L Lysine everyday keeps them at bay. For now, try anbesol. You put it right on the canker and it deadens the pain on contact. Helps to get through the unbearable days.
I’m still concerned she might have fuso, and if so, it’s my understanding they would put her on antibiotics.
Oral acyclovir tablets or valacyclovir can prevent the herpes simplex cold sore from even forming if taken at the VERY first signs. They are available by prescription only.
Such a hot topic!!! 
We will see what the doc/NP says tomorrow. I am half tempted to drive down for the appt to go with her. It’s in the mid afternoon and I was headed to her town Friday morning anyway for something else. I’m literally packing my stuff now and will make a decision in the morning. She said she would be ok to go on her own and I know she CAN but also I could make it happen without too much trouble.
She is just really a mess with the pain! Thank goodness she says she can sleep well.
Good luck @abasket ! My daughter had the flu (type A and type B at the same time) back in January and I was a basket case 4.5 hours away. Luckily lots of friends took good care of her. Prayers for quick healing.
Could it be hand foot mouth? That goes around in college too. A regular canker doesn’t usually come with sore throat.
I hate to say it, but I had what seems like the exact same thing. Terrible, terrible sore in the back of my throat. I couldn’t swallow, couldn’t eat. Developed into cold sores all around my mouth and nostrils. Eventually made its way up to my eye, where it was diagnosed by a ophthalmologist – it was one of the varieties of herpes.
I took an antiviral for a week or two, and used some special eye drops. It was very serious and there was a chance I’d lose sight in my eye.
Ultimately it resolved, but it took several weeks, and several visits to the eye doc.
I really hope she doesn’t have this, but if she develops any kind of eye involvement, she should see an eye doc asap, and be sure to tell him about the throat canker sore and mouth cold sores.
Canker sores definitely can cause a sore throat when located there because every time you swallow it hurts - and even in between swallowing. Certainly rule out others things but as the old medical saying goes, “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras”.
^I think you’re saying if it’s labeled a canker sore it’s probably just an angry canker sore???
I appreciate all the bits of info. I’m not a hover mom but since I was going down Friday morning I’m just planning to move it up and go tomorrow instead. I’ll let you know the outcome!
“I think you’re saying if it’s labeled a canker sore it’s probably just an angry canker sore?”
Most likely, yes. I know folks have mentioned other things but odds are it’s just the canker sore.
Enjoy the visit with your daughter. Nothing like a little mom TLC.
If the doc felt the need to test her for strep, the doc likely saw other signs in her throat, not just a canker sore. That is why I mentioned mono. No need to test for herpes simplex. If you have a cold sore, that’s the test. Canker sores are not caused by this virus, so acyclovir/valcyclovir mentioned up the thread will not do anything for a canker sore. But they do shorten the cold sores dramatically.
A good prescription for sores in mouth is Kenalog in Orabase. Ask your doctor to give you this prescription if you get canker sores frequently. It’s a paste and it’s to be applied right on the sores, dab it on thick with a q tip and make sure it’s on there for as long as possible. No food or drink preferably afterwards for many hours.
I usually dab it on at night before going to sleep and the canker sore is healed within 24 hours. I always keep a tube in my house.
When my daughter was born (very stressful) my eye herpes flared. I went to the eye doctor 19 (19!) times that year. Even then it wasn’t completely gone. Several years of back and forth.
It’s true that cold sores are generally outside the mouth and canker sores inside, but they are different issues with different treatments. Cold sores relate to the herpes simplex virus and are contagious. Doctors can prescribe several prescription treatments that target this virus. Canker sores are not contagious and have more varied causes and treatments. They partially relate to immune response, but stress, diet, nutrition, injury to the skin, medications, chronic diseases, and numerous other things can play a role.
I get canker sores from time to time. I used to get them often before taking an active effort to prevent them by using an over the counter mouthwash at least twice per day and brushing the gum/cheek surfaces where the sores often occur instead of just teeth.
