The Benefits of Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil

I started oil pulling with coconut oil about three weeks ago based on comments posted here on Earth Clinic. I had just had my semi-annual teeth cleaning at the dentist's office and the hygienist was really cranky with me because she was finding 4s. I must say that since I started oil pulling, (once a day in the morning on weekdays, weekends off) my gums are a much lighter pink color and they seem to be growing back. And when I floss, there is no blood. I am thrilled and looking forward to going back for my next cleaning and seeing the hygienist's reaction.

Just curious if your abcess swelling did indeed subside from the oil pulling. According to what I am reading, this is entirely possible.

I know you made this post back in December, but I wanted to post for anyone else who may be going through something similar.

Yes, definately continue on. This is a means of detoxing. Your body is clearning out the toxins built up in your body. Please do not make the mistake of taking cold medicine or anything like that to "relieve" your symptoms as that is just making the process counter-effective.

Mrc, my personal experience w/ O. P. (Canola Oil) was positive as whole body functions go, but after about 1 mo my teeth were showing signs of hurried decay and my breath (after pulling) got bad. Fortunately I didn't loose any fillings as was your case. So now I swish Colloidal Silver once daily or before pull, and always rinse mouth w/ commercial otc mouthwash fallowing pull. If the body is toxic w/ pathogens one gets the foamy oil condition. As an adjunct, I would recommend some herbal antibiotics like Neem, Olive Leaf, Grapefruit seed, Pau De' Arco. Immune boosters like Echinacea, Cordyceps, Reishi, Maitake. Shark Liver Oil, Bee Propolis, Raw Thymus Glandular are good immune boosters. I like to use any combination of these prior to pulling so as to absorb the die-off toxins from the pathogens.

Hope this helps and good luck.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

My holistic practitioner suggested I learn about and do some oil pulling to help with my fibromyalgia pain. I read everything I could find and figured what the heck - how could it hurt? I began 9 days ago. The first morning seemed odd simply having the stuff in my mouth for so long. It definitely got foamy and white. (The coconut oil simply melts in your mouth in a matter of moments). I op for 15 minutes each morning, for 5 days in a row. My hair got so soft it felt like silk. My skin was also incredibly soft and beginning to glow. My teeth were whiter, my mouth felt clean and silky.

Then the 6th morning I spit out a couple of metal fillings from my teeth along with the foamy white stuff. I was so surprized! I have stopped oil pulling until I get to the dentist and get my teeth fixed. And my aches and pains do feel better. Although after I stopped I woke up two days later with a very painful sore throat and stuffy head. But it only lasted a day. On to the dentist and I will give this more thought as to if I will proceed.

I don't know about oil pulling but I have read alot about people using cannabis oil to cure a number of different diseases even a guy who applied cannabis oil on a band aid and put it on his skin cancer on his nose and within days the skin cancer was gone. His name's Rick Simpson- google run from the cure to see his story. I am a medical cannabis user and while I don't have HIV, I know personally a number of people that have used cannabis indica to help with aids wasting syndrome regaining much of the lost weight and also cutting down on the number of medications they had to take. If I were you I would really look into what cannabis could do for your condition.

Hey, they same thing happened to my forearms but I never connected it. I just started oil pulling with organic coconut oil (3 times so far) and I have had a very itchy throat.... It feels like I am on the verge of losing it. I am oil pulling with my 6 year old daughter who suffers from severe sinusitis. She is a trooper and has made it up to 15 minutes.... Lots of drainage, but still a lot of congestion. I am hoping for good results! I have a few metal fillings in my back teeth... Should I be worried these are going to fall out?

I'm SHOCKED at my results from oil pulling using coconut oil. I have veneers, 5 on top they were VERY expensive purchased at a time when I had much more money than I do now, they were in dire need of replacing due top unsightly grey decay at the top. I started oil pulling about 3 months ago the GREY discoloration that was decay is GONE, my veneers & all my teeth look brand new. I thought I may be imagining it but went to the dentist today & he said my veneers don't need replacing anymore. He said I had very clean teeth & no plaque.

I have however NOT noticed the oil pulling fixing my psoriasis or my acne, but oh well it fixed my plaque, teeth issues & saved me over $10,000. :) I also don't notice any increase in energy. However it also COMPLETLY FIXED any and all sinus/allergies issues I had.

