General Feedback
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I started doing the oil pulling last week, missed a couple days over the weekend, then started back this week. Both when I first started and now since I've re-started my lymph nodes are swollen and extremely sore. Is this normal? It seems to me that it's traveling down my body, the first week was the nodes in my neck area, this week it's my arms and underarms. I was just wondering if it's normal...I thought perhaps it's because my body is ridding itself of toxins through the oil pulling. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks.
(San Diego, San Diego)
05/28/2008
Hi Paige....I am not a doctor or any other kind of health care professional; however, swollen lymph glands/nodes can be associated with infections and/or disease; since the symptoms you describe seem to disappear after stopping your swishing and then return once OP is reinstated it could be your Detox theory. I too noticed some lymph gland enlargement (even some neck veins) following my first swish or two....I continued swishing while reducing the force I was using and all gland/vein problems seem to have resolved..Good luck.
(Los Angeles, CA)
05/30/2008
Hi Paige/ Roseann,
Regarding your swollen lymph nodes, what oil are using using for oil pulling? I think it is the sunflower oil which is causing it. I used to do oil pulling with sesame oil and was perfect but recently i started with sunflower oil and have swollen lymph nodes. I would suggest continue with your oil for sometime and if it does not get better then switch it to some other oil.
(Southern, Illinois)
08/03/2008
★★★★★
Regarding swelling lymph nodes as a side effect of Oil Pulling. I have had bumps under my arms all my life -- just thought that's what armpits looked like. I tried oil pulling for a week or so last year (Sesame oil, tablespoon or so). I only swished for 1 or 2 minutes (hoped to work up to longer). I immediately noticed my teeth were whiter, or maybe just shinier. But what absolutely astonished me was that the lumps/bumps under my arms were GONE. Completely! I had never in my life had smooth armpits before! I was flabbergasted. Well, life got busy and I quit oil pulling. My armpits returned to their former lumpiness. The Sesame oil sat on a shelf in the bathroom for about a year. I recently decided to try it again. I had no idea if the oil was still good -- but thought it couldn't hurt. I have only been oil pulling for 3 days, again just for a minute or so, and -- unbelievable -- the bumps under my arms are almost gone again! It's so blatant, it makes me laugh! Well, I am definitely going to keep up the Oil pulling routine (btw I only did it in the a.m.) -- and also am going to try to work up to doing it for a longer time. The longer I swish, as others know, the more the oily stuff becomes watery and you have to go longer to reach this stage. I don't know if the bumps under my arms are lymph nodes (they aren't painful or anything) -- whatever they are, they are almost gone again! I have also been feeling a renewed energy in the morning and hadn't known why, maybe because I was trying to drink my 8+ glasses of water a day-- now I think it's due to the oil pulling. I'm going to keep oil pulling and see if I keep feeling energetic, watch those bumps disappear, and see what else happens! If my half-hearted attempt yields these phenomenal and immediate results . . . something is definitely going on.
General Feedback
Oil Pulling for Asthma.. I have been oil pulling on & off for the past year. I haven't noticed any change in my asthma but have noticed whiter teeth. Has anyone any more info on this Dr. Karach? Does he exist? & why hasn't he responded to this site? Many repeat this one source of text as absolute truth. Not to discredit many of the anecdotal claims here, though I believe some skepticism is actually healthy. One can fill a stadium with nonsense...& vast numbers of people repeating the same untruth won't change it to true.
(Auckland, New Zealand)
06/02/2008
(San Francisco, CA)
06/18/2008
I'm only going to interject a moment here. I think it's sad when people take one therapy and expect it to be a magic bullet. True OP can help a myriad of conditions, but it is an adjunct to other therapies you should be doing, like eating healthy, bathing well (using oxygen based therapies like magnesium and H202) and a number of other things.
This magic bullet doesn't exist. Natural health takes more work than going to the doctor and getting pharmaceuticals.
OP kills the bacteria in the mouth that can overwhelm the system. It should be only one thing in your arsenal towards good health, not the only thing.