The most positively reviewed treatment I’ve read about for canker sores and the one that has worked best for me is alum. Many report significant improvements within one day. Google search to read about how to apply it, although you probably won’t be able to use alum for the back of throat since you don’t want to swallow it. . I know from personal experience how painful and unpleasant esophageal ulcers can be. Treatment depends on the root cause, which can differ from traditional canker sores. A prescription mouth wash is often a good option. If it is too painful to swallow food, there are numerous liquid options, such as protein shakes and Ensure.
If she does have a variety of herpes, then that’s what she might have in the back of her throat, and not a canker sore. When I had mine, I was tested for strep, because that’s what it looked like back there. In fact the “canker sores,” “cold sores,” and the ocular involvement were all herpes.
But you’re going to see her, you’re on top of things, and she’ll get the proper care. Good luck!
Our miracle drug of choice is Triamcinolone Acetonide - Dental Paste - USP, 0.1% For topical use in adjunctive treatment of oral lesions. (Prescribed by our dentist)
We’ve tried most everything mentioned here over the years without great success. A neighbor told me about Triamcinolone Acetonide. Her son played sports, wore a mouth guard and constantly got ulcers in his mouth. She herself has a tiny bump on the roof of her mouth, easily injured, and prone to ulcer. This dental paste worked for those problems and any other mouth ulcerations. I called my dentist and we now keep a tube on hand, should we need it.
My oldest daughter, no longer at home, had painful mouth ulcers, stopped by the pharmacy and tried some over-the counter stuff. Ended up calling home, getting the name of “our” medicine, and calling her dentist for a prescription. Her dentist made a comment about more people needed to know about this medicine, prescribed it - and it took care of the problem.
You apply it with a q-tip directly on the ulceration. Try not to talk or eat/drink for awhile. Before bed is great; during the day, apply at a time you know you won’t rub it off immediately.
Good Luck, it sounds terribly painful. I second the Kenslog in Orabase (RX) it is triamcinolone in Orabase, the sticky thickness keeps & protects. For regular external cold sores etc: When I was a young pharmacist, an “old” pharmacist used to recommended CamphoPhenique the liquid ( not the gel-but I’ve used gel at times). It is camphor and phenol & I would only use it around lips, inner lip or gum, I’d be hesitant to use at back of throat. It disinfects and numbs, I take it on vacations for little cuts, scraps, insect bites etc. My guess is the magic mouthwash doesn’t stick well enough to help with pain- there are several “ “recipes” I hope it goes away soon.
I have been very prone to cold sores my entire life. They hurt, they take a long time to heal, and they are unsightly. Zovirax, which is the generic of Valtrex, has been a life changer. A surgeon put me on it pre-surgery 10 years ago and it was such a miracle, I’ve stayed on a daily dose since. I used to get 1-2 cold sores a month; now it’s 1-2 a year and they are of much shorter duration.
To me, canker sores are an ulceration, often from a bitten cheek or catching your tongue on a sharp tooth edge, etc. Painful and awkward, but not the same as cold sores. Cold sores are the virus traveling down the nerve path to erupt, some people feel prickles and discomfort along the entire nerve path, headaches, etc. Dry eyes are rough, eye cold sores are unimaginable, sounds miserable.
Acyclovir and Valtrex work wonders, the trick with cold sores, if not taking a preventative dose, is to notice the nerve sensations early and beat the virus back into submission with frequent small doses
@ignatius, does the dental paste work after the sore has formed? Does it actually heal or shorten the length the canker sore is present or does it just protect it so that it’s not as painful to subsequently eat, drink, swallow, etc? I swear by the medication I mentioned upthread but, if the canker sore has formed, it’s too late to use it. I’m very interested in hearing if your medication helps if I’ve missed the window to use mine.
@cbreeze, thanks for the info on the medicine you mention as well. I googled it and it’s also described as a dental paste. I wonder what the difference is between that and Ignatius’ Triamcinolone Acetonide - Dental Paste is.
@basket, please keep us posted about your D.