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Hi Bug:
I hope you are avoiding arginine-rich foods: nuts, chocolate, gelatin and to a lesser extent, coconut, barley, corn, oats, wheat, pasta and brussel sprouts and eating lysine-rich foods: milk, soybeans, meat (beef and pork).
I always get a cold sore when I over-indulge in nuts and chocolate :( and it goes away fairly soon by my chugging milk.
HTH
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You 'n I are on the same wavelength! I just finished reading this info on L-lysine and how it helps diminish the herpes cold sores: http://www.smartbodyz.com/cold-sores-lysine-1.htmAlso interesting info: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-and-side-effects-of-l-lysine.htmlAnd those very same dietary recommendations you share are included. You betcha, I will avoid these trigger foods. Interesting about how the milk helps you! Fish and chicken are also good sources of lysine, and I love fish. I am going to get a bottle of L-lysine this morning and take 1,000 mg a day - see if that helps things. I have to say, after that O2 facial, my LIPS feel SO MUCH BETTER! I could barely get my mouth open wide enough for a fork just yesterday; but by last night, I could FLOSS again! ================================================== Hope40 wrote:Hi Bug:
I hope you are avoiding arginine-rich foods: nuts, chocolate, gelatin and to a lesser extent, coconut, barley, corn, oats, wheat, pasta and brussel sprouts and eating lysine-rich foods: milk, soybeans, meat (beef and pork).
I always get a cold sore when I over-indulge in nuts and chocolate :( and it goes away fairly soon by my chugging milk.
HTH
I Bug U
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Yah, the milk really does get the job done, yogurt, cheese, any dairy works for me and is easier to eat a lot of immediately than cooking meat or fish (for lazy me, at least)....good luck!!!
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Sorry, I hadn't answered it before (muddled, pox-infested mind!) but NO I have NEVER had any form of herpes cold sore before. However, ANYONE who has had childhood chicken pox is at RISK for developing a herpes cold sore from that point going forward - the REST OF ONE'S LIFE. The chicken pox virus takes up a happy home in your central nervous system. Under stress and trauma, the classic cold sores will form around the mouth/lip area, because that is linked via a direct path straight back through your head to the central nervous system. As older adults, some are prone to shingles - SAME freakin' virus - same travel path. This time, it's more common on the torso/trunk area bacause that, too, has a direct pathway to the central nervous system (which runs up our spinal column). The reason why not ALL adults sprout cold sores or present with shingles is cuz .... you guessed it, they are not stressed or traumatized to the point where that virus grabs a flag and runs, "CHARGE!" right to the skin surface to erupt into war. That's it in a nutshell, as far as I have learned. ================================================================= Amber wrote:I'm so sorry BugJune. Cruel irony that you got cold sores when you were allergic to Valtrex. I bet you'd be a lot less angry if you'd got something else in no way connected to the Valtrex.
As many people have asked - have you ever had cold sores b4?
And if not, can just childhood chicken pox cause cold sores when you're physically stressed?
Is it really the same herpes simplex virus I? You'd think we'd all have cold sores.
I Bug U
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Bugjune wrote:
However, ANYONE who has had childhood chicken pox is at RISK for developing a herpes cold sore from that point going forward - the REST OF ONE'S LIFE.