I wish the person with asthma much luck. There are a ton of things out there in the natural health arena to pursue and read about. Please don't nay say OP because it hasn't helped your one condition.
Molly
(Tempe, AZ)
06/19/2008
Asthma: Cut out wheat and dairy for a few weeks and see what happens. This means cut it out completely. Many people find relief with this simple elimination diet. Did I mention you should cut out these common allergens COMPLETELY? No exceptions. If it's going to make a difference, you'll see it in 4-6 weeks max. Curious if it's working? Then after 3-4 weeks try a slice of wheat bread and see if you feel crummy.
(Los Lunas, New Mexico)
06/24/2008
What in the world is oil pulling and what is it used for?
(Manhattan, New York)
08/05/2008
thanks Jon, for the suggestion...I have learned to omit wheat from my diet & do feel better for it. As for the oil pulling, I am not giving it a big thumbs down, just stating my experience. I gave it a go for a few weeks straight at various intervals & didn't notice any difference in my breathing. I have tried many things over the years for my exercise induced asthma... herbs, accupuncture, & eliminating triggers has been the most help...clean environment, anti-inflammatory diet & with the passing of my cat, I rarely use my inhaler. I still oil pull occasionally for oral health. & Molly I think you're right..as I believe the root for me may be more emotional than physical.
(Pasadena, CA. USA)
10/18/2008
General Feedback
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Hi there! I discovered this site 2 weeks ago and i really liked it. I started oil pulling since that very first day. I suffer from sinus, swollen legs, acidity, hair loss, candida, fungus and bad breath. However, i haven't noticed any change up to now except for my skin which is a little smoother. It has always been smooth though. My mouth doesn't even "feel great" like many of you and the bad breath is still there. I maintain a VERY good dental hygiene. Any advice would be highly appreciated.
(Brooklyn, NY)
05/09/2008
Hi. I just came across this therapy and am going to give it a try--it's cheap! Regarding your candida and other issues--what else are you doing? The diet, anti-fungals, supplements? I have similar problems and high copper/heavy metals. I have recently added zinc to my arsenal of supplements and feel that it is helping a lot! Also, Natural Dentist mouthwash has Grapefruit Seed Extract in it and helps keep candida out of my mouth--as far as I can tell! I am also having interesting results with acupuncture. And I recommend yoga to everyone!
(DC, USA)
06/18/2008
It very well may be related to your level of toxicity. Those with higher levels take a while longer for any one thing to be obviously resolved. Your body, in it's amazing ability to heal itself will take care of the most pressing dis-eases and problems first and less homeostasis threatening issues after. Same holds true for any type of detox (fasting, rawfoods, Essiac, MMS, etc.).
(Montreal, Canada)
06/19/2008
(Austin, TX)
08/22/2008
8/22/08 for Sheena - Try getting rid of wheat, suger, and milk in your diet. Candida loves wheat and suger (including hi-sugar fruit). If you are a person of color, as I am, milk could be a problem for you. As I have gotten older, I've found that milk and wheat intolerance has increased the symptoms you mentioned and I have all sorts of other symptoms such as red eye, swoll-painful lymph nodes in neck, joint/shoulder pain terrible breath, stomach problems and large amounts of mucus. Increase your water consumption to near a gallon a day and try a low carb diet (i.e. veggies, low-sweet fruit, and meat) for at least 7 days and see if your problems don't abate or even disappear. I lost weight and got rid of my problems with this diet. Keep Oil pulling to lower your desire (as I have found) for sugar and add 1-2Tab ACV once a day before a meal. I've found increased energy and a clearer mind with the Apple Cider Vinegar. Cat
General Feedback
