08/10/2012: Renate from Kenosha, Wisconsin: "I have heard about oil pulling through my cousin who uses sunflower oil and works wonders for her. I am presently in chemo for breast cancer but have had a double masectomy with reconstruction just 6 months ago, I am only being given Herseptin and want to try the sunflower oil. Before I try this I need to know if anyone out there does this while going through the treatments as I was just informed a couple of days ago that I will be going through Herceptin for the next year & half.............. Please get back to me as soon as you can my body feels terrible I gained 50lbs. Have no energy and my mouth feels awful.. Desperately seeking answers."

[YEA]  08/10/2012: Funmilicious from Lagos, Nigeria: "I have been oil pulling with coconut oil for over 6 months now and I have had amazing results in two areas: my sinuses and my breath, I guess the two were related.

I have had terrible sinuses since I was a kid, hereditary, my father was always pulling mucous and spitting out (gross) several times every single day. Mine sinuses were not that bad, but was bad enough.

First I tried nasal rinsing with neti pots and then the sinus wash bottle. It worked great by getting rid of my tonsil stones and I still do sinus rinse occasionally.

Oil pulling does a great job of pulling out excess mucous from the sinuses a d cleaning out the nasal passages.

I have not had a cold in several months, my sinuses are clear and I have great breath. Thank you earth clinic."

[BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS]  08/07/2012: Stella from New York: "I started oil pulling with organic VCO. I followed the procedure and even did the 5 minutes ted recommended instead of 20. My skin looked great and my gums started to improve but about a week after, I noticed that my teeth were sensitive. It was as if my fillings were loosening. I had to chew slowing and avoid sugar, even xyitol. After I stopped pulling, most of the sensitivity went away. Has anyone else experienced this? I'd like to continue but not if my fillings are going to loosen."

08/01/2012: Kathy from Henrico, Virginia: "I keep seeing this term that I am totally unfamiliar with and different oils being used. Would someone please tell me exactly what it is or how to do it? I am having some difficulty and cannot continue to sit here trying to look up things."

07/30/2012: Carol from Denver, Colorado: "Has anyone tried Kukui Nut Oil for Oil Pulling?"

07/02/2012: Dorit from Palm Springs, Ca: "I saw the discussion regarding mouth wash vs. using Baking Soda after the oil pulling. It is really important, if you use baking soda (I do) to use one without Aluminum. Red Mill for example, makes Baking Soda that states on the package that it is Aluminum Free. Personally, I also mix in salt with the baking soda. I use Celtic Sea Salt.

All the best, Dorit"

06/20/2012: Nicole from Toronto, Ontario, Canada: "I have a question about oil pulling, preferably with coconut oil, which I would use to improve my general oral health.

I was born with hip dysplasia and when I was about 3 or 4 years old, I had pins and screws inserted into each of my hips to hold things in place. I am now 19. Now this might be a silly question, but will oil pulling affect these metal screws and pins at all? Will it damage them or make them weaker?"

05/26/2012: Donna from St. Clements, Manitoba, Canada: "Hi Ted: I'm curious what your opinion is on my situation. I started oil pulling a week ago, and have not noticed any significant changes. I have 7 root canals and 14 crowns. I suffer from osteoarthritis of the knees and shoulders mostly, but also fatigue and depression. I eat gluten free, sugar free and very low starch, mostly organic; no packaged food, pop or even juice. Just quinoa, flax and chia seed, organic vegetables, and some local fish, and free range chicken with an apple here and there. I am wondering if the op is going to remove the bacteria at the base of the root canals, and as I have read recently, could be the cause of my arthritis. I'm thinking of having all the root canals pulled, but I can't afford all the bridge work to replace them. Any advice from you would be appreciated.

Thank you so much for your time, Donna"

[BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS]  05/23/2012: Betsy from Northampton, Northants, England: "I am on my fourth day of OP with Coconut oil and since day 3 I have had a really dry mouth. This is not something I have ever suffered from before. I am drinking about 4 litres of water a day. I am ok when I eat something but about an hour later I am really dry again. Has anyone else suffered from this because I have read a lot of posts and not come across this side effect. I have also come out with a very spotty face which I am hoping is just my body detoxing. On the plus side I have much less hunger and don't crave any sweet food at all, most unlike me."

