Ins and Outs of Cold Sore Treatments

Cold sores (or fever blisters) are itchy, painful and unsightly -3 out of 10 people get them on a regular basis but nobody talks about them!

Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus.

There are two kinds of herpes infection -HSV1 which most often causes cold sores on the lips; HSV2 usually causes infection in the genital area and is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Note: Cold sores (HSV1) can be spread to the genital area and genital herpes (HSV2) can be spread to the mouth.

You can get the infection from kissing someone with the virus or eating/drinking after someone who is infected. Many parents pass the virus to their children. Once you have the infection, you can not be healed -but you can prevent and treat cold sores.

Cold sores (fever blisters) usually start as a small sore on the lip which slowly grows larger and looks like a blister. The "blisters" will break open and eventually scab over and fall off. During this time, you can pass the virus to others and spread it to other areas of the lip and body.

The good news is that they will usually clear up within a few days to two weeks.

The bad news is that they can be painful, unattractive and can take TWO weeks to clear up!

You should start treatment as soon as you know a cold sore is coming (either from itchy/tingling feeling or seeing the small sore).

To treat cold sores:

1. Apply ice for a 3 minutes 4 times an hour for 2 hours.

2. Start taking Motrin (ibuprofen) - 1 to 2 tablets every 4 to 6 hours or Tylenol Extra Strength (acetaminophen) - 1 tablet every 4 hours.

3. Avoid acidic foods (pizza, orange juice) -you'll know it is bad because it will most likely HURT.

4. Rinse with warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda

5. Apply Abreva cream (available OTC at the pharmacy) -apply 5 times a day for up to 10 days. Abreva is the only OTC medication proven to decrease symptoms and aids in healing.

6. If the cold sore is painful -apply Anbesol or Orajel over the Abreva to help numb the area.

7. Take a prescription drug like acyclovir or Valtrex. These meds are by prescription only, so talk to your physician about them. The recommended doses are...

* Valtrex (valacyclovir) - Take 2 Valtrex 1,000 mg tablets twice daily for day 1 then take 1 Valtrex 1,000mg tablet twice a day on day 2.

* Zovirax (acyclovir) -Take acyclovir 400mg tablet five times a day

* Both medications work -Valtrex is taken less often and may be more convenient but acyclovir comes in a generic and can be less expensive.

8. You can also use some natural supplements:

* Lysine -500mg to 1,000mg/day for 5 to 10 days

* Vitamin C -100 to 500mg/day for 5 to 10 days

* Lemon balm -apply 2 to 4 times a day for 5 days

To prevent future outbreaks of cold sores:

1. Stress, sun and illness can lead to an outbreak of cold sores -so avoid when at all possible!

2. Avoid drinking after, using utensils or kissing anyone with an active infection

3. Prescription drugs...

* Zovirax (acyclovir) -Take 200mg three to five times daily

* Valtrex (valacyclovir) - Take 500mg one time daily

So, now you know...and knowing is half the battle!

Nova Simpson, Pharm.D.

http://www.getpharmacyadvice.com

My best bud -Cate Sibley, Pharm.D. and I started our own pharmacy blog -where you can ask any questions any time!

Want to learn about genital herpes?

http://www.getpharmacyadvice.com/genital-herpes-and-you/

Stem Cells and Regenerative Therapies - How to Extract the Essence

The process of finding and developing new drugs is long and costly. It takes years and millions of dollars for one single new drug to be developed from the stage in which a candidate molecule was identified to the ultimate stage of regulatory approval for marketing. The new era of stem cells and regenerative medicine does not shorten this process. On the contrary, it presents new challenges in the road through translation into approved therapy. The challenges are due to the completely new and different structure of the final product. Patients are treated with living cells instead of active molecules. The road to develop new cell based therapy is not less long, complicated or costly than the road to develop conventional drugs.

The amount of information in the media, both professional and popular, is huge. Nonetheless, most of it, although interesting and supportive for further development, is not applicable for present patient's needs. If we want to evaluate the current potential of a new therapy, the most important parameter is how close it is to clinical utilization. Practically, we want to know if the therapy is used already to treat diseases in human beings. Such treatment can be either experimental in its early stages, or ultimately, approved by regulatory authorities and provided by companies, clinics and hospitals.

