Dano (Idaho) on 05/29/2021
Diane (Idaho) on 06/16/2020
BHT for Epstein Barr Crows (Nashville, Tn) on 12/24/2018
Firstly, I never received an official diagnosis of EBV, but I am pretty certain that it, and possibly other viruses are at fault. It has been building for several years and peaked last year. I have very low vitamin D for years which destroyed my immunity, and I got shingles 6 months before the first lymph node was discovered (the shingles cleared up on it's own). Only now have I found any relief from the multitude of symptoms that prevent me from doing anything at all. Even walking or just reading would usually bring on an attack of fatigue, photophobia, dizziness, nausea, and what feels like meningitis. I have had swollen lymph nodes in the classic EBV spots for over a year.
After trying virtually everything else, I gave BHT a try. For a few weeks I did not believe it was working. For the first 5 days I took 500mg per day twice per day on an empty stomach; against the recommendations I have read everywhere because I was desperate (I weigh nothing and eat a low fat diet). After 5 days I developed a nasty rash on my legs and systemic joint pains. It cleared up in 4 days and I started on 250mg.
No problems there.
After 2 weeks I was frustrated with the lack of results, but decided to run an experiment. I would make myself sick and then take the BHT at the height of an attack. To my complete surprise it completely reversed the symptoms in one hour. I repeated this each day, gradually going back to 500mg per day (this time with no complications). Each time it made me feel better and allowed me to do the activities I had been unable to do for even a few minutes for the past year. I could play guitar again, walk again, read again for hours. Eventually the symptoms would return, but by then it was time for my second dose.
After another two weeks we come to the present. I am now pushing myself for the entire day like I used to before I got sick, and am only experiencing a bit of heat in my head, and perhaps some mild general malaise a few times per day. This has been the case for the past 4 days. Absolutely remarkable! I am terrified that the virus might build a resistance so I am now taking biofilm enzymes. I am pushing myself because I want to bring the virus out whenever I can so I can stomp it out. This is just me guessing very unscientifically of course, but it appears to be working. I am hopefull that I will not have to take this the rest of my life but time will tell. If I go for months without any sign of symptoms I will ween myself off of the BHT slowly.
I am still symptomatic, but with the BHT I can actually function. I have not tried actual exercise yet, but that will be next.
TLDR: After 5 weeks of BHT I went from being completely useless to almost my old self again with (probably) EBV. After trying every reasonable supplement including Monolaurin, BHT was the only thing that had any perceivable effect, and the effect was miraculous.
Coconut Oil for Epstein Barr Virus Mama To Many (Tn) on 10/10/2017
I have mentioned here at Earth Clinic my history of ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenia – or, low platelet count for no known reason.)
It appeared that regular use of coconut oil “accidentally” cured my ITP.
Apparently, coconut oil kills lipid coated viruses, like Epstein Barr.
And if you look at a symptom list for Chronic Active Epstein Barr, it includes the symptoms below.
There are other symptoms as well. But I had each of the above symptoms for many years.
I know that Dave has mentioned the viral connection to ITP before and it made sense.
Now I may have narrowed it down to a specific virus for me, anyway – Epstein Barr. I wonder if I was ever tested for it back when I had a gazillion tests for my ITP (including a bone marrow biopsy! ) Of course, I suppose it is irrelevant as I wouldn’t have been prescribed coconut oil as a treatment. ðŸËÅ
And my original question doesn’t quite make sense. Idiopathic means the cause is not known. If it is known that Epstein Barr causes ITP (Idiopathic thrombocytopenia) it wouldn’t be “Idiopathic” thrombocytopenia, it would just be thrombocytopenia, which is a known symptom of Epstein Barr.
I have mentioned before that my children had mono several years ago. Only one was tested (the child who was not getting better from a “cold.”) and he tested positive for mono. Coconut oil was his amazing cure. A different one of my children (now an adult) seems to get mono like symptoms now and again. (Even though you “can’t” get mono twice.) EVERY time, coconut oil turns him around in 12-36 hours. So I suspect he is dealing with an Epstein Barr Virus flare up.
Misty (Indiana) on 10/03/2016
Once I get sick, I can remain ill for months. I recently got bronchitis. Before I had EBV, I could cure bronchitis within a week by taking glutamine, megadosing Vitamin C, and taking extra zinc and vitamins. I started my usual regimen, but I was still sick with bronchitis nearly 3 weeks later.
