You know when you start to feel that tingling sensation on your lip, you will have a cold sore within the next 24 hours. What do you do? You apply your usual antiviral cream, lysine, or take some other kind of herpes medication to stop the herpetic eruption, only to have it pop out again a couple of months later due to a major stress in your life or menstrual period. You start the whole process all over again, using the antiviral medication etc.

Did You Know You Can Take a Homeopathic Remedy for Your Cold Sore?

After taking one dose of the homeopathic remedy, the tingling and burning sensation would be less intense, and your cold sore would be healing up. When you take a homeopathic remedy for cold sores, you address the cold sore symptoms, not suppressing the eruption as do antiviral medications and lysine. For instance, when your cold sore has a tingly sensation that feels better when you apply a cold compress on it, you may need the homeopathic remedy Natrum Muriaticum 200c. After taking one dose of Natrum Muriaticum 200c, the tingling sensation will be less intense. In some cases, it could be completely gone by the next morning. Your cold sore will continue to heal up, and in most cases, disappear within the next day or 2. Homeopathy can treat your cold sores 1 step further and completely address them with a 6c homeopathic remedy for why you keep developing cold sores.

What Is a Cold Sore?

A cold sore is a cluster of tiny fluid-filled blisters that can have a burning and tingling sensation, usually appearing on and around your lips. The blisters break open and eventually scab over and heal up in 2 to 3 weeks, either on their own or when using antiviral medications. A cold sore can also occur on your mouth, nose, and eyes. Cold sores are often called fever blisters or oral herpes and come from the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV).

2 Types of Herpes Simplex Viruses

There are 2 types of herpes simplex viruses that can cause cold sores. Herpes Simplex -1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex-2 (HSV-2). Both viruses can cause sores on your lips and genitals. Herpes Simplex -1 usually causes cold sores, and Herpes Simplex -2 mostly causes genital herpes. Whether you get cold sores on your lips or herpes on your genital area, they are all in the same category called Herpes Simplex.

Herpes Simplex (Cold Sores and Genital Herpes) Symptoms

Cold sores, in most cases, are on the outside of your mouth and lips; however, you can also get them on your nose, cheeks, and eyes. Whereas genital herpes occurs on the vaginal area, penis, scrotum and can occur on thighs too. Cold sores and genital herpes tend to reoccur in the same area. Both cold sores and genital herpes come out in stages. When you take a homeopathic remedy during any of the stages, you will be able to stop the cold sore or herpes from going through all of the stages with one or two doses of the selected remedy.

Herpes Occurs in Stages

The sores follow the same stages, whether you have a herpetic eruption on your lips, mouth, nose, or genital area.

1. You have tingling, burning, or itching sensation in the beginning stage.
2. About 12 to 24 hours later, a blister or a cluster of small blisters form as one blister comes out. The area becomes red, swollen, painful and the blister(s) fill up with fluid on your mouth, lips, or genital area.
3. The blisters break open, and the watery, sticky fluid oozes out. The blister is in this stage for 2 or 3 days.
4. The sore crusts over eventually form a scab. Sometimes the sore cracks open and bleeds.
5. The last stage is when the scab falls off. Then it takes 1-2 weeks to heal completely.

Other Genital Herpes Symptoms (male and female)

• Flu-like symptoms, including fever
• Swollen glands
• Pain in the legs, thighs
• A change in vaginal discharge
• Headache
• Painful or difficulty in peeing
• Burning sensation while having intercourse
• A feeling of pressure in the area below the stomach

What Causes a Herpes Outbreak?

Genital Herpes Case Scenario – Alice (my client) called to tell me that a herpetic eruption had come out on her genital area. I asked her if she had ever had herpes before? “Yes,” she replied, but it was a long time ago with my ex-partner. I went on, asking her more questions to help select a homeopathic remedy. She stated she has been feeling very frustrated and stressed out with work the last few weeks. She said we are short of help at work, and the boss has been expecting me and my co-workers to pick up the slack of 3 other people out of the office on top of our workload. Alice described the eruption as a few clusters of white bumps. The eruption burns when she pees, and the area feels better with a cold compress. I had my client take the homeopathic remedy Natrum Muriaticum 200c (1-3 pellets) every night until the burning started to lessen. She repeated Natrum Muriaticum when the burning sensation increased, or the eruption came to a standstill, approximately 2-3 days later. After taking one dose of Natrum Muriaticum 200c, Alice reports that the burning sensation lessened, and she needed to repeat a second dose of Natrum Muriaticum 2 days later. The eruption eventually went away a couple of days later. The virus lays dormant in the nerve cells in your skin until your immune system becomes weakened by some stress in your life.