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I have been oil pulling for app. 7 weeks to help with allergies and sinus problems, eczema, IBS and insomnia. I have suffered from extremely low energy levels for app. 1 year but seem to be getting better after using omega 3 supp., stress vit. and vit.c.( my hair always seems oily and dull now no matter that I wash it every day and with different shampoos ) I do not seem to notice anything with the oil pulling as yet however I have had a strong metallic taste in my mouth for a week that has not gone away yet. I started using organic sunflower oil for 20 min. which always turned white and recently switched to cold pressed organic sesame oil for 30 min. that never gets as white as the sunflower oil did. after reading your Q&A my new routine is : drink baking soda water, brush teeth with toothpaste, oil pulling, rinse with salt water,brush teeth without toothpaste and drink 2 1/2 glasses of water. Can you comment or make improvements to my routine and explain the metallic taste as no one else has mentioned it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
(Atlanta, Georgia)
07/28/2008
Hey there Camille. Glad to see you're being so proactive about your oral hygiene and overall health. Looking at your routine, you are doing a few things out of order. I hope this information helps. Your routine should START with OP. Do it first thing in the morning. Well, you should FLOSS first. Also based upon your symptoms, it sounds like you have a BAD case of parasites. Try a Health Food Store or a herbal company you trust and get a liquid/tincture of Black Walnut (also a tooth whitener). Add 10 drops to 1 Tbs Sesame Oil (make sure it's RAW sesame seed oil, NOT toasted). Now, really focus on swishing thoroughly, making sure you don't swallow any mucous that comes up as it will be loaded with parasites. Then take a few minutes after getting it all out to let your mouth settle back before you do the rest of your routine. Next brush using an organic toothpaste. Any salt rinsing should be with Sea Salt, not table salt. Brushing afterwards with nothing else is fine.
Only swallow something alkaline into your acidic stomach (like baking soda or calcium/magnesium) at NIGHT before bed. Again, allowing your mouth to set for a while, the best thing you can put in your stomach in the morning is a fresh apple! Surprise. Surprise. Don't cut it, just bite into it! :-)
(Crofton, Md)
03/04/2010
I'm new to this site and just started oil pulling with flax seed oil, so I can't really comment on it yet. However, I found your comment about the metallic taste in your mouth interesting. I kept suffering from a metallic taste in my mouth (among other problems)and I am now convinced it was the eye drops I was using. I have Sjogren's so I'm constantly dealing with dry eyes and mouth. You mentioned you have allergies, so I'm wondering if you use eye drops a lot or recently switched to a different brand while you started the oil pulling? I found out that the drops can enter your bloodstream through your tear ducts. Once I stopped using eye drops the metallic taste went away. I'm now using this over-the-counter pure water mist spray that I found at my local pharmacy. Just thought I would share.
General Feedback
This post is in response to those who are experiencing a general nausea/headache/joint pain while participating in a treatment. The experience can be considered a "Herxheimer Reaction". This is the response by the body to a rapid die-off of a bacterial contaminant or purging of a heavy metal. The body is overloaded by these toxins as it tries to expel them from the body and responds with the general aches and pains. If the sensation becomes too intense, back off on the treatment for a brief period until the body can catch up with the load placed on it and then resume the treatment. Best Wishes
General Feedback
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aloha Molly from SF who wrote about her oil pulling experience of 3 years.....I have done OP now for 18 months, every A.M. using sunflower oil. I appreciate your advice about switching oils every 2 months as I plan to do OP for the rest of my life.....my mouth, teeth and gums have never been better...and I really think it has kept me from getting sick with colds and such. OP is easy, cheaper than drugs and so effective..
(Hermitage, Tn, Usa)
01/18/2011
I have a question for Hollis from Hawaii. Did you experience a cleansing crisis during your 18 months of OP ? If so, what happened? I just started OP and am hoping I will not have one. I am into my third week of the Daniel fast and feeling so well. I enjoyed the two sessions of OP I have done since yesterday and find that my teeth feel very clean and my chapped lips have improved.
