Lemon Balm - potent antiviral herb for herpes & other viruses

[Mary]

I first took lemon balm to help wtih sleep and found that it made me herx quite badly, much to my surprise. I then did a little research and found several studies done in test tubes which showed it effective against herpes viruses (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18693101; also see http://www.drugs.com/npp/lemon-balm.html, which indicates it is effective against certain other viruses, including possiblyi HIV-1)

There are more studies if you do a google search.

I do think most of these studies are test tube (in vitro) but it hit me like a ton of bricks, so I think it works in vivo as well. I don't know what it's killing in my body but it's definitely killing something. I foolishly started with 2 capsules twice a day (for sleep, thinking it was going to be like chamomile - I had no idea of its antiviral properties) and found I had to cut back to one capsule a day, which I am tolerating. I had been fighting some sort of bug for 2-1/2 weeks and finally am starting to feel human again.

It also has other benefits and is very cheap. The stuff I am taking is from vitacost.

Mary

 

[atoska]

Thanks for sharing Mary!
Are you feeling any better from cfs symptoms? let us know how you do!!

 

[Wayne]

It also has other benefits and is very cheap. The stuff I am taking is from vitacost.

Thanks for posting this Mary. I went out and bought some in bulk at the local food coop after reading your post; even cheaper than the capsules. Apparently it grows wild around here, so it may become even cheaper yet. I'm going to brew some up now. I'll let you know if I get some positive results.

Wayne

 

[Mary]

atoska - My cfs symptoms are no better (my worst cfs symptom is PEM - crashing after not too much exertion), but I think the lemon balm did help with this horrible bug I was fighting. It seemed to be in my sinuses, but it also just made me very tired, no stamina. Finally yesterday I started to feel halfway normal again, which means feeling well enough to do a few things and then crash if I'm not careful!

But I am going to keep taking the lemon balm for awhile. I do muscle testing on my own and it indicates I should keep taking it for another week or so. I am curious to see if I increase the dose, if the herxing will be as severe or maybe the worst is over.

I don't think it will prevent me from crashing, but we'll see. The main thing that impressed me was how strongly I herxed while taking it. But if something magical happens, if my stamina increases, I'll post about that. In any event, I now have something new that may help the next time I get sick.

 

[Mary]

Hi Wayne - I hope the lemon balm helps you. I just would caution you that it seems to be very powerful stuff, so I would go easy with it, although it's possible the capsules I've been taking are more concentrated than what you will get in the tea. I am only taking one capsule a day now, though in a day or two may go up to two. Good luck!

Mary

 

[atoska]

having something to take when we get sick is great! ill try it next time. i get sick very often and it takes me a long time to fight whatever i get.( i havent got a normal flew in some years, i just feel like i get sick but with no normal fever or cough or soar throat) ill try the lemon balm and see if it helps. im also about to start LDN, im hoping that will help me fight infections too.
Keep us posted with the lemon balm! hope it prevents you from crashing or it gives you a little more energy!

 

[penny]

A couple of other interesting, perhaps relevant, tidbits (both are from wikipedia):

• It looks like Lemon Balm can have a calming effect by increasing GABA. It's a "potent inhibitor of GABA transaminase", which "is an enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of [GABA] and 2-oxoglutarate into succinic semialdehyde and glutamate."
• It may inhibit absorption of thyroid medications

I haven't tried this myself but Lemon Balm tea is on the grocery list.

 

[Mary]

atoska - I'm like you - I get sick very often and it also takes me a long time to fight whatever I get, and I don't get the flu either or fever etc. I keep trying different things to strengthen my immune system. I did try ldn about 2 years ago, and unfortunately it didn't help - just made me quite spacey and I had trouble functioning! But I know it has helped many people so I hope it helps you.

I am going to start chelating for mercury using Andrew Cutler's protocol in a couple of weeks. I read where Vega on this board did this after doing the methylation protocol (I forget whether it was Rich's or Freddd's) but she said it (the chelation) eliminated her post-exertional malaise. It's the one thing I haven't tried. I have been doing Freddd's protocol with some sucess but still crash depressingly frequently.

Good luck with everything -

Mary

 

[Mary]

penny - I've read the same thing about lemon balm perhaps inhibiting the absorption of thyroid meds, but I also read that that was one-sided, and that it can help normalize the thyroid, whether over or under active. The needed studies just haven't been done. I do take desiccated thyroid. Anyways, I'm going to stick with it for awhile and see what happens. We are our own guinea pigs!