Common Triggers that Can Bring on a Herpes Outbreak

• Stress (i.e., relationships, work, financial)
• Viral infection, fever, or a cold
• Hormonal changes, such as those related to menstruation
• Fatigue
• Allergies
• Exposure to sunlight, including sunburn and wind
• Changes in your immune system
• Injury to the skin
• Some foods (i.e., salt, chocolate)

How Often Do Cold Sores and Genital Herpes Occur?

Herpes Simplex-1 and 2 are both spread to the face or genitals through close contact, such as kissing, along with shared eating utensils, razors, and towels. Genital herpes usually is transmitted through sexual contact. Herpes can also be transmitted to the fetus during delivery. The virus is contagious when the eruption is open and oozing. They say the virus can also spread when you don’t have any blisters.

Cold sore outbreak often occurs within 14-20 days after contracting the virus from an infected person. Sometimes the first outbreak will not occur until months or years after contracting the virus. As for genital herpes, the outbreak can be seen 2 to 12 days after exposure. The sore commonly appears near where the virus entered your body. According to Allopathic Medicine, there’s no cure for cold sores, but homeopathic remedies can address both types of Herpes Simplex. It will take some time to address them completely. Cold sores can be helped when you take a homeopathic remedy acutely for the outbreak. However, to completely address cold sores, you want to have a complete case history taken to select a 6c homeopathic remedy for why you have developed herpes. There are stresses in your life that cause the cold sores to erupt again—mental and emotional stress such as shame in having the herpetic eruption in relationships and guilt.

Genital Herpes can Cause Mental and Emotional Upset

One of the consequences of having genital herpes is the mental and emotional effects of having herpes. I often see clients have recurring outbreaks come on from 1 of the following emotions:

• Feel embarrassed or ashamed
• Worry about infecting a sexual partner
• Worry that having herpes will affect relationships with sexual partners
• Avoid dating or sexual relationships

In cases like this, I am selecting a homeopathic remedy to address the mental and emotional feelings from time to time, when the well-chosen herpes 30c or 200c homeopathic remedy is not addressing the eruption. There will be times when the herpetic eruption will not go away until the mental and emotional feelings causing the eruption are addressed with a homeopathic remedy.

Case Scenario – Alice called me back several months later about her genital herpes eruption not improving with Natrum Muriaticum 200c. She said she needed to repeat Natrum Muriaticum a couple of months ago, and it worked great after 1 dose. The eruption cleared up within a few days. A few days ago, the eruptions reappeared, and Natrum Muriaticum is not addressing it. I even made the remedy stronger by adding it to a Remedy Solution Bottle, and it didn’t touch it. I asked her what has been going on in the last week or so and Alice stated that she has been working with a therapist these last few months, and she spoke about the sexual abuse that occurred many years ago. She said I feel so ashamed and defeated about it and where I am in my life now. I know it’s not my fault that I was sexually abused, but society has us women thinking it’s all our fault and that it’s not the abuser’s fault. Now I have herpes coming out. I know it came from him. How will I be able to move on with my life going forward now? I had her take a dose of the homeopathic remedy Staphysagria 30c to address her feeling defeated and the sexual abuse. Alice reported back 2 days later; the Staphysagria completely healed up the herpes eruption.

Three Homeopathic Remedies I Commonly Select to Help Shift the Mental and Emotional Mindset of Having Herpes:

• Lycopodium – Selected when they have poor confidence, low self-esteem, or a failure.
• Natrum Muriaticum – Always looking back on life, can’t let go of the past, always dwelling (lots of chatter in the head).
• Staphysagria – There’s a history of sexual abuse, rape, deep guilt, humiliation, shame, suppressed anger.

How Common are Cold Sores?

People of all ages can become infected with the virus and develop cold sores. Many people are exposed to the virus during childhood (i.e., parent kissing child). Studies show more than half of the people in the United States have been infected with the virus that causes cold sores, though many of them never develop cold sores or have any symptoms.

Homeopathic Remedies for Herpes Simplex (Cold Sores and Genital) Eruption

There are several homeopathic remedies for herpes eruptions on the mouth and genital area. However, Natrum Muriaticum 200c and Rhus Toxicodendron 200care the two main homeopathic remedies you will commonly see for herpetic eruptions on the mouth, lips, and genital area. Natrum Muriaticum or Rhus Toxicodendron will stop the beginning tingling sensation you start to have at the beginning of a herpes outbreak. When you are selecting your 30c homeopathic remedy for the mouth, lip, or genital area, you want to select the remedy according to what your eruption looks like, along with what makes the eruption feel better or worse.

Administering a Homeopathic Remedy for Herpes Simplex Eruptions to Get Results!

Administer 1-3 pellets (dry) of the selected homeopathic remedy in a 30c or 200c (Natrum Muriaticum or Rhus Toxicodendron) potency every night at bedtime until the eruption starts to improve (i.e., less burning, tingling, oozing). Repeat the homeopathic remedy when improved symptoms start to become worse again at bedtime. In most cases, you will need to take 1-2 days of your selected remedy for your eruption and may need to repeat one dose of the homeopathic remedy 2-3 days later to continue healing up the eruption.

