequency that has me bothered now. He hasn't had a cold or anything since september, so its not like he is not well...he just keeps getting cold sores every few weeks. Most people experience a few a year at most...7 in 3 months is just ridiculous. I hate using prescription drugs for stuff unless its absolutely necessary, but I am wondering if that's the only option left. Sorry...this has turned more personal than about daycare, but I just want to know my kid's frequent outbreaks are not so rare. I am a worrier, so when I am faced with it every few weeks, I am faced with worry again.

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Start giving him a probiotic for kids. You can find it in a health food store in the fridge (has to be refridgerated). Cold sores are an immune response and it means your child is fighting off infection. Instead of getting a worse virus/infection he gets a cold sore. They always come out when the immune system is lowered. Probiotics are the bodies natural way of killing off infection and keeping the body healthy. Sometimes we get low on them because of anitbiotics which can be found everywhere including toothpaste and hand soap.

I buy the powder form for my daughter and stir it into her applesauce, smoothies or yogurt. This year all of the kids have been on antibiotics for infections except my daughter. I swear by it!!

I should also add that if I drink too much orange juice or take too much vitamin C I will get one. It's the strangest thing!!

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Already do probiotics AND yogurt daily. His started in September when preschool started. One thing I was considering was hormones in the milk he drinks at preschool. He has always had hormone free , simply because we buy wal-mart's brand which is hormone free. The school at milk is NOT hormone free. I know its a long shot, but I just am grasping at straws. He hasn't had a cold, strep, or ANYTHING since he started preschool...just the cold sores. So its possible he is fighting all the other germs, leaving the cold sores open and his immune system just isn't fighting it off. I just get frustrated because.I have tried so many different things and every time one pops up, its like back to the drawing board. Antivirals is the only thing left unless its an allergy...but nothing has changed in his diet aside from the milk.

Still open to suggestions...gotta explain it to the daycare parents again tomorrow since the current one is in the weeping stage today...sigh

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I second the lysine. Helps it clear up quick! The one I had last week was the quickest healing outbreak I've ever had. I kept it try with rubbing alcohol and also upped my vitamin c.

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Give his Pediatrician another call.

There are known immune issues that can cause this as well as Herpes Simplex. Stress and lack of sleep can make it happen more often (like the recent holidays).

The Ped may run a couple tests and recomend a better course of treatment.

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CAt-We have asked the ped to look at immune system testing...he says it's just not necessary, and will be costly. He says he is healthy in every other way, and that this is just an immature immune system given his age. Both pediatricians I have spoke to say the same thing, as well as the dermatologist that I took him to. I think if he was having immune system problems, he'd be sick with more things too. Like even frequent colds, coughs, etc. He's had NOTHING since September...even with sick daycare kids in the house and attending preschool, and sisters that bring home germs from elementary school. I've had colds, sisters have had colds...he's had NOTHING. So he's fighting that stuff off...just not the cold sores. Possibly because it's still such a new virus to his system. Just wish they'd stop!

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Lysine. I see someone else mentioned it. I used to get them all the time, usually stress or food related. Not any more.

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I tried something with him for 4 months. After his last breakout i switched to organic milk and started him on that..well just a week or so ago we ran out and i started giving him reg milk again...sure enough this morning he wakes up with a cold sore. I think it has to do with the MILK. Switch to organic its worth the money!

Hope this helps.

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I used to get them 2-3x per year. Haven't gotten one night about 5 yrs (???). I LOVED Lysine sold in cream form by caleb laboratories, made in MN I think. I have googled it before and been able to buy it otherwise our local cub foods was able to order it at the pharmacy. Always made them disappear within 1-2days when without they would last 10days.

Call your dentist. Maybe they can help. Mine was very helpful. Does he have lots of mouth stretching (like lots of growing/jaw or teeth expanding), that can cause flare ups.

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I ran across your post when looking for a solution for my 5 year old son's cold sore problem. His issues are extremely similar to yours. First got gingivostomatis, then a really bad cold sore and now he keeps getting one almost monthly. Here is the solution that works for us. Coconut oil. I cook with it and use it as a moisturizer. I put it on his lip as soon as I noticed he was getting one and it worked wonders. The cold sore never got really bad like before, it hasn't cracked or bled. I just keep putting it on throughout the day. Make sure you buy cold pressed, unrefined and extra virgin. The brand I bought is Kelapo. Trust me, it works. We are on day 3 of his outbreak and seriously the two spots on his lip look more like day 7 or 8 with just using Chapstick, Vaseline and neosporin.

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Hi

My son, who just turned 3, got his first cold sore a month ago. Since then he has got 3 more outbreaks in just one month. I can see that your child also got many of them. I'm devastated and trying everything from vitamins, Lysine, herbs, probiotics, lemon balm etc. Did anything work for you?

Best Regards, Kristine

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I know this is an old thread, but it is my first time reading it. If a child shows up with a cold sore, should they be excluded until the sore is gone?

I had never thought about it until reading this.

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I just want to second the coconut oil as a treatment...it is amazing! As someone who use to get them all the time, using coconut oil has been a life saver!

As for excluding from care, it is really up to you, but I would not. I guess I am just so used to them and how to keep from spreading them, that it wouldn't be a big deal to me, but I would say that the age of the child may be dependent on that. Young kids who are still putting things in their mouths a lot may be harder to keep under control, but so far, the youngest age I have experienced them with was 6, so she was very capable of washing hands and keeping her hands out of her mouth.

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I don't. The schools here don't.

As with any condition I monitor the child and make sure hands and toys are kept clean. I already have a "no kissing" policy so that covers that.

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I wouldn't exclude either. To me cold sores are about as serious as a common cold.

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I would exclude a child if I had an infant in my care. My 7 mo old has HSV1 but she gets the lesions on her eye. She has corneal scarring on her eye and could/will become blind if she keeps having reoccurances over her life time. It's rare but it's serious.

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