I saw the post on Essiac tea and decided to try it. I purchased Ojibwa tea from NOW, which is a lot cheaper than other brands and contains the same ingredients (Caisse based the recipe on one from an Ojibwa Native American).
I make the tea by clipping together 8 tea bags in a 2 qt glass pitcher. I pour about 1L boiling water in the pitcher and let it sit on the counter for about 12 hours (recommended steeping time according to various sources). You can probably remove the tea bags at this point but I just leave them in. I then add about 2 Tbsp raw honey and fill the rest of the pitcher with water. Then the pitcher goes in the fridge.
I drink 6-8 oz of this tea morning and night. I felt a lot better in a few days. It has been nearly 2 weeks since I started. I am still coughing up some stuff in the morning, but it is not so plentiful and it is not thick, yellow, and bloody as it was before, so the bronchitis seems to be gone.
I am still quite fatigued, but I am doing well enough to at least get some work done. I don't think this tea will cure chronic EBV, but it will probably help an active infection. I will continue to buy the tea in hopes I will slowly get better.
Also if you are going to drink this tea, I highly recommend that you stay well hydrated throughout the day. I get cramps if I am not careful to drink enough water.
Hoke (Oakland, Ca) on 12/14/2012
Essiac Tea for Chronic Fatigue Dezi (San Jose, CA) on 07/10/2010
Angel (Damascus, Va) on 05/04/2012
Angel
John (Hazleton, PA) on 12/18/2008
1) Cut way back on sweets, sugar hampers your immune system.
2) Ate a lot more fruits and vegetables.
3) Limit caffeine, switch from coffee to green tea.
4) Quit alcohol.
5) After about month 5, I quit using my steroid nasal spray. Steroids lessen your immune function. Also I believe it was adding to my anxiety.
6) From month 3 to month 6 I took L-lysine - 2 500mg pills 3 times per day.
7) Olive leaf extract, 1 500mg capsule 4 times per day for its antiviral properties (started in month 5).
8) Monolaurin, 1 capsule 4 times per day - antiviral (started in month 4).
9) Astragalus, 1 capsule 4 times per day for immune help (started in month 6).
10) A multivitamin 1 per day.
11) I take about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil every day.
12) Apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon in a pint of water daily.
13) I recently started magnesium, 1 250mg tablet 4 times per day. It is supposed to have a calming effect and promote restful sleep.
14) Also, I recently started fish oil, 1 1200mg capsule 4 times per day. Among its many benefits, fish oil is said to help brain function and lift one's mood.
15) Pray...a lot. ask others to pray for you too.
16) Rest.
I am not sure which, if any, of these supplements/strategies helped. Maybe it is just the passage of time and my body's own healing process that is making me feel better, but I want to help that process along as much as I can.
Rathmussen (Montreal, Canada) on 03/20/2008
I would definitely try the cortisol therapy, but perhaps there is a more natural way to stimulate the adrenal glands. Research has found that the nutrient Phosphatidylserine (PS) helps balance both high and low levels of cortisol. Usually our brains manufacture sufficient levels of PS, but if there is a deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12, or of essential fatty acids, the brain may not be able to make sufficient PS levels. So get lots of fish, ridiculous amounts of dark green vegetables, and even rice and soy (or lecithin, I imagine). You can find PS supplements...they used to make them from cow's brains, but now they make a soy lecithin-derived one. (Phew!) At the very least, this nutrient would help with brain fog.
(My interest in chronic fatigue stems from having the Epstein Barr virus. I couldn't shake the fatigue for years and years. I did find getting fish oil and a teaspoon of chlorella everyday finally produced some results, which I would recommend to absolutely everyone!)
Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 03/01/2004
Since I am talking about olive leaf, this is also used against Epstein-Barr Virus and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well, due to its antiviral properties. As a result, I have cut and paste portions describing in more details the oleuropeins found in olive leaf -- see below. I suspect that olive leaf extract when mixed with apple cider vinegar would increase its antiviral potency, especially when you have the common colds or pneumonia coming.
For those already against vaccination the olive leaf can be eaten regularly as a protection against other deadly viral diseases as well.
Emmy (Laguna Woods, CA) on 11/01/2008