05/21/2012: Patsy from Stockton-on-tees, Uk: "I have been using Rice Bran oil for about 4 weeks now. I have seen no other comments about the use of this oil so would like confirmation that it is ok to use (all I had in the store cupboard when I began). It seems to have cured my gum problem - I can safely rinse my mouth with cold water without pain - something impossible to do before. There doesn't seem to be any other improvements so far, however I think I have a cleaner tongue. How long does one keep going with this?"

[BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS]  05/06/2012: Wendy from Haddon, Australia: "Hi I have been oil pulling for two weeks, in the first week I felt energised and my mouth felt wonderful, my blocked ear and nose became clear after a year of trying every thing for this, however in the second week I feel very tierd to the point of not wanting to get out of bed my bags under my eyes have doubled and I have had pain in my shoulders and elbows that I have never had I am wondering is this normal or should I stop oil pulling. I thank you for taking the time for reading my question. Kindess Regards Wendy"

[YEA]  04/09/2012: Lee from Boone, North Carolina: "I just started oil pulling 3 days ago. My main desire is to cure joint pain, but one thing I noticed after only 3 times is that my mouth feels great. I was having a lot of pain in a tooth that has had a root canal & another tooth with a cavity. I was getting ready to get a dentist appt. But the pain is completely gone after the oil pulling. I hope it works that well on my joints."

04/04/2012: Giveitagojones from Edinburgh, Uk: "I have been using Coconut oil for about 6 months now.

I stopped during a period of dental treatment (I had a wisdom tooth removed that was more filling than tooth, I strongly believed it was the cause of a strange cough I had had since the filling was done, the cough was difficult to describe, but it would disappear if I didn't brush my teeth???), I opted to have the tooth removed. A few days after the extraction and still not back to oil pulling, I suffered what can only be described as hell, my blood pressure shot up and I experienced palpitations like never before. The inflammation and discharge at the wound in my gum had allowed an infection to spread throughout my body.

The advice from my Doctor "go and see the Dentist", the advice from my Dentist "That's normal, just use some some salt water to clean the area", the advice from the emergency room I quickly visited shortly after that same day "It's not a heart attack, try to exercise more and stop smoking", the advice from a Consultant after I had completely lost my patience (and mind) five minutes later, "Take this Amoxicillin (Penicillin), and go and see your Doctor if it doesn't improve".

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I didn't bother with the antibiotics and went back to oil pulling, 3 days later, all was well (I did go crazy on my "cure all" Ginger as well), in hindsight, I should have just stuck with the oil pulling and sucking on a cut piece of Ginger root after the extraction, and when I get trouble with my teeth again (as we all will), I don't intend pausing the oil pulling.

Has anybody ever had a bad reaction to Coconut or Ginger when used together or alone, in any form?

(I should add with respect to the coughing situation above, the cough disappeared within a day or so after the tooth removal, and the only other way I could stop it was by oil pulling, but this would only last for about two hours or so).

This is an excellent site by the way and was the source of my original discovery of oil pulling.

As for the saturated fat issue with Coconuts, I don't sell Coconuts or have any interests in the Coconut industry, I personally feel that they are doing me no harm, your experience may be different, good luck and God bless to all (I hope this helps someone)."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/31/2012: Dorothy from San Francisco, Ca: "I've been oil pulling for five months, and I've noticed an increasing heart rate, which got up to around 95 bpm at the most. Usually my heart rate is around 65-72 bpm. I've felt increased energy and have lost weight, even more than I would like. After my heart rate shot up, I quit OPing altogether for a about a week and a half and am now OPing every few days. I realize that I could be going through a healing crisis, but how long do these crises usually last? I've had difficulty sleeping and feel very fidgety frequently. I don't understand it. Can anyone shed light on this? I want to continue OPing, but I don't want my heart rate to be out of control. I'm nearing 60 years of age. Thanks for any feedback!"