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Oil of Oregano

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Has anyone tried oil of oregano for any infection or inflamation?

I have a staph sinus infection that won't go away with antibiotics and someone mentioned oil of oregano.
I have no experience with this and hope that some of you do and can give me some feedback.

Thank you,
Nielk
 

mellster

Marco
Messages
805
Location
San Francisco
Hey, I am trying to take it daily at least as a maintenance dose, from my experiences it works well for infection, but you have to take at least 3-5 drops daily for the acute phase and 2 for maintenance, better even more - and it is quite strong tasting, so this sounds easier than it is ;) But would def recommend it, cheers
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Hey, I am trying to take it daily at least as a maintenance dose, from my experiences it works well for infection, but you have to take at least 3-5 drops daily for the acute phase and 2 for maintenance, better even more - and it is quite strong tasting, so this sounds easier than it is ;) But would def recommend it, cheers

Thanks, mellster
by the way, I love your avatar - every time I see it, it brings a smile to my face (not an easy feat these days)
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
Hi Nielk--

I am so sorry you are having such awful infections. I am sending you good thoughts and as much info as I have available to me.

First of all, please note: Oregano oil is VERY STRONG. My stomach cannot handle it. That's not to say that yours couldn't, but just beware it can be very harsh on digestive organs. If you use it, be sure it is in a diluted form with olive oil or some other ingestible oil. There are other antibiotic herbs that might be helpful too, (like goldenseal, andrographis, or GSE--grapefruit seed extract, which is my personal preference, or Chinese herbs like the ones listed here: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5619134_chinese-herbs-sinus-infections.html), but I think you would need an experienced naturopath, TCM practitioner or herbalist to help you figure that out, since your problem is a chronic one. I don't think there is a one size fits all remedy for any kind of infections.

I use to have a lot of sinus infections too. What helped me most was rinsing my sinuses 2X/day with salt water using a netti pot. It was a great investment, costing me only $15. It does take a few times to get the hang of using it, but once you do, it takes only about a minute or two of time, and is well worth the effort.

I had a friend who had severe sinus issues, to the point that the doctors wanted to do some kind of surgery on her sinus cavities. She began using a netti pot religiously, and within a few months there was some major improvement, that called off any need for surgery. She hasn't had a problem since and still uses the netti pot now as a preventative.

NETTI POT
http://www.amazon.com/Himalayan-Institute-Ceramic-Neti-Pot/dp/B000WJIC3G

Also, there is a nasal spray made by Nutribiotic that is really helpful. When I get a touch of infection, I use that. It stings a little, but maybe that's what makes it effective.
NUTRIBIOTIC NASAL SPRAY: http://www.iherb.com/NutriBiotic-Nasal-Spray-with-GSE-1-fl-oz-29-5-ml/4219?at=0


Neti_pot.jpg
 

mellster

Marco
Messages
805
Location
San Francisco
Agree with Dreambirdie that the oil of oregano is on the strong side and other herbs might help as well, esp. Andrographis where I would strongly recommend the tea in addition to capsules - it is not harsh/strong but very very bitter but if you can take bitter taste the tea is super effective, just brew it once or twice a day:
http://beautiquethai.auctivacommerce.com/40-Bags-Andrographis-Paniculata-Tea-For-Influenza-Antiviral-P308643.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Product_Search&utm_campaign=google_base
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
Wow Mellster! I would never ever ever want to attempt to drink a tea with andrographis. YUKKO!

In China they have an expression "my life is as bitter as chuan xin lian," (chian xin lian is the Chinese translation for andrographis). In other words, there is NOTHING more bitter in the world.

I definitely would vote for the capsules or even tablets of andrographis, over the tea.

But my first choice would be the GSE--less harsh than both andrographis or oregano oil.
 

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,200
Location
Canada
I found O of O to be very harsh. burning to the tissues of the mouth, esophagus, etc. It also lowered my platelet count to below normal levels. The platelets came back after I stopped taking it.

Maybe OK for some, but I found it very nasty! Certainly dilute it if you do take it.
 

mellster

Marco
Messages
805
Location
San Francisco
Dreambirdie, it is bitter but not harsh and you can somewhat train yourself to an acquired taste ;) The thing is whenever my stomach cramps or bloats I brew a cup of andrographis and it relives the cramping and bloating and inflammation within minutes - absolutely amazing..
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Thank you everyone for your advice.
I have been using the netti pot but now even that is stinging. I just came back from the ENT and she said that my sinuses are so inflamed and swollen that she had great difficulty getting the swab through for a culture.
I already had sinus surgeries twice.
I know the root cause is allergies to pollen and somehow I have a major weakness in my sinuses.
I had used a prescription nasal spray - flonase and it made things worse. The tissue got all red and scabby from it. The doctor gave me now a pediatric nasal rinse kit
which she feels will be calmer on my sinuses.
I have been on antibiotics and prednisone for the past 6 weeks. The prednisone helps a bit with the inflammation but, when I go off it it gets worse and my mood gets affected -
like i can't stop crying for days.
At least this time i'm not going on the steroids again and am waiting for the result of the culture.
I thought that oil of oregano would be soothing but thanks for the warning.
i wish I can just spray in some anesthesia to get some relief from the pain.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Thank you everyone for your advice.
I have been using the netti pot but now even that is stinging. I just came back from the ENT and she said that my sinuses are so inflamed and swollen that she had great difficulty getting the swab through for a culture.
I already had sinus surgeries twice.
I know the root cause is allergies to pollen and somehow I have a major weakness in my sinuses.
I had used a prescription nasal spray - flonase and it made things worse. The tissue got all red and scabby from it. The doctor gave me now a pediatric nasal rinse kit
which she feels will be calmer on my sinuses.
I have been on antibiotics and prednisone for the past 6 weeks. The prednisone helps a bit with the inflammation but, when I go off it it gets worse and my mood gets affected -
like i can't stop crying for days.
At least this time i'm not going on the steroids again and am waiting for the result of the culture.
I thought that oil of oregano would be soothing but thanks for the warning.
i wish I can just spray in some anesthesia to get some relief from the pain.

