Many people who experience frequent recurrences of oral herpes take continual small doses of famcyclovir, valacyclovir, or acyclovir to prevent recurrences. Back to top Apthous Ulcers Apthous ulcers are small, shallow ulcers on the inside of the mouth. The ulcers look like herpes ulcers and are sometimes confused with an initial outbreak of oral herpes. Like herpes, Apthous ulcers are painful, especially when they come into contact with hot, spicy, or salty foods. Apthous ulcers always occur on the inside of the mouth.
Apthous ulcers can also occur in the esophagus.
Apthous ulcers usually go away on their own, within a week, without any treatment. Some patients make their own mouthwash out of an antacid, such as Maalox , and a local anaesthetic, such as Viscous Xylocaine . Swishing the mouthwash around the mouth provides relieve for half an hour or so. Prednisone can be helpful in shortening the course of a bad outbreak. Some studies have shown that thalidomide is effective in clearing up apthous ulcers.