I have been oil pulling off and on for about six weeks, mainly using coconut oil, yesterdat my gums and cheek swelled up like an abcess, I called my dentist and am still waiting for him to call back. I started op and think the swelling is going down already. Is this possible or am I CRAZY?

I started pulling 10 days ago with coconut oil and for the last 7 days have had bad cold like symptoms of sore throat and lot of blowing my nose. I've read this happens often after op, but was wondering for how long? I blow my nose all day and spit up stuff and most of the time it's yellow. Sometimes it never ends. Also feel fatigued and my contact lenses bother me in my eyes. Should I continue?

I use coconut oil for pulling each morning and have about a tablespoon full at a time and find that by the end, there isn't so much saliva that I feel like I have to empty some out but I'm wondering if you are producing that much from the fact that your body is/was in need of a good clean out and it's releasing so many toxins... ? I would in that case, work my way up as you suggested to finally reach 1 tbspn. GOOD quality coconut oil should be quite beautiful and velvety, have a subtle taste and I would imagine, be much more pleasant that any other oil. Stick with it, you'll be so pleased with the results.

To melt my oil, I fill a coffee cup about a third of the way with hot/boiling water, then place a small juice glass containing my solid oil in the cup of water. As long as the water is above 76 degrees, the oil will melt. Don't use the microwave. To deal with volume, you can spit out a little at a time when too much saliva builds up, but don't spit it in the sink. Use the waste basket, or a small paper dixie cup. Congrats on trying this process. I have been op-ing for 14 months now, and have seen quite a range of benefits from doing it.

Just found your site a couple nights ago and have been on it for hours each day since. Thank you for providing this great resource!

I tried OP this morning while in the shower. I started with 1tsp of Coconut Oil as I thought 1 Tbsp. Would definitely make me gag. It was a solid and I knew it would take some time to melt, but within a second or two I was gagging and involuntarily spit it out in the sink. I didn't want to throw up so I waited a few minutes until I had myself under control and tried 1/4 tsp. It took all the self control I could muster to not vomit, but after 30 seconds it was melted and I started to swish. It was much easier once it was melted and just felt like I had saliva in my mouth. After 20 mins though, I had so much in my mouth, I wonder how I'm ever going to keep more than 1/2 tsp in my mouth (I plan on trying to work my way up).

What would be a good way to melt the oil first as I think that was what was causing me to gag. Any other suggestions on dealing with volume?

I am not allergic to apples or apple sauce, but I'm allergic to any kind of apple juice, and ACV does not seem to work for me at all. I guess it's a fermentation thing. Instead of ACV, I use Hydrogen Peroxide, Tea Tree Oil, and/or baking soda.

Why can't I use the kind from the cooking section? If it's extra virgin, unrefined, etc is that okay? What's the difference between the kind in the vitamin section and the cooking? L

I've never heard of using oil pulling for hot flashes, but if it's like 'killing two birds with one stone' then it's with trying. I have done OP in the past but never with coconut oil. But I'll start tomorrow morning... I wanted to suggest what I use for hot flashes, 1 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. Honey, 1/2 cup. Hot water. I drink it every evening and my hot flashes have disappeared.

Kate, Glad you are as impressed with EC as I am. It really is awsome. I'm writing to let you know that malaria can lie dormant in the liver and reoccur needing medication. Wikipedia malaria and then investigate 'MMS'. It's the only perminent solution to malaria on the planet. There's no way for the parasite to develope resistance to 'MMS'. Google Jim Humble and Good luck!

Hi, I've been using Evening Primerose Oil to prevent hot flashes!!! It does the job almost immediately! If by the second night you haven't found complete relief, up the dosage! You might try muscle testing to set the dosage... I've been using this for YEARS! Give a holler at me if you have any other questions regarding this.... Blessings!!! Laineyisat[at]gmail[dot]com

So what has happened with your OP? Have you seen a reduction in thyroid/hot flash issues? I suffer with these too and would love to hear your feedback...

you do not need to melt it - it will melt the moment it hits your mouth

Is there a thumbs down arrow? I meant to click that I didn't like the comment but it came up as an up arrow meaning I agreed with the comment and I didn't.