Let us look at the various stages of development and thus be able to identify the most relevant ones according to this simple principle. Research is conducted on the molecular and cellular levels, as well as in experimental animal models. Such research generates large amount of data, and set the basis for identifying new modules of therapies. Once a promising candidate is identified, the process of drug or cell based therapy starts. It needs full characterization, understanding mechanism of activity, optimization of large scale production, thorough analysis of safety profile, establishing quality control tests and more. The first stage is a general or theoretical research, while the second is called pre-clinical development. Once this stage is accomplished, the product is ready for clinical studies, following the submission and approval by regulatory body. This third stage is termed clinical development. The clinical studies are conducted at three stages and if successful, approval for marketing is obtained. A product or process which is presently being tested in clinical studies, can be better evaluated for its current application. Being in the clinical stage of development is meaningful for practical purposes, although only few products will turn to be safe and effective, and approved for clinical use. The clinical phase of the development may take about 2 to 5 years, and sometimes longer.

In some countries, it is legal and possible to offer cell based treatments even before the full scale clinical studies were completed. Clinics and hospitals in such countries are treating patients for life threatening and chronic diseases before thorough testing and approval by regulatory agencies in the US, Europe or other countries. Most of these clinics do not conduct or publish systematic clinical trials, but they usually provide information on the technologies and therapeutic approaches used. Can this be regarded as "tested in human patients"? The answer is no, but it is up to the patient to decide whether he would like to take the risk with all its implications, rather than wait for the therapy to be approved.

Most reliable information on ongoing clinical studies is found in the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) database - Clinicaltrials.gov. Although US based, most clinical studies from many other countries as well are published in this comprehensive website which also includes effective internal search option. However, early pilot and phase I studies are usually not listed there. Results on clinical studies can be found in the well known scientific literature data base website, the US NIH (National Institute of Health) PubMed -Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Here again, the relevant clinical data will be difficult to extract from the plethora of scientific information, and it is mostly used by professional scientists. Large medical centers will also provide updated information on scientific achievements, along with clinical trials and results. Many other blogs and websites, as well as professional organizations, provide information on stem and cell therapy news. For clinical relevant information on cell therapies - My New Therapy website is patient oriented and focuses on clinical data. As suggested, you can evaluate the current clinical relevance of a piece of news according to its proximity to being tested in human patients, or preferably, if being already a part of reliable clinical study. This rule of thumb, being tested in human patients, can help to better judge for practical purposes or needs, the clinical value of a product, service, technology or process.

Dr. Avi Treves is currently the Deputy Director of the Sheba Cancer Research Center at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel. Operating the Ella Institute for treatment and research of Melanoma, the Family Cord Blood Bank and Bio Regenerate Inc, a start up company developing adult stem cells technologies and storage services.

Previously, the founder and CEO of Gamida Cell Ltd.; CEO of Hadasit Ltd., the tech transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Center.

PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Post doc at Stanford University Medical School, CA USA.

Expert in developing cell based technologies, products and their clinical applications. Adviser and scientific board member for biotech companies. Co-author of more than 90 scientific publications and 10 patents.

For more information on clinically relevant stem cells, regenerative medicine and immunotherapy go to: http://www.mynewtherapy.com

Pharmaceutical Development As a Means For Ensuring Financial Success

Developing a new pharmaceutical active ingredient isn't just about developing a molecule with the best biological activity. The physical form has to be optimised to ensure the top possible performance and that no one can find a superior form and usurp your hard won patent position.

Pharmaceutical development is the progression of a new chemical entity found in early screening through to the later stages of clinical development. Pharmaceutical development includes the construction of a scaleable manufacturing process as well as refinement of the optimum physical form of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API).

Pharmaceutical development starts with an active compound that displays the desired response in an assay. However, in vivo (in the organism), the compound might not get to the point of action as it so easily did in vitro (lit. in glass). Pharmaceutical development is needed to turn the compound into a form that is stable, is biologically available and can be made into the most favourable formulation. A balance is needed between the water solubility and lipophilicity (ability to dissolve in fats) characteristics of the drug. Skilled scientists will be able to turn a compound with poor physical properties into one that can be crystallised and processed effectively. A Salt screen will lead to candidate compounds that can subsequently be selected and further optimised. A balance will need to be made between optimal drug performance and manufacturability.

It is essential to integrate manufacturing expertise with solid-state expertise using a diverse range of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities operating to current Good Manufacturing standards. Scale up and production of kilo quantities of the drug under GMP conditions completes the early pharmaceutical development phase. If properly conducted, the optimal physical form will be taken forward coupled with the means to manufacture. Ultimately your intellectual property will be secured and long term financial success guaranteed.

