Cold Sore Treatment Cost

Typical costs:

• For patients covered by health insurance, out-of-pocket costs for cold sore treatment typically consist of up to $20 for an over-the-counter medication or a prescription drug copay of $10-$85 or more, depending on the plan and whether the drug is generic, preferred or non-preferred. Cold sore treatment typically is covered by health insurance.
• For patients not covered by health insurance, the cost of cold sore diagnosis typically includes a doctor visit and, in rare cases, a lab test fee. For example, AnyLabTestNow.com charges $49 for a herpes simplex lab test^[1] . And cold sore treatment typically costs less than $20 for an over-the counter ointment that provides symptom relief only -- or, in the case of Abreva^[2] , shortens healing time. For example, Drugstore.com charges about $2-$20 for over-the-counter cold sore medication^[3] .
• Treatment costs from less than $5 to a little more than $360 per bottle (or less than $5-$150 per outbreak) for the most commonly prescribed oral medications that, according to a Journal of Family Practice report^[4] , are the most effective treatments available and can shorten the duration of an outbreak by about a day. For example, Walmart offers generic acyclovir^[5] for $4 per bottle. Drugstore.com charges about $340 for a 30-count bottle of generic valacyclovir and about $365 for the brand-name equivalent, Valtrex. And Drugstore.com charges about $30 for a 60-count bottle of generic acyclovir, and about $360 for the brand-name equivalent Zovirax.
• Treatment costs about $325-$450 per bottle for the less commonly prescribed oral medication, famciclovir. Drugstore.com charges about $325 for a 30-count bottle of generic famciclovir and about $450 for the brand-name equivalent Famvir.
• Based on estimated prescription dosages^[6] from eMedicinehealth.com, the per-outbreak costs would be: less than $4 to $14 for acyclovir, $33 for famciclovir, $45 for Famvir, $45 for valacyclovir, $48 for Valtrex and $150 for Zovirax.
• Expect to pay up to $200 or more for a tube of a prescription topical medication to relieve symptoms and possibly shorten healing time by about half a day. Drugstore.com charges about $180 for a tube of prescription Denavir cream and about $210 for a tube of prescription Zovirax.

• A doctor typically can diagnose a cold sore with a visual examination.
• Most over-the counter cold sore creams such as Zilactin^[7] and Anbesol Cold Sore Therapy, contain numbing ingredients such as lidocaine, benzocaine or tetracaine, and can only relieve symptoms. Only one over-the-counter medication, Abreva^[8] , has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to shorten the duration of cold sores.
• Prescription topical anti-viral medications, such as Zovirax^[9] , or oral medications, such as Valtrex^[10] , work by targeting the mechanism by which the herpes virus multiplies. These medications can relieve symptoms and shorten the duration of the outbreak or, if taken as soon as symptoms appear, can sometimes prevent sores from forming.
• WebMD has an overview of cold sore treatment^[11] .

• To help prevent cold sores, it is recommended in between outbreaks to wear sunscreen and lip balm with sun protection, which usually cost less than $10. For example, Herpecin-L lip balm^[12] costs about $6.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a locator^[13] for clinics with sliding fee scales based on income.
• Some drug manufacturers offer patient assistance programs. Any patient without prescription drug coverage who also is not eligible for Medicare typically qualifies for Together Rx Access^[14] , a discount card that offers 25-40% off many brand-name drugs.
• Some companies offer coupons or rebates to lower copays for patients with prescription drug coverage. For example, Denavir.com has a coupon^[15] to limit the copay to $15 for eligible patients on copays up to $60. Zovirax.com offers a similar discount.

• A family doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment for cold sores. The American Medical Association offers a doctor locator^[16] , and FindUrgentCare.com offers an urgent care center locator^[17] .
• The Mayo Clinic offers a guide to cold sore symptoms^[18] , what a cold sore looks like and when to see a doctor for a possible cold sore.

1.  www.anylabtestnow.com/for-individuals/stds/
2.  www.abreva.com/
3.  www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All...
4.  www.jfponline.com/Pages.asp?AID=5151
5.  i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list.pdf
6.  www.emedicinehealth.com/cold_sores/page7_em.htm
7.  www.blairex.com/BLZilactin-B.php
8.  www.abreva.com/
9.  www.zovirax.com/
10.  us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_valtrex.pdf
11.  www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-treatment-overview
12.  www.drugstore.com/herpecin-l-lip-balm-stick-spf-30/qxp15808
13.  findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
14.  www.togetherrxaccess.com/p/prescription-savings/about-together-rx-access/enroll.aspx
15.  www.denavir.com/
16.  extapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder/recaptcha.jsp
17.  www.findurgentcare.com/
18.  www.mayoclinic.com/health/cold-sore/DS00358/DSECTION=symptoms

Check Out All Costs for Health & Personal Care		How Much Does an Ambulance Cost?		How Much Does an Albuterol Inhaler Cost?		How Much Does an MRI Cost?

Today's Featured Cost Articles

In case signing up was a resolution, we cover the cost of diet plans. Need help uncovering your driveway? You may need a snow removal service. The CDC recommends it is more important than ever to get a flu shot this year. Be ready if the worst weather hits -- a portable generator means fewer power outages. Garden all winter long with an indoor greenhouse.

About CostHelper

CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.

CostHelper Community

Radiologist Fee Paid: 350.00 Any radiologist reading your mammogram will be at least $350. They have 11-13 years of training after high school before they begin work. If they are not board certified, watch out. Most are and it beats getting cancer... [more] -Lowes Fan Mammogram Cost DIY Ceiling Paid: 50.00 We bought a house with a cheap paint job. The ceilings were sprayed the same color as the walls. During COVID I painted the ceilings and a bathroom. A 120 square foot room took me about 4 hours (2 coats)... [more] -Lowes Fan Painting an Interior Cost DIY vs Installed Small Deck Paid: 3000.00 We paid $1300 for materials and $1700 for labor on a 100 square foot composite deck plus a redwood gate. It took 30 hours, done last year. My husband built a 100 sf heart redwood deck for about $1000 in materials in 2019... [more] -Lowe's Fan Redwood Deck Cost Colposcopy with biopsy Paid: 756.00 This service was wayy to expensive in my opinion. For a 20-25 minute total visit I had to pay out of pocked 756 - 187 to OBGYN, 229 to pathologist, then 340$ for facility fee or the hospital. I don't even know what that charge was for... [more] -D S Colposcopy Cost Bilateral Diagnostic Mammogram and Third Mammogram Paid: 1389.66 My 2021 bill, still in shock! Weill Cornell, in-network provider, billed my insurance $908 for a bilateral diagnostic mammogram, and $712 for a third mammogram one breast... [more] -GinaF Mammogram Cost shoulder mri Paid: 8000.00 Seriously, 8K for an MRI before all the secret insurance kicks in. I was stuck with a 1200 bill and my insurance is pretty good. This is insane for a 20 minute procedure with no nurse assistance... [more] -stevej45 MRI Cost