I tried coconut oil pellets approximately 2 years ago for one week. During that time, I had more energy and my appetite seemed to curb a little but... I broke out in maybe 30 itchy little rashes all over my body. The dark scars are still there. And no, I was not going to continue to use it to see if it got better. I was running out of skin room for more rashes.

WARNING!

Absolutely agreed on do not put anything into your body that is microwaved. Also, it would be really unnecessary to microwave the coconut oil. It melts at 70F / 21C, so it basically melts the second you put it into your mouth.

advice: do not microwave ANYTHING you put into your body.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I got an email from a wise old lady who I respect suggesting I may be able to help my sinusitus with oil pulling with coconut oil. Having suffered from this for about 6 years (started when I moved into a mouldy house.. But this may just have been a trigger or coincidence) I was pretty desperate. My instincts told me this could be the one so I hooned down to the health food shop and bought some coconut oil (it wasn't the brand my wise friend had recommended but it was all they had.

I took it straight away (about 5pm) .. Immediately I experienced mucous cascading into my mouth and a few minutes later I vomited. I perserved with more oil and did the 20 minutes feeling very very nauseous. That night I spent a very very disturbed night of mucous action (eek gross.. ended up blowing my nose into an old sarong and spitting into a bucket all night). after 3 more treatments I had the most amazing clearing of my sinuses in my forehead. 3 days later I was full of severe joint aches and blocked ears to the extent that I took to my bed thinking I had malaria (which I had had 3 months prior to this).

I then had blocked ears (like I was losing altitude in a plane) for the next 3 weeks but lessening mucous action.

Now a month later.. Better than ever before.. not cured but I think I will be as I continue.

Other good side effects seem to be increased energy levels. Downside was when I ran out of this brand of oil and tried some others while travelling and they were gross (tasted rancid). Hasn't as yet made my teeth whiter but I do live in hope.

Another huge plus was finding this site when researching oil pulling. WOW.. You guys rock! Thanks!

I have a ganglion cyst on knuckle, but haven't been OP long enough to see any improvement. But I have been OP with VCO a few times and it never goes thin. Today I was sitting over the computer for longer than 30 minutes and the VCO did go thin for the first time. I also have Sjogrens, so have less saliva and may have less enzymes in it.

Is it important for the oil to turn thin and watery to be of use?

Thanks, D

I use unrefined extra virgin coconut oil (CO) 1 teaspoon melted. If CO is solid put in microwave for 10 seconds. more if needed. It only takes a few seconds to melt it. Put solid CO in pyrex shot glass.

Hi Guys, I am using coconut oil for OP since three days, I so happy with three days result, now my teeths are more whiter than ever and i am feeling good. I guess OP is working on my body. I will post my latest status from now on. I would say this website is god send gift for me. I will definately send this link to all of my friends.

God belss you all.... Keep smiling , keep Pulling.

I had some what similar conditions. Try Gerson therapy and start drinking three glass of raw organic milk. This should help. For me, it has improved a lot.

low energy: I've been oil pulling with extra virgin Coconut Oil for about 4 days now. I am sleeping through the night, I have an easier time getting out of bed in the morning. My skin is glowing so much and the little fine lines are disappearing. I still have dark circles under my eyes though. Also, I am having more bowel movements.

I did some oil pulling today with coconut oil. Though I could only do it for 2-3 minutes I still felt the effect. I feel lighter, freeer, more energized, definitely more healthy. I have been fighting a cold/infection for a while and after OP, alot of phlegm has been coming up and each time I feel better and better. My chest is completely clear now, all congestion is gone. My sinses are clear too, no more congestion. My mind too feels more at peace.

My massage therapist recently recommended OP using coconut oil to clear up terrible and chronic post nasal drip. Any advice as to quantity, frequency, before meals/after meals, possible side-effects, etc, would be appreciated.

My 10 y/o daughter has had a sore throat (but no strep) for 2 months. After finding this site I decided to try it for both of us. After 15 min. we spit and rinsed. My daughter started coughing up nasty phlegm for about twenty minutes! Afterwards she excitedly said-Mom-I can breathe through both sides of my nose! Sunday she woke me up at 7:00 and asked if we could do the oil pulling again because "it made me feel so good yesterday" I felt good after my treatment and enjoyed two full nights of sleep, which hasn't happened in years! Will post back in 1 week to report on daughter's sore throat. Love this site-thanks so much!