Hi,

I replied to you on a different thread, but I'll continue here. If you take oregano oil internally, I think it works best to put a couple of drops in an empty capsule and fill the rest with olive oil. Oil of oregano is very strong and is unpleasant if it comes into direct contact with the skin or mouth. It is not soothing, but used properly won't be stinging and is very good at killing bacteria and viruses.

I don't use a neti pot but the Grosan sinus irrigator--designed by an ENT.

http://www.hydromedonline.com/hp.html

It pulses the solution much higher into the sinuses. I never use a solution that stings. I mix sea salt, baking soda, and xylitol and put a small amount into the water solution, adjusting the amount so that it is comfortable.

The amount of oil of oregano that I use is maybe 1/50th of a drop! If I put in too much and it burns, I dilute it much more.

Sinus problems have plagued me most of my life. I found, interestingly enough, that when I took a course of xifaxin (which works only in the gut), my sinus problems disappeared for a few months. So I am now interested in the relationship between gut and sinus infections.

Best wishes,
Sushi
 

gu3vara

Senior Member
Messages
339
Wow Mellster! I would never ever ever want to attempt to drink a tea with andrographis. YUKKO!

In China they have an expression "my life is as bitter as chuan xin lian," (chian xin lian is the Chinese translation for andrographis). In other words, there is NOTHING more bitter in the world.

I definitely would vote for the capsules or even tablets of andrographis, over the tea.

But my first choice would be the GSE--less harsh than both andrographis or oregano oil.

Regarding GSE I was all for it until I began digging deeper to find more about its properties, that explains quite well that GSE active ingredient is an harmful synthetic chemicals, despite being an antiseptic. Chlorox is one too and you wouldn't put it in your body.

http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.../the-truth-about-grapefruit-seed-extract.html

Plus it's strongly inhibit cytochrome p450, so if you are taking meds like antidepressants, warfarin and many other meds, you won't be able to clear them efficiently from your blood and they will stack up. Cheney recommends against anything that significantly impair detox pathways, like this stuff does.

I'm interested in taking olive leaf extract but I read that it does some inhibition too, though not as much I believe.
 

silicon

Senior Member
Messages
148
You can also take oil of oregano gel-caps. This is what I have done in the past, as I don't do well with ingesting any liquid oil. Like any antibiotic, it should not be used for long periods of time, or perhaps not even more than several days.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
i take 150mg in an oil capsule, which is suspended in olive oil.

Been taking it about a month. Too early to tell if its working on viruses - which is why i am taking it. But i havent had any problems with it.

I am tempted to take more. But i dont know how much is a good dose. How much mg are you others on here taking?
 

sianrecovery

Senior Member
Messages
828
Location
Manchester UK
I took oregano oil in capsules to get rid of an intestinal parasite blastocystosis. It didnt, and I didnt notice any other effects. you might want to check out the dr shoemaker stuff on ultra resistant staph in the sinus area in Surviving Mold or his website mold warriors. Another website I saw with a section on nasal drops and resistant staph was called betterhealthguy. As for me, right or wrong, I have no idea, but I use a cotton bud to clean the sides of my nasal passage with collodial silver, and then snort a bit up each nostril. Its worked ok for me, but I think the earlier posts on netti pots probably contain better advice
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
i take 150mg in an oil capsule, which is suspended in olive oil.

Been taking it about a month. Too early to tell if its working on viruses - which is why i am taking it. But i havent had any problems with it.

I am tempted to take more. But i dont know how much is a good dose. How much mg are you others on here taking?

Oregano reduced my Epstein Barr titers by about a third. At that time I was taking it in a tablet from Bioteks. Now when I take it, I put two or three drops of Young Living Oils oil of oregano in a capsule and fill it up with olive oil. I don't know what mg that is. I do it once or twice a day but not for long periods. I believe you shouldn't take it for more than a few weeks at a time without a break.

Best,
Sushi
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
I just took my first Wild Oregano Oil. It contains olive oil in the mixture. It says it kills bacteria, yeast and mold.
When I went to this local healthfood store to buy it, the owner was helping me chose it and I was explaining my problem with my sinuses - out of
the blue, she asked me if I've been eating pistachio nuts. I couldn't believe she asked me that because I've been eating pistachio nuts every day now for
a while because of a specific diet I'm on. She said that pistachio nuts have mold in them. She said peanuts too but, other nuts are okay.
Obviously, I am going to refrain from eating more pistachio nuts. Did anyone else know about this?
 

L'engle

moogle
Messages
3,200
Location
Canada
I heard to avoid nuts on the candida diet to avoid mold. I wonder if heating them in a toaster oven for a bit would kill the mold.
 

u&iraok

Senior Member
Messages
427
Location
U.S.
I've used oregano many times. Once as part of a regimine that included Grapefruit Seed Extract and Betaine HCL to cure clostridium difficule. It cured it in two months of taking a very bitter drink.

It's one of the strongest natural antiviral/antifungal/antibacterials. Collodial Silver is also up there.

Regarding bitter herbs there seems to be some connection between bitterness and pathogen killing. Oregano, wormwood, goldenseal, dandelion, olive leaf extract, horopito, barberry. GSE and bitter melon, too, though not herbs. Less bitter and maybe not the top line killers but effective: fennel, rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, garlic, ginger. I'm sure a herbalist could explain this.