CPAP and Cold Sores

Just wondering if anyone else has had problems with cold sores since starting on CPAP? I have more cold sores since I started CPAP than I have had in the prior past 10 years...

Are you washing your mask regularly?

I admit I don't clean mine very often, but with cold sores I would be very diligent about cleaning it to make sure I wasn't reinfecting myself.

Those cold sores that you might had for years flare out when you get stressed and when the skin on the Dermatome (see below) gets rubbed. In those situation the Herpes Simplex Viruses which are usually kept inside the nerves ganglia near your spine creep out along the nerve to get some "fresh air" on the skin. The lesions are usually confined to same skin Dermatome around the body in which you were originally infected. Be it around the lips and face from kissing or around the genitalia from something else. You can't get rid of this syndrome. But you can treat it.

When you feel it's erupting, taking 5 Acyclovir 200 mg capsules, at one time, should make it go away faster than usual. Few days instead of weeks.

Another approach is to take one capsule as above each day. This method could take care of eruptions even for years.

My Dermatologist and myself have proofs that this prophylactic approach works! I take a one 200 mg Acyclovir capsule daily and b/c of it have no more than 2 outbreaks a year. If I was having those lesions on my face interfering with the CPAP mask I would spread Zovirax ointment or cream on them and put the mask on as usual.

As to the issue of re-infecting one self:

"The only herpes transmission risk you need to be concerned about is transmission of your oral HSV-1 to other people. And as long as you avoid kissing or performing oral sex on someone while you're having an oral outbreak, that's really not a concern either. Your own immune response protects you from autoinoculation; that is why the phenomenon is pretty much seen only with the initial infection, i.e. before the immune response to the virus is mature."

Also, check here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002300

I found this on the Mayo Clinic website:


Prevention
You can take steps to guard against cold sores, to prevent spreading them to other parts of your body or to avoid passing them along to another person. Cold sore prevention involves the following:

■Avoid kissing and skin contact with people while blisters are present. The virus can spread easily as long as there are moist secretions from your blisters.
■Avoid sharing items. Utensils, towels, lip balm and other items can spread the virus when blisters are present.
■Keep your hands clean. Wash your hands carefully before touching another person when you have a cold sore.
■Be careful about touching other parts of your body. Your eyes and genital area may be particularly susceptible to spread of the virus.
■Avoid triggers. If possible try to avoid or prevent conditions that stress your body, such as getting a cold or the flu, not getting enough sleep, or staying in the sun for long periods of time without applying sunblock.
■Use sunblock. Apply sunblock to your lips and face before prolonged exposure to the sun — during both the winter and the summer — to help prevent cold sores.

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I usually get a cols oure on my nose onec or twice a year. It happens eather right before, during or right after I get sick. It has not been a problem for the past few years as when I feel it comming on I put an over the counter ointment on it (the name eludes me right now) and it goes away in a day or two. Not this time, it flared up and lasted over a week (it is just going away now) and was also pritty big. I to am woundering if maby wearing my cpap mask maby made it worse.

I used to have outbreaks on my lips (lovely) until I learned I must take 250-500 mgs L-lysine daily (herpes expression is compromised in a high lysine environment, arginine promotes outbreaks). Now, if I forget to wear lip sunscreen the few times I'm in the sun and I get that characteristic itching. I grab my prescription Denavir cream and apply it ASAP along with taking 2-3 grams of L-lysine/day...the durn cream is expensive but it has no taste & works faster than anything else I've tried.

Ya know anything that stresses the skin can cause an outbreak, so it might be that air blowing across your lips are stressful. Try some lip balm & be sure to rub it outside the lip line so that skin is protected from air currents. Personally, I like Badger's cocoa butter lip balms...not so easy to find but great products. I love the coffee and orange flavors...not overly. They last throughout a 9 or even 10-hr sleep session.

I use the CPAP off and on ( because of other allergic reactions I didn't use continually) for about a month; during that time, I had a succession of 3 cold sores = a new one about every week. I washed the mask, etc. every day after use.

marnie wrote:I use the CPAP off and on ( because of other allergic reactions I didn't use continually) for about a month; during that time, I had a succession of 3 cold sores = a new one about every week. I washed the mask, etc. every day after use.

Once you have it - you have it. You don't re infect yourself because it is always there in your body. Stress makes it break out. Maybe the stress of not using it is causing it to happen.

Muse-Inc, I sent you a PM.

Where has Muse been? I haven't seen her post in a long time. Hope she's OK...

And I've had only one cold sore since I started CPAP 17 months ago, after decades of taking the antivirals every few months! Another OSA-related malady, sleeping stress-related cold sores to add to my problem list that I never thought apnea was the culprit.

Since starting cpap, my cold sores have reduced to a small fraction of what I previously suffered.
I keep my Rx for 500 mg valacyclovir filled in case I feel tenderness or tingling, which usually heralds a flareup.
I take three tablets at 12 hour intervals, and it has been quite effective.
In the last 3 years, only a handful have gotten through, and they have mostly been quite minor.
The worst one prevented me from wearing nasal pillows for one night (different mask worn that night)
I avoid kissing and other things until the boo boo is gone.