General Feedback
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I am interested in the oil pulling treatment, but have a question and a comment. First, I wanted to try to do it a few times a day, but I rarely go more than 3 hours without eating/snaking on something. Changing that isn't a good option. What is the minimum amount of time I can wait after eating, if 4 hours isn't possible, and how soon after doing this can I eat? Second, I wanted to clear up something I read in the comments. Combining an oil and a liquid such as saliva makes an emulsion just like mayonnaise. This combo will turn white with enough mixture, regardless of any toxins or bacteria. As a cook, and a chemist, I know this for a fact. That isn't to say that toxins or bacteria aren't involved! They just aren't the cause. I'm looking forward to starting this treatment.
General Feedback
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re: oil pulling-another satisfied customer!. I have been using oil pulling for about a month. A few days after I started I had a dental appt and showed early stages of gum disease (pockets that measured 6 in at least five places). They wanted me to have $1000 worth of scaling and root planing with antibiotics injected into the pockets. I told them I would think about it, knowing that I would keep oil pulling. I went to my follow up appt yesterday and I only had one pocket that was still a 6, the rest had decreased. The hygienist told me to keep doing what I'm doing so I confessed about the oil pulling which she had actually heard of and now plans to try after seeing the difference in my gums. She said anywhere she would poke them before they would bleed and now they are much better. I hope to come back later and say that my fibromyalgia is gone.
General Feedback
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I just wanted to warn folks about the possibilities of increasing blood pressure DUE to oil pulling and acv therapy. I loved oil pulling, but a week after starting it (once a day), my blood pressure went from 140/95 to 250/150. I had to go to the ER fearing I might have a stroke. I had also been doing acv therapy (2 tablespoons in water twice day) at the same time. I was under medication for my bp (20 mg accupril).Perhaps it is possible that they both might remove medication from the body? I stopped both therapies and thought perhaps it was the acv, so 2 weeks later , I tried one session of oil pulling and my blood pressure went sky high the next day : 236/120 ! I made yet another trip to the ER to avoid stroke and heart attack. I know many people have had great success with both healing modalites, but apparently some of us cannot tolerate the unexpected consequences. I would encourage anyone with high blood pressure to do only one modality at a time and go very slowly, keeping a close eye on your bp readings!
(Forest Lake, Mn, USA)
10/30/2009
Hope,
What type of oil did you use? After 2 weeks of oil pulling with sunflower oil, I went in for a routine checkup and my blood pressure was 153/99. I have often had 140/90 when checked in the doctor's office, but when checked at home, it was more typically in the 120-130/70-80 range. I have NEVER seen it above 150 systolic or above 95 diastolic. I am not on any blood pressure lowering medication.
Now, I can't say what my blood pressure was right before I started pulling, because I hadn't been measuring it for a few months. I can say that oil pulling is the only change in my diet/behavior in the last month.
Since going to the doctor earlier this week, I have monitored my pressure at home. I also quit oil pulling after the high reading at the doctor's office. My pressure this week has been 130-150/90-100 IN THE MORNING (average is closer to 130/90) and as high as 165/106 IN THE EVENING after work. My best guess is that both my systolic and diastolic values are 15 points higher, on average, than they have been for my entire adult life (I'm 38) and this change has taken place sometime in the last few months, since I took readings a few months ago and it was "normal" (normal for me).
I can feel the high pressure in my body. Pressure in my eyes, head, certain spots in my legs and arms, chest, finger tips and feet. I don't believe I felt this way before doing the oil pulling, so my best guess is that it started after I started doing the oil pulling. I can gauge, fairly closely, what my reading will be based on the pressure I feel (and have confirmed this a few times this week).
Having read that sunflower oil contains a high amount of omega 6, I am wondering if that is somehow implicated in this issue. Even though sesame oil does have omega 6 in it too, my research has shown that it also contains other substances that can lower blood pressure. Therefore, last night I ingested 3 tablespoons of sesame seed oil. Within about 1.5 hours after doing this, my blood pressure dropped from about 155/100 to 145/90 (this is from memory, don't have my notes right in front of me). By morning, however, it was about 150/100 when I woke up. I oil pulled 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil in the shower. About 45 minutes after my earlier reading and after the start of my pulling (which lasted about 10 to 15 minutes), it was down to 140/90. Given the two data points I have, I would say the sesame seed oil may be able to quickly drop about 10 points off both values (FOR ME), whether ingested or through buccal delivery in oil pulling. I should also mention that I do take multiple readings each time to account for the natural variations that are common from one minute to the next.
