However i did run accross this study in mice. Monolaurin protected mice from staph infections just as well as antibiotics. All untreated mice died. Mice taking monolaurin had 50-70% survival rate. So we know that monolaurin does have in-vivo demonstrable anti-bacterial effects. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23767861
Another study demonstrated potent anti-fungal effects: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27366648
Sadly specific studies against herpes i can't find. Probably because, once again, no big pharma money in it.
I went from having constant HSV2 outbreaks to none. How? Monolaurin. That's it. I tried lysine, all the supplements in the world, and anti-viral prescription meds. Nothing stopped the outbreaks. I was starting to lose hope and get very depressed. I stumbled on monolaruin through research. It was my last ditch effort to get some normalcy back in my life. Monolaurin (heavy dose, 9000mg/day) WORKS. It's crazy how well it worked. No outbreaks for months. I've never been clear of HSV2 outbreaks before and now i am. I have my life back. And beyond that i feel better than I've ever felt. Monolaurin kills all sorts of viruses and invading bacteria while not killing good bacteria, leaving your stressed out immune system with little to do :) Everyone should be taking this stuff, whether suffering from HSV or not. It would probably be a powerful disease preventative, although no studies have been done because there's no big pharma money in it. Shame.
Have any of you people been told by your doctors that researching this online will cause anxiety? Because the only this that causes me anxiety is researching it and seeing people exaggerating about how horrible this virus is and how many years they have had to withstand this horrible fate. Going to the dermatologist and the obgyn is nowhere near as anxiety driven as reading about it on these forums. I have lived with oral herpes for 20 years and let me tell you i never really cared much about it unless i had an outbreak and neither did any other person i have ever met, which is most people, that have it. Now that i have been diagnosed with hsv2 i really don't think of it as that big of a deal, i mean come on there are people at the risk of death with terrible diseases and you people are crying over something that can be treated and suppressed? maybe if you calmed down and stopped overanalyzing the situation you would suppress your symptoms and those of others who have to read your comments and stress about the "most horrible thing that could ever happen to someone in their life" I'm seriously just tired of hearing people say "there is not cure" "stuck with this forever" "viral shedding!" come on 1 out of 4 people have it, i've lived with cronic exzema my whole life. Its not that big of a ******* deal its the skin we are in deal with it and move on. PLEASE.
I'm sorry to hear about your adverse experience with acyclovir. However, it isn't relevant to my comments and it doesn't disagree with them. I didn't address side effects of acylovir or valacyclovir. Rare aberrant reactions can occur to almost any drug. But that fact doesn't at all challenge my advice about natural remedies versus acyclovir etc.
I just did a quick search of medical literature. There is a single case report that suggested acyclovir caused hair loss (see the link below). That tells you two things: 1) your experience may indeed be real, i.e. acyclovir was the cause in your case; and 2) if it was indeed the cause, it is an extremely rare side effect. In fact, so rare -- with only a single case report in the world's scientific literature -- that you might ask your doctor whether s/he might want to prepare the second such report, describing your case for a medical journal.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24669156
I am so sorry to say that but you are wrong. I have been on Acyclovir for a year now and developed many side affects including my hair falling out rapidly so I immediately stopped taking the medicine and now searching for natural remedies. I w.ould not advise anyone to stay on antivirals for the long term
Three facts to keep in mind in judging claims about herpes treatments:
1) Herpes is often misdiagnosed, and there are innumerable people who have atypical symptoms that they believe are due to herpes but are not. (This forum gets questions from such persons all the time.)
2) In people with true herpes, the course may be atypical or change over time: a sudden burst of more frequent outbreaks, an unexplained decline in outbreaks, additional symptoms that may or may not go along with the actual herpes symptoms. Also, over time there is a natural decline in outbreak frequency. If a new product is taken at certain times, it can appear to be very effective when it is not.
3) For many in both these groups, there is a major emotional/psychological component to herpes that affects their judgment and perception of symptoms. This makes them extremely susceptible to the placebo effect.
For those 3 reasons, claims of effectiveness by various herbal, natural, or other "nontraditional" products are the worst sort of evidence to help others judge how well they work. The most ardent claim of benefit by someone taking monolauren, lysine, and so on is best ignored as evidence.
What about research studies that go beyond individual claims? The same factors above make valid research especially difficult and expensive. It simply is not scientifically reliable to judge a drug's efficacy based entirely on patients' reports of how well it worked to reduce outbreak frequency or severity. It is imperative that the research include examination of outbreaks by objective professionals and testing of lesions for HSV. To my knowledge, there has never been a study of lysine, monolauren, various dietary manipulations, and so on that met these scientific criteria. All the available research studies are scientifically questionable or overtly unreliable. By contrast, there are of course numerous such studies of acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir.
It is ludicrous to claim that pharma intentionally ignores herbal and other natural remedies. The entire pharmaceutical industry for 150 years has been heavily focused on adapting or deconstructing natural compounds with reported effectiveness, or those with biological plausibility, to develop a very high proportion of drugs in regular use today by traditional medicine. This is especially the history of anti-infective drugs, i.e. antibiotics. If lysine, monolauren, etc had promise, they would have been developed for the big bucks they would bring in.
