Lysine for Cold Sores
Unfortunately for my daughter and I we both suffer with cold sores... for her it seems to be worse. Last night she complained of a tingle and I remember the last outbreak being so bad that this time I was going to be uber persistant about trying to stop this virus in its tracks! I had 1000 mg tablets in the cupboard and gave her half of one before bed as well as dousing the area in Iodine and Zovirax! This morning she has woken up and the lession has certainly not progressed further. Very pleased indeed. Looking forward to the sugar restrictions over the next week/s! Sugar certainly aggravates and can even trigger an attack!
Lysine and arginine are two amino-acids. Amino-acids bind themselves together to form proteins. They are often quoted together because they have a negative relationship. In theory, the more lysine and the less arginine, the better. Research suggests that a high lysine/low arginine ratio prevents herpes from replicating.
Foods high in lysine and foods to avoid:
Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products are very rich in lysine. Vegetarians can find vegetable foods containing some like corn, brewer’s yeast and sauerkraut. The best food for lysine is plain low-fat yogurt. It has the highest levels of lysine for the lowest levels of arginine. Kefir is also a wonderful source of Lysine.
Avoid chocolate, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, soya, oats, wheat and sugar. These are high in Arginine and certainly aggravate symptoms.
Lysine Herpes Dosage for Prevention:Proper dosage may vary from person to person, but according to research, it should range from 500 mg to 1000 mg, 1 to 3 times daily. Please ask your doctor. I personally give my 7 year old daughter 500mg twice a day at the first signs of an outbreak. I also dab Iodine onto it and apply Zovirax thickly over the top once it has dried. She does'nt like the yellow staining from the Iodine and you can get decolourised Iodine but I dont think it works as well. More on Iodine in another post...
Lysine Creams and Ointments for Cold Sores:Many ointments are available on the market, but lysine efficiency has been studied only as an oral supplement. Therefore, there is no scientific data backing the use of such ointments. However, you may want to try applying lysine cream on your cold sores or fever blisters especially if they tingle a lot. Some people have reported these ointments can have a soothing effect. They come either in lipstick, lip balm or cream. Try to use ointments that have other ingredients than lysine as well as, such as essential oil or grapefruit, vitamin A, C and E and zinc. Also supplementing with Multivitamins C and Zinc will help. These should be included in your daily regime anyway.
Side effects:
Some side effects might appear with a very high dosage (10 g). They consist mainly of nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. In one case, a 44 year old woman developed Franconi’s syndrome, manifested as tubulo-intersistial nephritis, after taking 3000 mg of lysine per day for 5 years.
Lysine and pregnancy:
Lysine supplementation is generally not recommended during pregnancy and breast feeding because there is no data proving its safety during pregnancy. Tell your doctor that you’re taking lysine if you’re pregnant or considering having a baby.
Lysine and children:
Children need three to four times more lysine than adults. They should be getting it from their food. The medical literature has not reported any adverse effects specifically related to the use of lysine in children. However there is no sufficient information available regarding the use of lysine supplements in children. Do not give any supplement to a child without first talking to your childs doctor first.
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