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So I guess its a good thing when kids don't get chicken pox -especially now as they have an adult vaccine for it - As I mentioned before I did not have Chicken pox as a child (I have since taken the adult vaccine for it) and so I think I am now immune to shingles and herpes cold sores too -
Hotels in Cleveland
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I'm no doc, but from the little I know a vaccine is not a 100% guarantee that the individual will not get the virus. BUT if the person did get it, the effects would be greatly diminished - like 95% - so the length and severity of the event would be far, far less. But yes, the chicken pox vaccine should help prevent chicken pox OR shingles for you. That said ... didja know that the chicken pox virus is HIGHLY contagious, airborne, and could even be caught from a person one aisle over in the grocery store? Yeah, if you wake up in a cold sweat at 3am pondering that ... you'll have company. ME. Pondering herpes. ======================================================== Larazelle wrote:
So I guess its a good thing when kids don't get chicken pox -especially now as they have an adult vaccine for it - As I mentioned before I did not have Chicken pox as a child (I have since taken the adult vaccine for it) and so I think I am now immune to shingles and herpes cold sores too -
I Bug U
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LOL. Only the 'Hungarian' part should remind you of me. But not the 'beautiful' part. When I was in Hungary, and mind you when it was a 'Socialist State', the GOVERNMENT would SUBSIDIZE a lot of the beauty spa type things. Like they opened at 7am for women to go to before work. There were a lot of them. I remember a full facial was $5. and a manicure was $1 and a full leg wax $5 and then a bunch of other treatments like mineral baths, fire hosing and mud encasement. I got a kick out of the Communist Gov subsidized facials though as they had no fancy equipment. The steaming part of the facial consisted of a BOX you STUCK YOUR HEAD IN and rigged into the box was a tea kettle steaming water through a bunch of herbal tea bags. It worked but was rather 'make shift'. Now there were also 'private' beauty parlors. Like the government let people have small businesses if they wanted and they had the face steamers that looked like microphones where you could lie back in a comfy chair and have the device oriented over your face to steam it. More comfy than sticking your head in a box rigged into a tea kettle. LOL The Hungarian women were beautiful and even when I was there, I got much better looking. The government would subsidize almost every possible thing one could use to relieve oneself of STRESS. That would include massive sports facilities that would blow even the most expensive exclusive health club in the US away, nature sanctuaries, 'sanatoriums' which were the equivalent of 'spas' for all different types of health conditions including 'nervous conditions', beauty parlors and these very cheap purple 'nyugi nyugi' pills (which means 'relax' or 'chill out and calm down') which were Valarian herb sugar coated in purple. Ironically, they ALSO subsidized alcohol and cigarettes. A big bottle of Stoli Vodka was like $5 and ciggs were 25 cents a pack. Bugjune wrote:Thanks MissJ - yes, I have read about the Lysine ointment, and I appreciate your tip about Benataine Iodine, too. Yikes indeed.
I was thinking about you during my facial yesterday. The gal was a beautiful Hungarian! She'd married a pro soccer player, had a couple of kids, moved all over Europe, then settled in the Bay Area. She says Hungarians are spa-nuts! And that they pride themselves on beautiful skin.... as hers evidenced.
I'll keep y'all posted on the steps going forward. Oooops! I TRIPPED again.
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If anybody knows of any orthopedic doctors, in Boston or Concord MA area who are conversant in FEMORAL ACETEBULAR IMPINGMENT, please let me know. Cancel above request. My hip is now too far gone. Need a total hip replacement.
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Bugjune, I occasionally get a cold sore or fever blister. I swear by lysine tablets. If I take them at the first "tingling", they don't come up. If they do come up, taking lysine will make the outbreak heal faster. I take 2000 mg a day. You can buy them at CVS.
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I wonder IF there could be some kind of allergy test to see IF someone was actually allergic to the VALTREX before it's given.
If anybody knows of any orthopedic doctors, in Boston or Concord MA area who are conversant in FEMORAL ACETEBULAR IMPINGMENT, please let me know.
Cancel above request. My hip is now too far gone. Need a total hip replacement.
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Good thinking Miss J. Hey Bugjune, it may be worth mentioning that to the manufacturers.
I am thinking of getting the shingles vaccine but am a bit nervous now I have heard Bugjune's story. I have had chickenpox but never had a cold sore. BTW if you are chewing Vit C tablets, Bugjune, swap them for the non chewable ones. They are very acidic and can give you mouth ulcers but worse, if you are unable to clean your teeth properly, will eat away at the enamel. Just a thought.
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Larazelle wrote:
So I guess its a good thing when kids don't get chicken pox -especially now as they have an adult vaccine for it - As I mentioned before I did not have Chicken pox as a child (I have since taken the adult vaccine for it) and so I think I am now immune to shingles and herpes cold sores too -
You could still get a cold sore transmitted to you from kissing, I think. Everything seems so dangerous. I wish they had had the adult vaccine for chicken pox around here twenty-odd years ago. I caught it when my immune system was suppressed by taking steroids for a serious autoimmune condition. I was in my mid-twenties - and chicken pox is vicious when you're an adult.
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So chicken pox = herpes I? Ugh, I am in the same boat, had the pox as a kid, but no cold sores ever. I thought I was OK. I had a coworker who had shingles in his mid-30s and he said it was like torture, with these horrible shooting pains with any torso movement. He had it for a long time, too, like at least a month.
Bugjune I hope you have the best skin EVER after enduring all this, that would only be fair!! Also I second Miss J's idea of an acyclovir pre-surg allergy test, even if this reaction is "rare" (quotes bec I wonder if it really is rare), because the fallout and hardships to the person are so great.
