User Reviews for Abreva topical

My (very) occasional cold sore was healed in 2 days. The sore almost disappeared after one day and lip swelling never occurred. I find this product amazing, though I realize it might not work for everyone. The pump is horrible. It pumps out way too much ointment for each use. I semi-cured this by pulling the pump nozzle head off and depressed the exposed stem ever-so-slightly with my thumb nail. Took a little getting used to, but worked much better for dispensing the proper amount. I will definitely buy the little tube next time because, at a relative price of $314 per ounce, you don't want to waste this!Read More Read Less

Had a very severe problem with my throat in the larinx area. Like a very dry sensation.

I get small lip cold sores 3-4 times/year. Abreva was suggested by the local pharmacist. I tried it at the first sign of my next outbreak, but it had little or no affect. In fact, I applied it 5 times per instructions, on a single spot, but the next morning I had 5 more spots around the original outbreak. My outbreaks are usually small, but this time I had multiple outbreaks. Did the Abreva promote the spreading? Who knows. I continued to use it. Healing still took 2 weeks. Waste of $20 in my opinion.Read More Read Less

There is no doubt that this product helps limit the size of the cold sore and speeds up the healing time. The key is to put it on early and often and rub it in thoroughly. Also - you have to clean up the area before each use. I use a folded up piece of paper towel to remove the previous application, then rub in the new one. The little pump applicator is awful - really wasteful - so if there is another type of package I would go with that.

If you show signs of a cold sores, rub the Abreva in ASAP. It does reduce the size and discomfort of it more than when it has already blistered. Cold sores are never fun, and I agree with the one reviewer who said no matter what, cold sores have a life-cycle of 10 days! Suggestion: don't get the pump... it's tough to control how much you pump out and it usually pumps too fast and you end up wasting a lot of it! Good luck and try to push through for a week and a half!

I have tried other OTC medications for cold sores but Abreva is the only one that has worked for me. Usually if I use it on the very on start of a blister, the blister doesn't even appear.

Ice it the first day.Abreva made my cold sore stay small and go away in 6 days.My cold sores normally last 10 days.I would use again!!

if you actually read the studies you realize that this product is generally NOT WORTH PURCHASING... the reason: According to their own research, this product heals a cold sore ONLY six hours faster than NOT using it. It is bunk.

I had a small blister, then applied Abreva, which contrary to its description actually seemed to spread the sores to other locations(probably during the application). I kept using it and applied it liberally for a whole day (luckily was at home). It did dry out the blister. I have used Zovirax in the past, and had much better results.

Abreva does not work. If you think it does; it is all in your head. Best thing to do is ice it as often as you can. This helps keep the cold sore from getting much bigger. Cold sores always last about 10 days whether or not you use Abreva. The one medication that does help is Zovirax. It is quite expensive though and not OCT. This is what I use and it does what Abreva is supposed to but does not. Ironically, made by the same company. I was not going to give it any stars but had to in order to be able to post comment.Read More Read Less

I am 40 and have only recently had any cold sores, just 3. I cut my lip a few years ago and got a MRSA infection and either got herpes from the same thing that cut my lip or got herpes in the horrible, ulcerated infection that took almost a year to completely heal and left a scar. I hate it, who gets cold sores that late in their life? anyway, Abreva does work very well if you put it on before the actual blister appears. I think it still speeds the healing even if you put it on later, by reducing the blistering stage, but seem to make the scabbing stage worse, which looks bad. Abreva cannot spread the infection, you can only spread the infection. You are only supposed to put the medication on the immediate area because it can cause problems to healthy skin. If you already have a sore you need to keep everything very clean, do not use the same applicators, towels or cloths on your sore that you use elsewhere, use only disposable items or wash the items you use and keep your lips very hydrated so you have no small cracks for the virus to enter and keep bandaids on wounds, especially while you sleep, oh and don't touch your eyes. Herpes spreads very readily during an outbreak. Read More Read Less

The pharmacist recommended using abreva as soon as I noticed the first signs of a cold sore. I was told that this medication is very good and works quickly. 7 days later it is no better and has not yet healed. No beneficial results for an expensive drug. Don't waste your money.

The Abreva makes sure that the cold sore isn't visible only if you catch it just before you can see it. And even then the cold sore makes my lip huge. It takes about 2 weeks for it to go away. The pump is a huge mess and a waste of money. If my lip is already getting fat and I put a ton of it on, the Abreva makes sure that my lip doesn't get much bigger.

I am a pharmacist who has been getting cold sores all of my life and it usually takes 7-10 days to heal with embarrasing blisters/crusting. Zovirax Ointment never helped and sometimes made it worse. So I decided to try Abreva with two cold sores about to explode, the I applied it every 2 hours and the colds sore didn't spread, no blisters, no crusting, and best of all, not unsightly. It's now healing after 6 days.

I went to the doctor and was told I had Perioraldermitis and was given a percription that did not help and made my face worse. Tried this product and in 3 applications my face started to clear up! I am so glad I tried Abreva!!

I had a cold sore, went to my local CVS- I saw many products ranging in price from $1.99 to Abreva's $19.99. Well, I thought 'you must get what you pay for here' so I got the Abreva 'pump'- first of all the pump squirts out more than you can control so you lose it faster this way having to wipe excess from your finger. So you can't control the pump and that equals dollars. Well, I had to buy 3 of $20 dollar tubes of Abreva and still the cold sore wasn't gone? I have now purchased another product but I have used another product that was on the market last year it was a 'brown' ointment.. but I can't remember the name but it 'REALLY' worked. Abreva you are ripping us off at $20 per tube. Please this should be no more than $5.99 at most.Read More Read Less

mouth swelling

I believe Abreva helped the cold sore heal a little faster, but my complaint is with the pump disppenser. Maybe it was just the one I purchased, but too much product came out each time because the pump was a bit hard to press down on and when you did more came out than you could possibly use. Considering it's not cheap, I feel it is a waste of money. Try to improve on this!

First time outbreak, and I have blisters on my face. Abreva helped a little bit with some of them. I applied too much too often. Now I have folliculitis.