Cold Sores spreading through toothpaste?? Please Help

[joe3601]

I recently noticed my roommate had a cold sore on his lip. A couple days ago I used his toothpaste when I was in a rush during the morning...

Have I contracted the cold sore virus??? How likely is it that I have???? PLease help!

[gracefromHHP]

No, you will not contract hsv1 orally from using someone else's toothpaste. It's not impossible but highly improbable and not something to worry about.  The virus doesn't live that long on surfaces for starters and doesn't thrive away from body temperature in general.  It's almost impossible to get conditions THAT  perfect for herpes to be transmitted thru sharing a tube of toothpaste.  Your provider over reacted when they told you what they did.  Same with sharing a soda - as an adult, oral herpes is almost exclusively transmitted thru romantic type kisses, not thru sharing food and drinks. It takes heat and friction to transmit the virus - not just actual contact with it.

grace

[my_worst_nightmare]

Sorry Daisy but that's not correct.  HSV 1, or the cold sore virus, is spread through saliva, therefore, toothbrushes and toothpaste are a good way to pass it.  My doctor recommended to me that I get a new toothbrush at the start of a cold sore AND the end of a cold sore, because it will lessen the chance of spreading it.  Also, the docotor told me to NEVER touch the end of the tube of toothepaste to my toothbrush as this could pass it on . Chances are though, if you have never had a cold sore before, you are resistant to the virus because over 80% of the population carries HSV 1 and because it's transfered through saliva, all you have to do is share a pop with someone who has it and you contract it.  If you've never had an outbreak before you probably won't even if you did catch it.  

[daisy315]

For pity sake if Herpes could be passed on in this way we might as well all buy a bubble and live in it ...... IF you have contacted the virus it was NOT from a tube of toothpaste!!

Daisy