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Nyugi! Nyugi! That is going to be my new 3am mantra! Oh yeah. Perfect. Picturing green, healing auras and intoning my mantra. I could do with a coupla nyugi-nyugi pills and a bottle of Stoli right about now! But I've sworn off ALL alcohol since, well, oh, let me see ... yes, it was the day before my MixTo: May 13, 2010. Bet I've peeled off a coupla pounds in the past month just from that. ====================================== MissJ wrote:
The government would subsidize almost every possible thing one could use to relieve oneself of STRESS. That would include ... these very cheap purple 'nyugi nyugi' pills (which means 'relax' or 'chill out and calm down') which were Valarian herb sugar coated in purple. Ironically, they ALSO subsidized alcohol and cigarettes. A big bottle of Stoli Vodka was like $5 and ciggs were 25 cents a pack.
I Bug U
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Gee, people used to think I was crazy when I said I got fever blisters from eating nuts. They laughed at me! As a kid, I thought it was the salt. I still avoid nuts because of this, although didn't realize the reason they could trigger cold sores for me. The herpes virus rests at the base of the spine, sort of hibernates waiting on the right trigger to jump start it. Sun has always been the biggest trigger for me, along with nuts. Now, I finally understand the nut part. I'm not as nutty as I thought. Just read an NYT article a couple of days ago about the shingles vaccine for those over 50 (most at risk for shingles) or those who've had them (raises my hand--had 'em in my late 20's and 20 times ouch I might add) previously. Docs in the US are not recommending the vaccine as they should due to the cost and assumption most elderly cannot afford it, but there's a lasting type of neuralgia some get from shingles that I read was horribly painful for the rest of your life. I'm gonna ask about the vaccine. I've taken Valtrex MANY, MANY times with no adverse reaction, so I'm not sensitive to it and don't think I would be to the shingles vaccine.
IPL & Laser Damage Facebook PageThe greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. ~Socrates~ (I pretend to be a cat with a lime carved as a helmet on my head)  I'm no longer taking PMs. If you would like to reach me, feel free to email me: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com
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Thanks for the positive thoughts about that MixTo'd skin. IT DAMN WELL BETTER BE A PERFECT BABY'S BOTTOM. Now as for the virus question, it turns out there are several viruses in the varicella (chicken pox) - Zoster (shingles) family. You may be familiar with some of these other "siblings". Depending on what cell the virus replicates in, it will present as: - herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), which causes cold sores - herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), which causes genital herpes - Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which causes mononucleosis and retinitis (one of the leading causes of blindness!) - Epstein-Barre Virus (EBV), which causes infectious mononucleosis Nerds can read an exhaustive article on the herpes virus at: http://adam.about.com/reports/Shingles-and-chickenpox-Varicella-zoster-virus.htmI would LOVE to be allergy-tested for one of the two other acyclovir meds ... but I'm not sure it would work as a skin-patch test (commonly used to determine other food, dust, mite, etc., allergies). ================================================================== m130 wrote:So chicken pox = herpes I? Ugh, I am in the same boat, had the pox as a kid, but no cold sores ever. I thought I was OK. I had a coworker who had shingles in his mid-30s and he said it was like torture, with these horrible shooting pains with any torso movement. He had it for a long time, too, like at least a month.
Bugjune I hope you have the best skin EVER after enduring all this, that would only be fair!! Also I second Miss J's idea of an acyclovir pre-surg allergy test, even if this reaction is "rare" (quotes bec I wonder if it really is rare), because the fallout and hardships to the person are so great.
I Bug U
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To further confuse everyone: Shingles PreventionZostavax - is the vaccine used to prevent adult shingles. It is made from a weakened chicken pox strain, gelatin and neomycin. Shingles Meds to Treat OutbreaksAcyclovir - is the oldest antiviral medication for herpes. Acyclovir is available as a generic drug and is also sold under the brand name Zovirax®. It has been available since 1982 in a topical form (as an ointment) and sold since 1985 in pill form. Acyclovir has been shown to be safe in persons who have used it continuously (every day) for as long as 10 years. Valacyclovir - is a newer drug, (brand name Valtrex®), which actually uses acyclovir as its active ingredient. This medication delivers acyclovir more efficiently so that the body absorbs much of the drug, which has the advantage of taking the medication fewer times during the day. But as BUG has learned, can also be a quick route to a near-death experience, if that's what turns you on. Famciclovir - (brand name Famvir®) utilizes penciclovir as its active ingredient to stop HSV from replicating. Like valacyclovir, it is well absorbed, persists for a longer time in the body, and can be taken less frequently than acyclovir. ================================================== DCNGA wrote:
Just read an NYT article a couple of days ago about the shingles vaccine for those over 50 (most at risk for shingles) or those who've had them (raises my hand--had 'em in my late 20's and 20 times ouch I might add) previously. Docs in the US are not recommending the vaccine as they should due to the cost and assumption most elderly cannot afford it, but there's a lasting type of neuralgia some get from shingles that I read was horribly painful for the rest of your life. I'm gonna ask about the vaccine. I've taking Valtrex MANY, MANY times with no adverse reaction, so I'm not sensitive to it and don't think I would be to the shingles vaccine.
