Herpes treatments that WORK | Medical News Bulletin

Looking for ways to reduce the frequency of your herpes outbreaks and shorten their duration? You are in the right place. In this article we will introduce you to science-backed herpes treatments that really work and won’t drain your bank account.

If you’ve been on the internet lately, you have probably encountered ads for various supplements, folk cures and ‘how-to’ books that, for a price, claim they can cure herpes. The truth is, no diet, detox or herbal supplement can eliminate the virus or heal those unpleasant sores. The good news is that there are excellent evidence-based treatments for herpes that work, keeping outbreaks under control. 

Antivirals are widely available, effective at reducing the frequency of outbreaks, safe and reduce the duration of outbreaks. Doctors prescribe the same antiviral drugs to heal shingles, chicken pox, cold sores and genital herpes every day. These drugs have been in use for over 40 years and are an unremarkable part of life. What’s more, routine Herpes Simplex Virus fighting drugs are off patent, so picking up a prescription won’t break the bank. If you are looking for evidence-based complementary therapies to use in addition to your antivirals, we also have you covered. 

If we want to understand why some herpes treatments work but others don’t, we need to go right back to the start to learn what herpes is and how it causes outbreaks.

What Is Herpes?

The Herpes virus

Herpes is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus, often called HSV. The herpes simplex virus family includes HSV-1 (oral herpes AKA cold sores) and HSV-2 (genital herpes) and is a common infection that affects billions of people worldwide. Outbreaks usually start off with a tingling or itchy sensation and then develop into painful blisters or sores.

HSV is spread by direct contact with an infected body part. In the case of HSV-1, the virus is spread through contact with an infected person’s mouth or saliva. This means if you have a cold sore, anything your mouth touches will have infectious viral particles on it. In countries where kisses are used as a greeting, or where families share drinks, HSV-1 infections are endemic.

This means HSV-1 infections are so common that historically, people have seen it as an annoying, hard to avoid but routine part of life. With medical advances, we have learned more about what cold sores are and how better to avoid them. If you have a cold sore, avoid sharing utensils with other people and don’t touch other people’s body parts with your mouth or saliva until your outbreak has healed. 

The good news is that with the invention of antiviral medicines, people can lower their chances of passing on the virus. If you have the HSV-2 virus that causes genital herpes, antivirals combined with barrier method contraception such as dental dams and condoms and consistently avoiding sexual contact during an outbreak are great ways to protect your partner. Antiviral treatments provide a very effective treatment for genital herpes that will help ease your discomfort and help you heal up faster.

How the Herpes virus causes symptoms

The herpes virus is sneaky. It gets into your body through tiny cuts and abrasions on your skin or mucous membranes. Once it’s in, the virus will take over the nearest skin cells and get busy replicating. Soon, your immune system will activate its antivirus defences to eliminate it. Some people will experience general flu-like symptoms during this phase. With your immune system chasing the virus down, HSV’s diabolical talent for concealment comes into play. Eventually some surviving viral particles will last long enough to make it to their favourite hiding place – the neurons in the base of your skull or the end of your spine. Once the virus gets into these nerve cells, they set up a clandestine base of operations to wait out your immune system.  

While the virus is lurking in your neurons, your immune system can’t use its usual tactic of killing off infected cells. This means the HSV virus can avoid your virus fighting immune cells for as long as it stays in the nerve cell. Nerve cells aren’t often renewed like skin cells, so the virus can happily camp-out in the same cell for a person’s entire life.

The problem is that so long as your immune system is in good shape, the virus can’t venture out of its lair, but it doesn’t mean it’s gone away. If, for some reason, your immune system is compromised, the HSV virus will take its chance to slip out of the neuron and get to work on your mucous membranes at prime transmission sites – your mouth or genitals. This is what causes the painful blisters and ulcers that can last up to two weeks before your immune system manages to chase the virus back to its hiding place. 

