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Frequent Cold Sores, Taking Citalopram. What Could Be Triggering Them?
hi, the past few months i have been having very frequent cold sores . as soon as 1 goes another 1 comes.. just need to no if there is anything in paticular that could be triggering them off... diet , meds, moods, i am taking citalopram , and since taking them i have been having alot of cold sores i am getting very stressed and fed up with it all now and need to no what is causing so many flare ups
Wed, 2 Jan 2013
Hello.......
Thanks for your query. Cold sores are caused by herpes virus. It has been documented that stress can result in activation of the virus. However, citalopram has not been documented to have the mentioned side effect of cold sores.Stress reduction techniques like breathing relaxation, yoga and meditation practices can be useful. However, an additional medical evaluation with a general medicine practitioner is recommended to rule out other medical causes.
Regards
Dr Sundar Gnanavel
Psychiatrist
Thanks for your query. Cold sores are caused by herpes virus. It has been documented that stress can result in activation of the virus. However, citalopram has not been documented to have the mentioned side effect of cold sores.Stress reduction techniques like breathing relaxation, yoga and meditation practices can be useful. However, an additional medical evaluation with a general medicine practitioner is recommended to rule out other medical causes.
Regards
Dr Sundar Gnanavel
Psychiatrist
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