• Natrum Muriaticum 200c – Has a red raw herpetic eruption (i.e., cold sore, fever blister) on lips, mouth, nostrils, face, chin, and genital or scrotum. Eruption may have 1 blister or several blisters clustered together as 1 blister filled with water-clear liquid that burns and tingle. The key symptom for selecting Natrum Muriaticum is the burning and tingling sensation feels better when applying cold on the eruption. Your lips may be dry. The eruption may also feel better in the open air. Eating too much salt, salty foods, and sun exposure can bring on an eruption. These herpetic outbreaks are usually linked to mental and emotional feelings such as grief, depression, and constantly dwelling on reoccurring thoughts.
• Rhus Toxicodendron 200c – The key symptom in selecting Rhus Toxicodendron for your eruption is the tingling and burning sensation feels better when you apply heat. The herpes eruptions can be inside or outside of your mouth, around the mouth, and on your chin. The eruption is a small blister filled with watery liquid with a slight discoloration.

Other Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Your Herpetic Eruptions

When your herpetic eruptions do not fit the Natrum Muriaticum or Rhus Toxicodendron symptom picture, you may need to select one of the following homeopathic remedies. You will select the remedy according to the characteristics of your eruption, along with what makes the eruption better or worse (i.e., hot or cold):

• Apis 200c – I like to use Apis 200c when the herpetic eruption is swollen. You will take Apis along with the homeopathic remedy that fits your eruption symptoms. Apis does have red burning watery blisters that feel better when applying a cold application on the eruption.
• Arsenicum album – Blisters are watery, burn, itchy, and discharge water. The key symptom for selecting Arsenicum Album is the eruption feels better when you apply heat on your burning eruption.
• Clematis – The eruption is a red blister that burns. The eruption can also be scabby and scaly that itches. The eruption is worse by applying cold water to it.
• Dulcamara – The eruption feels better applying warmth on it. The eruption is worse with cold water, dampness, and before a menstrual period.
• Graphites – The eruption is moist, crusty, and oozes a sticky honey-like serum. The eruption feels worse from extreme cold or hot.
• Mercurius Solubilis or Vivus – The eruption is concave (crater) and worse extreme temperatures (hot and cold). Eruption itches and is worse from sweating or warmth of bed.
• Petroleum – Is for herpes on the genital that can spread to the anal and thighs or on the scrotum. The eruption is dry skin that cracks open and bleeds.
• Sepia – The blisters (sores) on the mouth, lips, nose, tingling, itching, and swelling. The eruption is worse with cold application and better when applying warmth to the area.
• Herpes Simplex Nosode – This is a homeopathic remedy used when well-chosen homeopathic remedies stop working or do not work. This remedy is selected and administered as a last resort by a qualified homeopathic consultant.

How Can Homeopathy Help Your Herpes Simplex?

When you are experiencing herpes breakout (cold sore or genital eruption), you will take a 30c or 200c homeopathic remedy acutely as soon as you start to feel the herpetic eruption symptoms. Your beginning symptoms (i.e., tingling, burning) will have decreased by the next morning. You will repeat the selected homeopathic remedy when the intensity of the symptoms increases or come to a standstill, approximately 2-3 days later.

To address why you have reoccurring herpes outbreaks, you will need to have a complete case history taken to help select a Chronic Fundamental 6c homeopathic remedy.

Homeopathic Steps in Addressing Your Herpes Simplex

A complete case history will be taken to address your herpes eruptions. While taking your case history, I will also ask you what your herpes symptoms were then and now, and when the symptoms started.

1. A Chronic Fundamental 6chomeopathic remedy will be selected to address who you are and how you developed herpes simplex symptoms.
2. In taking your case history, you will be giving me a complete health history, giving a snapshot of how your general health is from birth to the present time.
3. The main focus will be on what was going on in your life before you developed the herpetic eruption — looking back at the last 6-12 months of your life for stressors (i.e., relationship, work-related, financial, or caring for a loved one) and in some cases further back as to what happened in your life that could have triggered you to have a herpes symptom.
4. Also taken into consideration, are other physical symptoms before you developed the symptoms, along with other hormonal symptoms you are having. I will ask your general health questions about your digestion, sleep, and mental, emotional state.
5. Acute symptoms – A 30c or 200c homeopathic remedy will be selected for the Acute symptom(s) you have with your herpes eruptions according to the acute eruption symptom(s) and what makes the symptom(s) better or worse.

Overall, while taking a homeopathic remedy, your herpes eruption will be less intense, the outbreaks will not last as long and will occur less often, and in time you will not be getting eruptions.