Herpes Treatments that Work

What works

Now that we know how the virus works, let’s talk treatments. 

It’s very difficult or impossible to eradicate the HSV virus. This is because there will always be some remnants hiding out in your neurons. What you can do is try to keep yourself healthy and listen to your body. If you get a tell-tale tingling in the place where you usually get a herpes outbreak, it’s a sign that you need to visit your family doctor or a walk-in clinic to pick up a prescription for antivirals and take care to avoid touching other people with the infected area. 

Antiviral medications like acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir are the best available treatment for managing the virus. Drugs like acyclovir (AKA Zovirax) work by interfering with the virus’ DNA copying machinery. 

How do antivirals stop HSV from reproducing?

When HSV is in its active infectious phase, it will steal resources from its host. The HSV virus raids the host cell’s stocks of DNA-making materials so it can replicate itself as fast as possible. DNA strands are made by joining individual subunits one after the next to build a chain. Each new subunit is added to the last. The antiviral drugs are basically a booby-trapped fake DNA building block. They look and act like regular DNA subunits, but they have been chemically altered so that they only have hook up points on one side and they are ever so slightly the wrong shape.

 These virus saboteurs work in two ways; first, they jam up the virus’s DNA-making machinery. This stops the DNA strand from being extended and it prevents the machinery from starting on its next copy. Second, if the machinery manages to clear the jam and adds the malicious molecule to the DNA chain it’s building, nothing can be attached to it. While you are taking the drug, the virus will make short fragmented copies of itself that aren’t long enough to make a functioning virus.  

Preventing the virus from replicating slows the infection down and results in fewer working viral particles being made. This reduces the load on your immune system, helping it to clear up the active infection rapidly. Your sores should be less severe, and they will heal up faster. It also decreases the chances that you will spread the virus because there are fewer viral particles.  

While antivirals don’t remove the virus from the nerve cells, they can make outbreaks happen less often and if they do occur, they will be less severe.

The drug resistance lie

Many scam websites and unregulated supplement sellers claim that using antivirals leads to ‘super herpes’, a version of herpes immune to antivirals. This is a lie. They want you to give them your money, and they will say anything to get it.

 Antivirals have been used safely for decades. There have been no cases of supercharged drug resistant herpes. The HSV virus is not like a bacteria that can develop resistance to antibiotics. The antivirals target the most basic, fundamental characteristic of HSV: its ability to copy itself. There is no way for HSV to avoid boobytrapped fake DNA subunits. 

While treatment-resistant herpes does exist, it is extremely rare, and doctors usually see it in people with compromised immune systems. For example, people undergoing chemotherapy or with advanced HIV infections – not the general population. HSV does not become resistant to the drug itself. The patient’s immune system is the problem.

What can help?

Home remedies can’t replace antiviral drugs, but there are some evidence-based complementary therapies that might help with your symptoms if you use them in addition to your prescription. 

Lysine

 Lysine is an essential amino acid found in meat and dairy. This amino acid has been thoroughly investigated to see whether it helps with HSV. In fact, it’s one of the most researched natural supplements for treating the herpes virus. In a randomized controlled trial, doctors found that people with herpes who took daily doses of lysine at a dose of three grams or more had fewer outbreaks than the control group. When they did have an outbreak, the symptoms were less severe than they would usually experience and markedly less severe than those of the control group who did not supplement their lysine intake.  

Lemon balm

The herb lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and propolis (a resin collected by bees) both show strong antiviral effects. In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, lemon balm creams increased self-reported healing and reduced symptom scores. 

Zinc

Whether taken orally or applied topically, zinc reduces the number and the duration of outbreaks. In a randomized clinical trial, topical application of zinc not only reduced the duration of sores but also reduced total severity of symptoms.

What to avoid

Because the immune system plays such an important role in fighting herpes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key. Avoiding foods and substances that can weaken the immune system is essential.

