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.

Mama To Many (Tn) on 10/10/2017

Does the Epstein Barr Virus Cause ITP?

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.

• Anemia
• Thrombocytopenia
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Mouth ulcers
• Hypersensitivity to mosquito bites

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. 😊

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.

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Essiac Tea for Epstein Barr Virus

Misty (Indiana) on 10/03/2016

I have chronic Epstein Barr which causes ME/CFS symptoms as well as frequent infections. I have had this for several years, although worsening of symptoms led me to see a doctor, who diagnosed me 1.5 years ago.

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.

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BHT for Epstein Barr Virus

Deirdre (Atlanta, GA) on 06/29/2015

Dear Oscar,

I wanted to let you know that I am on day 2 of trying BHT for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). I haven't been able to find much information about whether BHT will work for EBV, but figured I'd be the guinea pig and give it a try for a few months if possible.

I got mono in high school decades ago now and have felt intense sleepiness descend on me rapidly every day since that rough time. I finally got a blood panel a few months ago and asked the doc to test me for EBV. Sure enough, I have a high EBV viral load, with the markers indicating a chronic (rather than a new) infection. No big surprise there, but I am sorry I didn't test for this much sooner! My immune system was really clobbered last fall with a series of viruses and a mild shingles outbreak, so I want to work on lowering the EBV viral load to help my immune system.

I bought 350 mg food grade BHT capsules and started with 1/2 capsule in water on an empty stomach yesterday morning and then again this morning. Within 20 minutes, I got a pressure in my head and then a headache. It lasted all day yesterday but got better overnight. But then again this morning after taking a new dose of BHT, same side effects returned. I have NOT taken any aspirin as I don't want it to interfere with the BHT. I will hydrate even more today and see if that helps. Hopefully these side effects will ease after a few days!

I plan on waiting 3 months before doing another blood panel to see if my viral load drops unless you recommend another time frame.

I know you don't recommend taking any other supplements whilst on BHT, but there are a few that I'd like to continue taking, at least a few times of week (ie potassium iodide and a b-complex liquid). Is that okay?

Thank you so very much, Oscar!!

Deirdre

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Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Hoke (Oakland, Ca) on 12/14/2012

Anyone know how to treat Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis caused by EBV virus?

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Essiac Tea for Chronic Fatigue

Dezi (San Jose, CA) on 07/10/2010

I have battled chronic fatigue for more than 20 years. Sometimes it's baffling; it comes and goes. However, I have managed to keep working all this time because of the natural remedies I've used. The XMRV viral connection makes sense to me. I had Epstein-Barr virus. I treated this with the essiac fomula very successfully, and I am due for another brewing. It might be worth a try. It turns my energy around with a week of taking the brew morning and night on an empty stomach. Essiac is said to kill viruses and cancer cells in the bloodstream. I'd like to add that I took the essiac formula to my cousin and his partner, who had come down with AIDS many years ago. To this day, they still take it, and it has been a literal life saver for them. Chronic fatigue can also have a thyroid component, and also adrenal exhaustion may play a part, or a combination. A homeopathic doctor told me years ago that my mitochondria were dysfunctional. The mitochondria are organisms that live in our cells. They consume sugar and release energy, giving us energy at the cellular level. If this is not working correctly, you will not have any energy being supplied to your body. The mitochondria can be effected by viruses, candida, etc.! I'm currently looking into how to support the mitochondria. Anyone out there have any suggestions for that?

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Angel (Damascus, Va) on 05/04/2012

Coconut oil seems to work for many people however it has never helped me! In fact I get bad stomach cramps if I ingest even a teaspoon and if I use it on my skin it feels like my skin is on fire! I have dealt with Epstein Barr virus for 25 years and the only thing that has ever worked for me is 2000 mg of vitamin ester C per day during my mono like sypmptoms then back to 500 mg a day when pain and swelling are over. In a few cases I had to take 5000 mg for 3 days in a row when I had a liver inflamation problem due to Epstien Barr virus it only took 3 days on 5000 mg and 2 weeks of 2000 mg vit C to get rid of all signs and symptoms of MONO to include returning my liver back to a healthy state.

Angel

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Epstein Barr Remedies

John (Hazleton, PA) on 12/18/2008

I am in month 8 of fighting a reactivated Epstein Barr infection. I am gradually starting to feel better, although not 100% yet. Here are my strategies for combating the illness:

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.

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Rathmussen (Montreal, Canada) on 03/20/2008

I recently read that people who suffer from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia benefit remarkably from cortisol treatments (75 per cent showed significant improvement, and 62 per cent reported substantial improvement). This is because they have adrenal dysfunction, meaning their adrenal glands, which produce sex hormones and cortisol, don't work effectively. I suspect this is due to viral damage. Cortisol is that stress hormone...you get a shot of it in fight or flight situations for a quick burst of energy, decreased pain sensitivity, etc. Proper levels are important for proper glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure, insulin release for blood sugar maintanence, immune function and inflammatory response. Maybe this is why when you exercise it makes it worse because your cortisol levels should increase with aerobic exercise to help deal with the wear and tear. The bulk of cortisol release happens when we sleep, which would also explain why you might not wake up feeling refreshed. If you read up on cortisol, you'll see that if you don't have enough, you just don't have access to energy to burn.

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!)

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Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 03/01/2004

The easiest treatment and simplest treatment for herpes is to use fresh olive leaf or use olive leaf extract. However, in practice I used more than one just to make sure they don't come back again.

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.

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EC: Read more about Ted's remedies for herpes here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/genital_herpes.html#TED

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Looking for Epstein Barr Remedies

Emmy (Laguna Woods, CA) on 11/01/2008

Hi how come you don't have a section on Epstein Barr Virus? I would really like to know what people have been doing for it. Thanks!

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EC: Thanks for the suggestion, Emily. New page has just been created for EPV!

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