User Reviews for Abreva topical

I have cold sores 3-4 times per year and have tried all of the usual remedies to treat symptoms. Abreva is the ONLY treatment I've used that has reduced the severity of the sore and shortened the healing time. That includes carmex, campho-phenique, and the usual suspects that merely treat discomfort. Money well spent, IMO. The FDA doesn't approve drugs unless they are proven effective. Abreva is effective when used per the instructions.

You MUST use this at the very first hint of a cold sore. Wait too long, and it doesn't help. But if you use it at the right time, and use it diligently, as presecribed, your cold sore will be only a minor annoyance and heal very quickly. I usually alternate it with Releev and my cold sores are gone in about three days, with little to no pain or oozing.

Abreva is the fastest possible treatment to heal cold sores. I get them 3 times a year. It's money well spent.

Abreva has been the ONLY medication I have found to reduce the severity and length of a cold sore. Even zovirax/acyclovir do not work as good as Abreva. I am hooked on it, and as a nurse, I tell all my patients about it.

This is the first time I've used Abreva. I didn't buy it until my lips were already red. I must say this is the first time I've actually had blisters on my lips. So I tend to believe maybe the abreva made it worse. I did have side effects. My jawline & neck itched & my face appeared a little swollen. I quit applying it after 2 days. I've read great reviews on Valtrex, I think I'm going to ask my doctor to write me a scrip for that.

14 days, 2 bottles of abreva, still a active sore..thanks abreva!

I paid $18 for this at the local CVS and was not satified at all. My mother told me about carmex, which only cost $1.00 and the results were fantastic. You have to put carmex on as soon as you notice tingling, red itchey feeling or bump and the tingling, itchy and bump will go away. I would like a refund from abreva.

I have been using Abreva for over a year, and here's what I have noted: Abreva is incredibly effective, but IT ONLY WORKS IF YOU CATCH THE SORE IMMEDIATELY!!! And I mean immediately. As soon as you get the tingle, apply it! And be vigilant about applications, the first two days are very important. If a visible bump has formed, then it's too late. You might as well not bother using it, as it can actually make the sore worse. My Cold Sores typically occur when I get sick. They usually last 10 days or longer, and are hideous and painful. If I use Abreva in time, the sore never fully forms, and the remaining slight symptoms last up to five days. There is no real bump, and no scabbing! I have gotten into the habit of using Abreva every time I feel something that even resembles a Cold Sore. It's expensive, but well worth the money... if you catch the sores early. I get the feeling that most people who have negative results of this medication are not using it properly. Remeber, YOU MUST APPLY ABREVA AS SOON AS YOU FEEL EVEN THE SLIGHTEST TINGLE!!!Read More Read Less

I have found this to reduce the swelling and pain and to also speed overall healing. It's very costly, but unlike some of the other reviewers I do think it's well worth it.

I wanted to get rid of my cold sore asap so I went into the rite-aid thinking the most expensive is probably the best... WRONG.. this made my cold sore worse.. and quite frankly I am pretty pissed cause it cost like 20 dollars. If only i knew about this website sooner, I only searched this website so I can warn others about this ineffective product. My advice, save your money, buy the 2 dollar Carmex, it actually works better then this so called "FDA" approved Abreva nonsense.

i used abreva for treatment of a cold sore about a couple days after onset, and found it to be ineffecive, due to it appearing to cause more neg effects (i.e. appeared to burn into the area of the lip I applied it to, and made the lip swell and appear more red). I stopped after 2 days of using it, due to seeing the neg effects continue. I switched to using carmex lip gel and my lips appeared to react positively to it. carmex numbed the lips to help with pain, provided continious moisture, and appeared to heal it within a couple of days to 1 week. i now use carmex daily to assist with keeping my lips moistured. i personally encourage others to not use abreva and instead use carmex for treatment of cold sores. Read More Read Less

Ha! This product is bunk. I have very minimal fever blisters on occasion, and when I used the product, it burned and one blister spread (never happened before) and another one got much larger (never happened before). Suffice to say that this product made everything worse. I hope they don't come back as bad as this medication has made the ones I have now...I feel very stupid--mine weren't that bad at all. I should have left well enough alone.

I was not satisfied with this medication it does seem to make the sore more tender and swollen and makes them seem to take longer to heal then they would if I just use Carmex.

Abreva doesn't work for me. When I use this product it doesn't seem to keep my cold sores from breaking out. It actually makes the area more tender and hurt more. My lips feel terrible using Abreva.

Abreva is completely ineffective. I took a 1-day Valtrex treatment and used Abreva at the first sign of sore. After 2 days of use with no improvement, I switched to RELEEV. This seems to dry and heal the wound within 3-4 days.

It's clear Abreva doesn't work, and likely contributes to the sores' pain, duration and spread. It's also clear that the drug company itself is behind the "positive" remarks. This isn't the first time the FDA has approved a bad drug (Avandia, EPHEDRA, Crestor, Celebrex, Vioxx, etc) not the first time it's been "bought" by a drug company, and likely it's far from the last.

I have been getting cold sores since I was very young. I was always on the search for a medicine that would take them away very quickly. This medicine, I felt, only made them worse and made the sore break out even more before it would start to take it away. I was actually able to find a much cheaper and easier product that works wonders! It is the Blistex Lip Medex (in the blue tub), I had started to get a cold sore on Monday and by Wednesday it was almost completely gone!!! With the Abreva it took almost a full week for it to go away and then I would get another cold sore within the next week and Abreva is sooo expensive for such small amount of product! With the Blistex Lip Medex I use it about once an hour or if I eat I'll put it on after. It not only helps heal the cold sore and the pain but it also makes your lips feel great!! Read More Read Less

I have used this before and it worked well with the tube. the pump is very wasteful!!! at 16 dollars I want to decide how much to put on.

I had 4 outbreaks on my top lip .Purchaced the product and used as directed. The following morning my lip was swollen and the blister seemed to be bigger.Abreva doesn't seem to be helping and is a little expensive as far as over the counter remedies are.