Does Abreva fight the virus that causes sores?

Answer by  Thiacin (41)

The answer is a little complicated. The active ingredient, Docosanol, modifies uninfected cell membranes and makes them more resistant to infection. It does not fight the virus directly, but it does not simply alleviate symptoms in way that off-the-shelf cold medicines do. In general, Abreva has been found to be effective in mitigating cold sores.

Answer by  wyeth (435)

Behenyl alcohol is the active ingredient believed to slow down the reproduction of the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores.One clinical trial showed it hastened recovery time, others didn't.