Canker Sores/Fever Blisters

Choose a remedy: Most don’t have all the canker sore or fever blister symptoms so choose based on the most prominent ones. If symptoms change, take a remedy that matches your new symptoms.

Dosage: 30C twice daily, or 6C or 12X four times daily for up to 5 days, or according to the Dosage Chart.

Stop on improvement
Change remedies if symptoms change

Note: If a self-selected remedy – however well indicated – doesn’t help, and your sore does not heal on its own, you need to seek medical expertise. If your cold sores are frequent/recurring, a professional homeopath can evaluate your symptoms in the context of your whole person. Homeopathy may be used together with conventional pharmaceuticals prescribed by your dentist.

Symptoms	Remedy
Cold sores Cracked lips Fever blisters Due to common cold or exposure View Remedy	Hyland’s Cold Sores & Fever Blisters Multi-remedy manufactured by Hyland’s Take as directed
Canker sores Braces irritation Mouth sores Mouth abrasions View Remedy	4 Kids Canker Sore Soothing Dots Hylands Canker Sore Healing Dots – 6 yrs and up Multi-remedy manufactured by Hyland’s Take as directed
As soon as pain and tingling starts View Remedy	Apis mellifica
Take at onset of sores Canker sores, herpes Sores on tongue, gums, mouth, back of throat burn May have increased saliva May have foul breath or bad taste in mouth Tongue may be swollen, coated Bleeding gums Children: Take at onset of first occurrence May decrease frequency in future Worse: night View Remedy	Mercurius solubilis or Mercurius vivus
Sores with dryness Violent burning pain Small blisters/clear, watery, irritating discharge Person tends to be chilly, anxious, finicky Thirsty for sips of water Better: warmth, warm applications View Remedy	Arsenicum album if Mercurius did not work
Ulcers in mouth, throat Increased salivation Mouth lining red, swollen Bad breath Might want to swallow liquids only View Remedy	Baptisia
Canker sore Sensitive sores in mouth/tongue, bleed easily Ulcerations on chin Mouth hot and tender Shooting pains better with cold May be overly sensitive to up or down motion Fear of downward movement May help children with sores inside cheeks View Remedy	Borax
Children: Recurring canker sores Sores with any mild abrasion to area May also sweat on head while sleeping Slow to teethe or walk Adults: Chilly, overweight, tire easily Bleeding gums Sour taste in mouth View Remedy	Calcarea carbonica
Cracked corner of lips, ulcers on lips Red itchy rash on chin Bad breath Tongue greenish at base Arising more often in inactive people View Remedy	Capsicum
Sores about the lips Sores may arise after getting a cold Throat glands may be swollen View Remedy	Dulcamara if Mercurius did not work
Lips crack at corners of mouth Sores ooze a sticky, honey like discharge Sores crust over May have sour, rotten egg taste in mouth View Remedy	Graphites
Sores that become infected May be chilly, overly sensitive Worse: cold and cold drinks View Remedy	Hepar sulphuris calcareum
Mouth lining red with gray-based ulcers Refuses to eat View Remedy	Kali chloricum
Thick, whitish crusts Yellow oozing under crusts View Remedy	Mezereum
Sores of mouth, gums, tongue spread slowly tingly, itchy, dry Small, puffy, burning, pearl-like sores Especially gums and tongue Painful to talk Deeps crack in lips Children: Aggravated by acidic foods Mouth dry Worse: from exposure to sun or grief View Remedy	Natrum muriaticum
Sores on mouth, tongue, or back of upper throat Sores bleed easily Splinter-like/stabbing pain Cracks in lips, especially corners Irritable, sensitive to noise, touch, jarring May be anxious, fearful, irritable Worse: cold air or hot weather Better: warmth View Remedy	Nitric acidum
Children: Brought on by lip biting, acidic foods. Desires ice cold drinks View Remedy	Phosphorus
Painful cold sore on lip Small fluid-filled blisters (fever blisters) Blisters in/around lips, corners of mouth Burning/stinging and itchy Tip of tongue may be red Better: warm applications View Remedy	Rhus toxicodendron
Many ulcers in mouth Gums bleed easily Whole mouth sore Worse: night View Remedy	Sempervivum
Sores with swollen gums, bleeding red, inflamed, burning, itchy Throbbing pain Tongue may be white Person tends to be warm blooded May have a tendency for itching, skin problems Better: cold applications View Remedy	Sulphur
Painful sores on tongue, inner cheek Spreading ulcers Gums bleed easily May arise on periodical basis Sores during protracted illness Especially in underweight children View Remedy	Sulphuricum Acidicum

References

Boericke W. Materia Medica with Repertory, 9th Ed. Boericke and Tafel, CA. 1927: p. 611.

Boiron, Michéle and Roux, François. Homeopathic Solutions Made Easy. Editions Similia, France. 2010: pp. 18-21.

Bronstein, Diana. Lecture: Mouth Ulcers Part 1: Herpetic Lesions. Presented via webinar on Sept 25, 2019.

Castro, Miranda, The Complete Homeopathy Handbook, St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY, (1990), pp. 23, 168.

Hering, Constantine. The Homeopathic Domestic Physician. Sherman & Co., PA. 1875: p. 207-08.

Herscu, Paul, The Homeopathic Treatment of Children, North Atlantic Books, Berkley, CA, 1991, pp. 25, 158, 166, 195.

Kaiser Permanente. Canker Sores (Homeopathy). Remedy Options. Retrieved on Aug 6, 2019 from https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=hn-2206002

Kent, James T. Repertory of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica, 6th American Ed. B Jain, Publ, India. 2000.

Lockie, Andrew, The Family Guide to Homeopathy, Fireside, 1st Ed., New York, NY (1993), p. 186.

Morrison, Roger. Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Hahnemann Clinic Publishing, Grass Valley, CA (1993), p. 42, 54, 68, 154, 170, 172, 246, 249, 260, 268, 324-25, 375.

Murphy, Robin. Homeopathic Clinical Repertory. Lotus Health Inst., VA. 2005, p. 1717.

Murphy, Robin, Nature’s Materia Medica, 3rd Ed., RR Donnelley and Sons, Co., 2006, pp. 230, 350, 352, 458, 1274, 1287, 1392, 1659, 1663, 1757, 1869, 1876.

Phatak SR. Concise Repertory of Homeopathic Medicines, 4th Ed. B Jain Publ. India. 2005: p. 270.

Wander, Phil. Dental Homeopathy. British Homeopathic Assoc. 2004. (Retrieved Apr 18, 2020)