I Bug U
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That is correct. From probably a day or 2 before the blister forms until after it is GONE, you can pass along the cold sore virus by kissing, sharing utensils, cups, etc., by touching an open wound on the uninfected person. Pretty gross, eh? You might want to familiarize yourself with the aspects of spreading herpes here: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Spread-of-Herpes---How-Contagious-is-This-Disease?&id=588705Even now, the adult shingles vaccination is typically given to those over 50 (with 60 being the CDC recommended age). I wonder IF they would give it to anyone younger? ============================================= Amber wrote:
You could still get a cold sore transmitted to you from kissing, I think.
Everything seems so dangerous.
I wish they had had the adult vaccine for chicken pox around here twenty-odd years ago. I caught it when my immune system was suppressed by taking steroids for a serious autoimmune condition. I was in my mid-twenties - and chicken pox is vicious when you're an adult.
I Bug U
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Hmmm. Did you get a virus culture done, Bug? Cos I keep reading again and again that: “…cold sores cannot cause chicken pox or shingles, and chicken pox do not cause cold sores.” Cos they're caused by different herpes viruses. eg http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=303&id=1492However, “Occasionally, “shingles” caused by herpes zoster, the chicken pox virus, causes facial lesions.” eg http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/herpes_simplex/herpes_simplex.htmlAnd in the article you linked to, it said shingles can cause facial lesions occasionally. But nowhere can I see HSV-I causing cold sores. ?
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No I didn't know I could get a virus culture!! It appears all I'd need is a lesion to be active ... so I better reschedule my GP doc's app't for SOONER this coming week. That's a great idea! OW! My head is aching from all these viral twists and turns. In a nutshell (or virus-infected cell, if you prefer): - chicken pox is the varicella virus. Causes pox to appear all over the body, NOT cold sores. Is HIGHLY contagious, so that if a person with CP coughed or sneezed, it could be transmitted through the air. The infected person could then get chicken pox, not Herpes Type I. - shingles is the zoster virus, which can only exist in those who've been exposed to the chicken pox virus at some point in their lives. A blister *could* appear on the face, but more likely it'd be on the body (trunk, etc.) It is ONLY contagious if the victim has not been exposed to chicken pox yet (typically a child). The victim would then develop chicken pox, NOT shingles. If a person has already been exposed to the chicken pox virus, they will NOT get shingles from someone who has it now. They will only get shingles if they, themselves are stressed or compromised in some way so that the outbreak surfaces. - Herpes Type I is yet a 3rd type of virus in the same family. It DOES present as cold sores around the lips and mouth area. It IS contagious - but only when the fever blisters are there. It would cause Herpes Type I outbreak in its victim - NOT chicken pox or shingles. And here - from the Mayo Clinic - more info on Herpes Simplex Type I and the presentation of cold sores: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Spread-of-Herpes---How-Contagious-is-This-Disease?&id=588705I think the culture would nail it. And GOD how I wish it would show up as a pimple or something innocuous. ========================================= Amber wrote:Hmmm. Did you get a virus culture done, Bug? ... nowhere can I see HSV-I causing cold sores.
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I Bug U
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Sorry - I didn't mean to type "nowhere can I see HSV-I causing cold sores".
I meant "nowhere can I see HSV-1 being the same virus that causes chicken pox or shingles."
HSV-1 - oral herpes mostly
Varicella-zoster - chicken pox and shingles.
I'd agree - virus culture.
In the article you linked to, it said the 2nd most common site of active shingles was the *neck*. And that it could spread to the mouth. I know you said you've never had chicken pox, but I wonder if you a real mild rash as a child, which wasn't diagnosed, and in fact your neck rash AND your mouth lesions are shingles?
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