Static Dosing and Rhythmic Cycling

If your physician feels you are an ideal candidate for static dosing of bioidentical hormones, he or she will initially prescribe a low dosage of the hormones to test your body's response. Following several months of taking bioidenticals at a low dosage, doctors will then reorder blood samples, which will be scrutinized for your detailed hormonal levels. If your symptoms are somewhat alleviated and the levels remain relatively optimal, doctors will the set forth a regimen of taking bioidenticals on a daily basis, with an increase in dosage on the eighteenth and twenty-eighth day. The increase in dosage on these two days will mimic the natural physiology of a young woman's body, induce a period, and give a woman the full complement of hormonal attributes they enjoyed before the aging process.

The second method of taking in bio identical hormones for women involves charting and taking the hormones on a rhythmic cycle in concurrence with the lunar phases and tides. This process, although seemingly a little too out there for some women, really makes sense and attempts to mimic the reproductive and hormone cycles of women prior to the advent of modern society, and all the associated stress, irregular sleeping patterns, and in turn, irregular hormonal production levels. One of the more well-known processes of administering bioidenticals rhythmically is known as the Wiley Protocol, which advocates large dosing of hormones, natural and safe bioidentical hormones, to women in tailored ratios for their unique bodies. Many women have found a large amount of relief and overall happiness in the health and their lives while using rhythmic cycling and the Wiley Protocol

Every woman wants to take care of their body, for as long as possible. In many women cases today, the option to utilize hormonal replacement therapy is a wise and healthy decision, if made with the intention of using bioidentical hormones. The numerous side-affects, such as breast and ovarian cancer, associated with synthetic hormones, not to mention the lack of benefits in light of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy's offerings should truly be the deciding factor for any woman serious about living a long, healthy, happy lifestyle.

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Tips to Ordering From an Online Pharmacy

Do a fast search of online pharmaceuticals on Google and you will be spoiled with choices. In truth, a little of these drug stores are trusted and will execute quality services. How does a person execute sensible purchasing by analyzing every online pharmacy site? Here are a few advises you can follow in guaranteeing one of a smart medicine purchase.

The first point you must look for is an comprehensive web pharmaceutical. The most reliable pharmacy pages are able to comprehensively inform visitors regarding their stock, pricing, and reduced rate offers. They should be direct about telling people these features. If the prices and brands appear inaccurate and vague, do not trouble yourself ordering from the website. Reliable websites also have comprehensive information on the recent medicine research and helpful tips on buying medicine online.

Apart from analyzing the clarity of the pricing, you should also evaluate how the costs vary among the online pharmacy sites. Obviously, there will be a difference between companies that sell the same medicines. Don't endanger your well being by being cheap and opting for the lowest price. You may end up wasting your cash on an ineffective fake medicine.

Always do your homework on the online pharmacy you're considering. This is very crucial for small businesses in the market. Should they have a phone line on the site, call it and ask them questions that can clarify your queries. Visit pharmacy review websites and message boards to read actual opinions from then and present customers. Research on the way the pharmaceutical delivers their products. If a lot of customers complain of damaged deliveries, then it is best to keep away from that pharmacy. It also helps to talk to your friends, coworkers, or family members if they've experienced purchasing from a well known online pharmacy site.

Aside from checking out references, you must also visit the website for a number of weeks. If they don't renew the website for several weeks, then it must be scam. The website should also have an easy-to-navigate layout. Apply your common sense to check if the webpage has a simple and pleasing display. Instant cash scam sites won't put as much effort into their site's look and features.

Personal health is the original priority in purchasing medicines, so always consult your doctor before buying. Aside from receiving the necessary note from them, they may be able to provide you some reliable online pharmacy sites. You will not have to be anxious about getting scammed off your cash if the site recommendation comes from your doctor.

You also need to study the buying process of the online pharmacy. Ensure that the site shows you the data form for the encryption they use, specifically when they ask for your bank account or credit card information. Knowing they use the encryption guarantees you that the info sent ]is safe.

The most trusted sites always request for a prescribed note for your medicine purchase. Make sure you understand how you will send the said prescription to the online pharmacy. The prescription note is usually copied then delivered through email or a duplicate is faxed. Send an email to the company to clarify the process and see if you will have to talk to them to confirm your order.

The online pharmacy must have a very accessible customer service number. If the company is direct about instructions and quickly verify your purchase, you won't have to call their hotline. However, in case of sudden situations, it always helps to know you can quickly talk to them.

Trusted online companies are very understandable regarding their return policy. They should assure you that they will give back your money if you receive a wrong order. If they require non-traceable pay means, you will end up having your money stolen in lieu of being properly spent. There are many web pharmacies online to choose from. Ordering the right one is a matter of common sense and practicality.

See 4RX Review including neutral remarks concerning Online Pharmacies.