Finally, regardless of how strongly some of you believe in monolauren, lysine, or diet manipulations, remember this: Even if they might help symptoms or reduce outbreak frequency, they have absolutely effect on asymptomatic viral shedding, and therefore do not help protect partners from HSV transmission.
My advice to patients with herpes who are dissatisfied with their current treatment is to try lysine, monolauren, or whatever product they like, then try acyclovir or valacyclovir. Do it systematically, taking each drug long enough to cover at least 3 outbreaks at the frequency you've been having them, then switching to the other, then going back again. Keep careful diaries of all symptoms and oubreaks. They make your own decision about which is most beneficial to you.
Regards to all.
Thank you for the recommendations.
I also got HSV 1 on my genitals from a man who didn't know he had it since he didn't have outbreaks ever. After he got tested he found out he did have it and it looks like it was from oral sex, but they do say that when you carry it its in all your secretions like semen, etc. Anyway after the first 2 outbreaks it hasn't come back and its been 3 years now.
1. I also haven't been sexually active in all that time.
2. I use straight Tea Tree Oil on my genitals even inside a bit at opening at the first sign of a "twinge" or "tingle"
3. I take Lysine and balance my diet so I don't eat too much arginine containing foods like wine, chocolate, nuts, etc. (look it up, arginine feeds the HSV) or if I do then I balance it with the other foods that have lysine (look it up).
4. USE MONOLAURIN!!! I JUST STARTED FOR CANDIDA, BUT NOW I KNOW IT CAN WARD OFF HERPES TOO
5. After first outbreak I never used Acyclovir again bc it made me sick and I don't like chemicals when nature has answers to same problem and has no side effects!! that's the beauty of our intelligent natural world.
I forgot to add, in order to take monolaurin, you can drink coconut cream. I'm not sure how easy this is to obtain, but here in Thailand, it's easy. According to this report... "A Review of Monolaurin and Lauric Acid Shari Lieberman Ph.D.", canned coconut cream contains 23.3 grams of lauric acid, and raw coconut cream contains 37 grams. You'd need to Google the report.
I would think that the combination of taking this, together with L-Lysine and Tagamet, you should begin to feel like you are recovering. It is working for me anyway. I wish you well, Elizabethe. Jim.
I have been suffering from HSV1 complications for several years but recently managed the virus on my own by taking the following:
Tagamet - off-label use of a cheap drug used for anti-acid - it increases the immune system response. I find that after a few minutes of taking 200mg of this, my herpes nerve pain is reduced considerably. I take 3 x 200mg spread out during the day, followed by 400mg at bed time.
L-Lysine - 600 mg several times per day - also reduces symptoms.
Valacyclovir 3 x 500 mg per day. When symptoms are particularly bad, I double the dosage and this has a boosting effect, where nerve pain is almost eliminated.
I'm currently looking at various forms of ozone treatment, which appear to reduce the virus. There is supporting medical research worthy of note on this subject, although I see that the mainstream medical profession is not usually helpful in making simple and effective suggestions, as member Illumination_7 mentions in his post above.
I'm also looking at electrotherapy using a simply wrist-worn device which uses a magnetic field to remove viruses. I'm unsure of the merits of this, thus far, but the principle is very promising, even though of course the HSV virus remains in the nerve root, not the blood. How it works, I'm therefore uncertain. There is more at You Tube, if you search for "Bob Beck Herpes".
I'm 3 months into this nightmare and I haven't had one day that I'm not suffering. I continue to read about back to back outbreaks, but what about continuous outbreaks since the onset of symptoms?
My question is this, is there any real hope in treating symptoms? I haven't had any rx meds as I'm not insured and the antivirals are completely cost prohibitive for me.I thought of trying the Lauricidin (brand name for monolaurin). As opposed to bickering and disagreeing, does anyone have something beneficial to add ? I kind of feel lost at sea here.
Thanks so much,
Elizabethe
There is absolutely no scientific evidence that proves that the virus ever leaves the body. It does not. Please be cautious about what websites you get medical information from. Just because a website has the word "herpes," "health," "STD," etc. does not guarantee that it contains reliable information.
You say you were just diagnosed last Monday. I'm a 19-year veteran of the virus and a 15-year support leader in the HSV community. You'll want to do some reading from reliable websites and by experts who have been investigating the virus for many decades. A good place to start is the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) - a highly-credentialed, nonprofit organization that does not want your money, the way internet merchants do:
http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/std-sti/Herpes.html
I too believe in holistic medicine. I have read Dr Andrew Weil "Natural Health Natural Medicine" and wish there were more doctors like him that includes the alternative medicine with the traditional. There are herbs out there that work-- I know for instance the Ephedra herb that used to be in Breathe Easy tea worked great for asthma control but it was taken off the market due to people abusing it. I appreciate everyone's help in this matter.
