In article <Sep.3.18.26.18.1991.1…@brunel.rutgers.edu> dco…@brunel.rutgers.edu (Dawn Myfanwy Cohen) writes:
>My mother swears by Blistex. I haven’t found it too helpful. Its
>active ingredients are allantoin, camphor and phenol. Are these safe?
>I seem to remember back in organic chemistry their telling us that
>phenol is a deadly poison, and that the aromatics frequently aren’t
>too good for you. I know that I’m getting a much smaller dosage than
>if I were handling the pure chemicals in a lab setting. But still,
>long term, is it a good idea to be inflicting this stuff on oneself?
>Especially putting it all over ones mouth, where it can be rubbed off
>onto food?
Allantoin is an emollient. Camphor and phenol are both acting primarily
as local anesthetics. The camphor and phenol are both present in low enough
concentrations that they don’t have any primary toxic effects.
>By the way, I think that Chlorasceptic throat lozenges also have
>phenol as their active ingredient.
Yup. Anesthetic. I always thought that was strange, too.
>The Merck manual said, if I remember right, something about
>taking huge doses of ascorbic acid and citrus bioflavenoids at the
>onset of a herpes attack might reduce the length and severity of an
>outbreak. Where does one get these? Are they really useful?
What? No lysine? 
I would be quite surprised if the Merck Manual said as much.
There’s no evidence that these have any effect on cold sore
outbreaks. I’d imagine some doctors might try a course of
acyclovir (Zovirax), cream, capsules or both. I’m not sure
how well it works in oral herpes, though.
–
Steve Dyer
d…@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer