I am curious to know if anyone else has experienced a reoccurence of coldsores/fever blisters during low carbing.

I very rarely get them and, when I do, it's in one of two spots on my upper lip. In the past few years they have only surfaced maby once a year, if that. I hit them as soon as the tingling starts with a q-tip and alcohol and they never get too bad. That's the good part!

Anyway, in the last couple months of lc'ing I have had two episodes where the coldsores have tried to re-erupt. VERY odd.

I'm wondering if the D3 supplimentation along with an increase of arginine-rich foods in the last few weeks, namely walnuts for me, have instigated the virus to raise it's ugly head?

I know that sunshine can make some folks' cs's/fever blisters erupt and I'm wondering if D3 supps can cause the same effects?

I went from eating my 'legal' servings of cheese daily (lysine-rich) to just occasionally and adding walnuts (arginine-rich) every other day or so along with the 5000IU of D3...

It makes sense from the little bit of info I could find on the subject but I would be so interested in finding out if anyone else has experienced this coldsore/lc connection?

I have somewhat recurring cold sores. I started low carb in October 2010 and did not have a cold sore until this week, i.e. 5 months. So no, my low carbing has not increased or decreased the frequency of my cold sores. I will tell you this, that I can always, always beat a cold sore by gulping L-Lysine immediately. I take about 1500ng immediately, then 1500mg a couple hours later, then about 3000 mg the next three or four days, gradually tapering off to 1000 mg daily for another four or five days. Works for me like magic.
oh by the way, I take 10,000 iu of D3 per day for the last month fwiw...I don't think the D3 had any effect on the cold sores better or worse.

Hi Deezil,

With me, cold sores are very much a stress-related thing. And, as we know , stress is very much related to magnesium...

Oddly enough, I haven't had a cold sore for a long time...

But, my husband and youngest daughter do get them and with them they also seem stress-related.

I can't offer you a cure as such, but you could try dabbing them with coconut oil the minute they appear and then try applying it as often as you can during the day.

I find that this stops the blisters from going into huge Rice Crispie monsters.

And it seems to get them to clear up more quickly, too.

I have been using coconut oil on my skin, also as a face lotion, for about three years now. Coconut oil is said to kill the herpes simplex virus, so maybe that is the other reason for my resistance to cold sores these days???

I also eat the stuff and have done this on and off for the past few years. Maybe I have actually killed the little virus off???

At any rate, this is definitely worth a try: one, the magnesium approach to help your body deal with stress better and, two, the VCO treatment to lessen the symptoms when they do arrive.

As to whether going on an LC diet worsens these things, I couldn't say. Maybe any kind of diet is a stress on the system and that could be the reason??? But, it is hopefully just a symptom of your body adjusting to the new food intake and will ease off again.

But VCO could definitely be a help. Google it and you will find tons of stuff!!!

amanda

Maybe just me but I find that walnuts can really irritate my mouth.

You know, amanda, the magnesium connection makes a lot of sense...

As you know, I've figured out that I am very deficient in mag and have been supplimenting religiously since the realization of this fact.

When I wrote the initial post I had just started D3 supps as well...perhaps the drop in my mag had something to do with the cold sores re-appearing???

Soo..extreme mag deficiency, unmasked by starting D3 supplimentation, combined with high arginine containing foods could have possibly aggravated the CS virus. Perhaps?

Have not had an issue since I've been slamming the mag & D3 and I'm still eating walnuts a few times a week. I also ingest EVCO just about every day.

Magnesium has completely enhanced my health..I will NEVER go without!

Curcumin inhibits herpes simplex virus and as one of the ways curcumin works is by acting as a vitamin d receptor ligand it would be surprising if Vitamin D encouraged herpes activation.

RESVERATROL RESTRICTS HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS FROM REPLICATING

ZINC HERPES SIMPLEX CURE?

Magensium is an ANTI STRESS mineral and I think it would be helpful when dealing with herpes to ensure magnesium levels were as high as possible.

Melatonin also may play a role. Melatonin in diseases of the oral cavity.
Regression of herpes viral infection symptoms using melatonin

As all these substances are acting on different aspect of the herpes virus I can't see why they shouldn't all be used at the same time.

I'd add vitamin D3 as well. I think the herpes virus may well be an important factor in Alzheimer's incidence and you need ALL the resources possible to keep that from recurring. The Perfect Health plan in conjunction with the above seems reasonable to me.
Alzheimer's Disease: A Pathogenetic Autoimmune Disorder Caused by Herpes Simplex in a Gene-Dependent Manner
Eleven Steps for Overcoming Alzheimer’s and Other Chronic Infectious Diseases

Sounds like a potential allergy to me--be careful with them!

TBH I feel a bit frustrated by the responses given. I have only recently been Dx with HSV-2, but it has been in my system well over 20 years (probably 30! YIKES!) and I had my first oral and terrible skin breakout 3 months ago. It has shown up 3 months in a row, the same week of the month, and this time WITH suppressive therapy. Talk about crazy. My hubs does not have it (19 years of monogamy w/out protection). Looking back on teenage years I think I had exceptionally mild symptoms -- of course *I* buck the system and "normal" HSV-2!

My point of writing is that I've been on Valtrex daily, Lysine, LC diet (chicken, spinach, and mushrooms, anyone?) and now on my 3rd month of this crud I'm breaking out yet again in my mouth, lips, eyes, shoulder, outside thigh, back of thigh, outer calf (multiple ugly spots the size of pennies), fingers, etc. Like I said, I never do things in the "normal" manner. I am under a doctor's care, know that I have HSV-2 and Hubs is free of HSV-2 (he was tested after I got my results). It's Crazy!

What specifically do you eat to handle the sores in your mouth and on your lips (and in the case of HSV2, during elimination)? Even fast food places? I ask because I'm the mom in this family and I can't even make my family dinner! It is so discouraging. Day to day living with this, I manage. But food is a BIG challenge. So many meals have spices that are vicious to my mouth sores. Even salad dressing can be painful. Sweet (like LC yogurt) or LC ice cream is a challenge.

Thanks for any input. I'll send my hubby or adult daughter to purchase items AND to make things for me. It's time for me to REST and get better!!

Thanks for your ideas,
Glacier