I will try the monolaurin. If you could, let me know what your treatment consists of and if it is possible to get over the counter or if one has to go to a holistic doctor. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to my health, it's depressing. I just keep thinking it could be worse. Good luck.
the antivirals do not have a history of being safe to take. Most times the side effects are worse than what you are treating. Plus the long term effects are bad. Big Pharma will continue to say there is no cure because it is all about money for them. Same with the government. I believe in the holistic treatment/cure. Yes if you test positive for herpes, you will always have the antibodies in your system but that doesn't mean it's still there. Holistic has been around for centuries and is far easier on the body. I believe there are cures for everything but why would they come out with it when they are making BILLIONS of dollars on the treatment. I say, try to monolaurin out....I will if the holistic treatment I just started doesn't work(I was just diagnosed last Monday and was in on Wednesday for my holistic approach. But I'm positive it will be successful.
If it makes a difference, the antivirals have a history of being safe to take.
I was informed of the results on November 11, 2013 (Veteran's Day)
I was diagnosed through an HSV2 IgG blood test and was put on Valtrex. I know there is no cure for even the common cold but prefer not to take Valtrex for the rest of my life. Thanks for your response.
Hi - how were you diagnosed exactly? When you were told the results, did the doctor put you on antivirals, or give you a prescription to treat them? If not, ask him for one - insist.
And FYI, you just resurrected a thread that had been dead for well over a year.
Sure, but without any kind of credentialed research backing up the idea that these herbal remedies are indeed effective, you're just as bad as the big pharmas you so demonize, by asking people to take your testimony on faith that these substances work.
Furthermore, even research that show these substances have antiviral properties don't determine how exactly these substances are most effectively administered, unless they also develop a mode of administration and put it through enough credentialed clinical trials to prove that mode is effective. Without these trials, these remedies can't be proven to be anything other than snake oil, designed to separate patients from their money.
I just got on this forum since I recently found out I have HSV2. I have had symptoms for 4 years going on 5 years since be with my now ex-husband who has no symptoms. I had thought I just had an allergic reaction to him getting hives or what looked like a bug bite. They appear every month and even after he left which made me realize this is not an allergic reaction. Now I am looking on the internet for any help. I will try the monolaurin capsule. I am right now trying oregano P73 topically and orally and Olive Leaf extract capsules orally. I have used tea tree oil. I just started a month ago and I still get what look like bug bites. Never blisters. Have you used any of these? Thanks for informing us about your experience with monolaurin (lauric acid). I hope it does not take 30 years for these annoying itchy bumps to go awa .
Hi there -
While regurgitating the information you've been taught by the medical industry (which completely and ignores the medicinal value of natural herbs and minerals for healing) may help you feel like you are giving people sound, truthful advice, it is important to note that all you are doing is providing advice from the very narrow minded, self serving source, the medical/pharma industry from which you have been brainwashed. Since the FDA cannot patent herbal supplements, they cannot control them and make billions of dollars off of them like they can their man-made DRUGS with unnatural side effects, for which there are more DRUGS. Therefore, the FDA, Big Pharma, and medical doctors remain ignorant to the amazing benefits of all natural supplements. In medical school, all aspiring doctors and nurses are not taught ONE SINGLE THING about herbal treatments or cures, instead they are brainwashed with medical terminology and drug names so they can graduate and become the next leading drug pushers and dealers for the industry. So when you read the "This product has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat or cure any sickness or disease" remember all that means is, "This product cannot be patented by the FDA and therefore cannot be prescribed by doctors to make us billions of dollars, so we are going to force every manufacturer of herbal/mineral supplements such as this to put this disclaimer on their product to discourage people from ever believing it to be effective as a treatment or cure for what they are suffering from." Please remember that just because you've been told that every thing you've learned from the medical industry is FACT...it doesn't mean that there are undiscovered FACTS about herbs, plants, minerals that haven't had the billions of dollars needed for proper reasearch funded for them by the FDA, pertaining to their amazing healing, and curative properties that many people who have used them can testify to. In this light, after re-reading your post Emily, be aware that all you are doing is neglecting all the truths about everything you HAVEN'T learned, and only considering what you have learned as what everyone else should believe as the truth. You have not done any research of your own, you have not tried herbs for treating and curing disease and studied the effects, you have not even dared to think for yourself and discover anything...all you have done is let what we are told by the medical industry to travel in your ears and the regurgitate it out your mouth like a mindless drone. The purpose of this post by the OP was to HELP people...all you are doing is taking what the OP said and squandering readers' hope and potential motivation to try what the OP has said worked for her with your cold, bleak, recital of what you've been programmed to say. Sorry, but I believe people have more sense than to be deterred by your comment, and I believe people have a little more hope in a cure for their selves and the ones they love to not be led astray by what mindless drones of the medical/Pharma industry with tell them so they can keep their complete control, feed you pills for the rest of your life, watch you suffer from all the side effects and just keep creating pills for those until you die. Why would they WANT an all natural CURE for anything...the is NO MONEY in it for them. They want a self sustaining system. They have it, and they will watch millions of people suffer while they only fund drugs that TREAT chronic diseases instead of CURE them.
Thanks,
Illumination
Hi there -
While those may help you feel better, it is important to note that there is nothing that will cure herpes, or any virus.
Also, please speak with your medical provider before starting any new medication or supplement, as they all have side effects.
Thanks,
Emily