L-lysine in Cold Sore Remedies

L-lysine is an essential amino acid, which cannot be produced by the body of human being. L-lysine supplementation has been proved to be a complementary treatment for the treatment of herpes simplex virus. L-lysine supplementation is highly beneficial only when it is used at doses exceeding 1000 mg per day. The clinical studies have revealed the control of viral replication when the L-lysine to arginine ratio in vitro favors L-lysine.

High dosage of L-lysine, more than ten grams a day, is identified to cause gastrointestinal problems. Indigestion has been reported in some cases that use high dose of L-lysine. Extended and/or very high dose of L-lysine can also have unfavorable effects on renal function. Hence, correct dosage L-lysine should be taken under the supervision of a physician.

L-lysine is one of the very widely used cold sore remedies. It is available as tablets of 500 to 1000 mg to prevent cold sore, and available in the form of cream treating a cold sore. L-lysine plays a key role in getting rid of cold sores. The amino acid arginine facilitates the development and replication of the herpes virus; however, lysine inhibits the growth and replication. Since the foods containing chocolate, grains, oatmeal, peas, peanuts and other nuts, seeds, and whole-wheat products are high in arginine, such foods should be stopped or at least reduced from the diet. Brewer's yeast is beneficial in the cold sore treatment. If a person is infected by the herpes simplex virus, he/she must avoid drinking coffee because the intake of coffee can boost the frequency of development of cold sore.

Several people have described that consuming the amino acid L-lysine has prevented or reduced the duration of the cold sores. If the persons get cold sores frequently, then they must take 1,500 to 3,000 mg. a day as a preventive action. If it is still persists, then they may take even 3,000 mg a day until the cold sore cures. The patients must experiment with the dosage in anticipation of finding one that slows down recurrence by decreasing the amount until the patient find the best possible maintenance dosage. L-lysine may also be practiced topically as a cold sore remedy.

If someone gets a cold sore, taking lysine, as a cold sore remedy, should cut down the time the person have it considerably, commonly within five days. It is mandatory to consult the medical practitioner regarding the intake of L-lysine, in particular if the patient is a pregnant or nursing.

It is not recommended to take any amino acid in large quantity for a long period of time. It is advised to take the L-lysine between meals, if at all possible on an empty stomach.

Many food supplements have high quantity of L-lysine. Yogurt, a custard-like dish prepared from curdled milk, is far above the ground in lysine. It is recommended to prepare the yogurt at home. Because, most commercial yogurts have gelatin, a triggering agent of cold sore outbreak, as a thickener, it is advised to not use commercial yogurt as a cold sore remedy. Therefore read the label of the commercial yogurt and make sure there is no gelatin in that.