Researchers studying how diet and habits can lower your immune response to herpes have found that:

• Refined carbohydrates and sugary foods like white bread, soda and candy can weaken immune defences and increase the likelihood of outbreaks.
• Arginine-rich foods like nuts, seeds and chocolate during outbreaks can worsen symptoms.
• Cannabis, particularly high-THC strains, has mixed results. Some evidence suggests it may suppress the immune system, while some research shows it may help with HSV-related pain. Further study is necessary.
• Finally, recreational drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, and opioids are consistently linked with worse HSV outcomes. While this can be due to immunosuppressive effects, they are often connected with unhealthy lifestyles, which can promote the number and severity of outbreaks.

Herpes ‘treatments’ that DON’T work

What doesn’t work are so-called cures, which promise to ‘eliminate’ the virus from the body. Given that the people who sell these fake treatments go out of their way to mislead us with dishonest claims, it’s easy to fall into their trap.

The thing that all the ‘alternative treatments’ have in common is that they have no active ingredient that can interfere with the virus. While you can eat a healthy, balanced diet and try to stay fit to keep your immune system in good shape, there is no evidence that any single food or supplement can keep your immune system in peak condition.

All about the Benjamins

One of these scams is the Dr. Sebi protocol, which, for $18.78, offers an audiobook on alkaline, plant-based diets and herbal supplements. Alkaline foods are immediately turned into acidic ones once they enter your stomach – it’s a bag of hydrochloric acid after all! There is no benefit to eating alkaline foods unless it’s to calm indigestion.

It’s important to note that Alfredo Darrington Bowman, known as Dr. Sebi, has never held formal medical or scientific credentials. Yet, his books and branded supplements continue to be marketed and sold today.

Mo’ money mo’ fake herpes cures

Similarly, countless supplement lines online promise to ‘cure’ herpes:

• HEVA offers a 50-day supply of pills composed of ‘17 herbs, minerals, and vitamins’ for USD 1,500, claiming a 95% success rate in eliminating HSV. No vitamin, mineral or herb can directly interfere with Herpes Simplex replication.
• Herpesyl, attributed to a supposed ‘Dr.’ Adrian Kavanagh (with no verifiable credentials or scientific publications) sells a 30-day supply of pills composed of ‘26 plant extracts’ for USD 70, promising to ‘completely eliminate the herpes virus from your system’. As we know, the virus is hiding, dormant, in your neurons – there’s no evidence that any of these plant extracts can get into your nerve cells or attack viral particles.

Ridiculous prices for ridiculous products. 

In comparison, the antiviral acyclovir, one of the most extensively studied and prescribed treatments for herpes, with over 20,032 peer-reviewed publications, can cost as little as CAD 0.35 per tablet. That’s CAD 17.50 for a 50-day supply. Why skip a herpes treatment that really works?

Bottom Line

Antivirals remain the gold standard for managing herpes. While some home remedies may help reduce symptoms or outbreaks, they work best alongside antivirals, not as replacements. Visits to your doctor are confidential. You are allowed to request to see a different doctor than normal if you don’t feel comfortable making an appointment with your family doctor. Another option is to visit a walk-in clinic or a Sexual Health clinic. Sexual health clinics are set up to make sure your care is completely privileged and they will not tell your family doctor about your diagnosis unless you want them to.

Be cautious of books, diets, or supplements that claim to ‘eliminate’ herpes from the body. These promises often exploit the stigma surrounding the virus, offering false hope for high prices. When it comes to your health, trust evidence-based medicine, not flashy ads or miracle cures. Remember, $17.50 vs $1,500? It’s a no-brainer.

If you’re managing herpes, speak to a licensed healthcare provider about antiviral options and evidence-based strategies. Don’t let fear guide your choices. 

References

Chang JY, Balch C, Puccio J, Oh HS. A Narrative Review of Alternative Symptomatic Treatments for Herpes Simplex Virus. Viruses. 2023;15(6):1314. doi:10.3390/v15061314