Since I've given the "bad" effect that I believe was a result of the oil pulling with sunflower oil, I will also give the "good" effect I noticed. Skin irritations on my face and forehead cleared up significantly (90%). I am very confident this is from the oil pulling as it is something I monitor daily when I look in the mirror in the morning. However, I'd definitely trade high blood pressure for some skin irritations! :)
If this gets posted, I will provide future updates on the blood pressure situation.
(San Antonio, Texas)
04/04/2013
General Feedback
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It is four months that my husband and I have been doing oil pulling. But we have seen no improvement or difference - how long will it take for the dark circles to disappear or teeth to whiten or diabetese to cure? We do oil pulling then brush our teeth using tooth paste and then drink glass of water and after 15 minutes have breakfast.
General Feedback
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Recently, I developed a nasty Sinus infection which was my first. I was on antibiotics at the time but they didn't help my Sinus headache, watery eyes, and horrible congestion. It got worse each day. I was just suffering at work! I read about ACV on this site and tried it. It helped instantly, and I thought I was cured...but the symptoms returned within an hour of each dose. ACV helped but I needed something to completely make this Sinus problem go away. Upon reading about Oil Pulling, my first reaction was, "Pulling what?" It sounded really easy so I thought I'd see what happens. After my first OP session, I immediately blew out loads of "stuff" from my nose and felt relaxed. Slept great that night! By the next morning, I felt significantly better. I was planning on going to the zoo and wanted to be able to go without suffering. After 5 OP sessions and two days later, I have no more pressure in my head and my chest feels a bit heavy, but I know it's a sign my body is healing. I feel better and my glands aren't sore anymore. I just know that within a few more days, I will be cured! In the U.S. "cures" don't exist. Medications have taken over over the Health industry here! All the pills we get just treat the problem(s) and creat more. Who wants to just treat?! I want a cure! In addition to my Sinus relief, my hair is shinier, my skin feels a little smoother, and I have had several bowel movements lately (much more than usual). I'm sold! Now, I just need to sell my girlfriend on OP because she has bad Eczema and has tried all the topical creams/medications that only treat her condition. She laughs when I Oil Pull my toxins away. It does make me sleepy at times after I do it, so I'll have to only OP at night. I don't see any reason to stop. I will do this the rest of my life. Also, I was a massive cheese-aholic. I cut that out of my diet completely! That is not easy to do.
General Feedback
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Hi, I have been oil pulling for about a month. It does make my teeth feel cleaner,also notice if I'm feeling tired and need to stay awake, it perks me up, I don't have a lot of problems, so thought I would use it for preventing illnesses.Sue
General Feedback
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I have been oil pulling regularly but although i am thrilled with the white teeth .. i am alarmed at how sharp they have become. is this due to the oil pulling ? Please respond i am desparate ...
(Los Angeles, CA)
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I have done OP for about 2 wks now. I had a brown discolored tooth and after 2 pulls the brown is gone. I have had my teeth cleaned many times by a dentist and still had that brown tooth. I am really excited that it is now the same as the rest of my teeth. I am now pulling to see if it will help spider veins on my legs. If anyone can give me info on that please share.
General Feedback
★★★★★
I have a question regarding OIL PULLING. I am interested in doing this but have some concerns. I have saliva issues - stones and possibly another problem. Will this aggravate the issue as it heals it or just make the problem worse? I have a pretty toxic load - bad teeth (no more mercury though), high blood pressure, diabetes, skin problems, scalp problems, mostly likely thyroid & adrenal issues also, not to mention an extreme stress situation currently. Is there a way to do this without getting sick - I have too many people depending on me to get sick doing this. Suggestions please!