I made the switch from Sesame & Olive to Virgin CC oil; what a difference. For me, EVCO was much stronger detox than the others; so much I had to quit after about 8 days to recoop. It sounds to me like you are experiencing a "healing crisis". Your body retains things from the past; as you detox you peal away the layers last in first out, thus you experience symptoms of a point in time much longer ago; interesting that you crave meat...

I was a vegan for a good while, until I did more research. Red meats are actually good for you, especially the organic red meats and the animals are taken care of and allowed to roam freely. The health benefits from eating meat along with low carb vegatables is great. I still love my vegatables but I also like healthy meats just the same. And trust me when I saw this you will fuction better if you taken everything that is of a organic nature of course their are a few exceptions on certain plants and other things that I stay away from such as soy, corn, wheat, yeast and milk.

I have oil pulled about 2 years ago with sesame oil, after a few days to a week of it I started getting diareah. I kept oil pulling every morning for 20 min. Then rinsed my mouth. Following all the directions. I realized that it must have been doing it's job and detoxing my body. I experienced terrible headaches as well. Unfortunately I had to stop due to a very important weekend, that I didn't want to be sick for. So I didn't get to see the other side of the detox.

I recently started oil pulling again with Coconut oil. I did it for about 2 and half weeks. I only stopped because I ran out. I love it as a lotion! Although with oil pulling every morning for about 20 minutes, after 2 weeks I didn't notice anything. No changes. I have heard that Coconut oil is good for candida. I know I probably have bad candida because I am always craving sugar, and need to change my diet. But it seemed to make me hungrier and crave more sweets. I am also a vegetarian and haven't touched meat in 4 years, and I craved and couldn't stop myself from tasting a few bites of chicken and beef! Should I start again? Or is there a way to tell what oil might be the best for me?

These reactions are perfectly normal detoxing reactions.

When we get a rash or feel nauseous, vomit or have diarrhea, we assume it is something bad, but these are all ways the body uses to expel toxins.

The body will 'grab' a cold virus (or in some cases, even 'make' one) to enable the body to detox. All colds are usually accompanied by lots of mucous and discharges. Even coughing helps the body to expel toxins from the lungs.

Many people, when they start to detox - and detox properly and more deeply, will get a 'detox' cold. Don't try to suppress it, just let the body do what it needs to do.

We don't always give our bodies the credit for being able to heal - always interfering and throwing drugs down our throats, which just ends up adding to the toxic burden.

Things like coconut oil are potent detoxers. It is better to start gently with it and gradually increase the dosage - both in oil pulling, and when ingested. People who start throwing the stuff down their throats will often get quite a major reaction and get frightened - it's not an allergy, it's a heavy detox reaction.

As with any food that encourages detoxing it is always better to start gently and let the body detox slowly, otherwise the toxins can flood and overwhelm the body and make people even sicker. They need to be disposed of gradually - safely.

We speak of 'die-off' reactions, but are they die-off, or are they really detox....?

For more information on slow detoxing, please check out 'Healing Naturally by Bee'.

For several years I had tinnitus in my right ear. My ear felt clogged up and I took remedies for the tinnitus. Then early in 2009, I began to have balance problems and head rushes upon rising. I finally had an MRI and it revealed a brain tumor (acoustic neuroma) the size of a golf ball, pushing my brain step to one side. It was removed with some residual effects a year and a half later, but nerves take the longest to heal in the body. I should have listened to my body sooner and gotten an MRI when the docs told me to several years ago. I know my body b/c I do everything nutrtionally sound for it and for over 25 years. I ignored the strange sensation on my tongue from the tumor sitting on the 7th cranial nerve. Bottomline, if you don't feel right about something that is happening in your body, you are probably right. Be proactive.

Recently I did sesame oil swishing. I didn't rinse my mouth out completely after each swish. I was told to let it sit in my mouth after spitting. Bad advice and I should have read more info on it. Long story short, I got sick. I was miserable for several days. I will start it again but this time I will do it correctly.

I have just began OP and have read some of the side effects many are having, many very unfortunate. But what I have noticed within myself that after starting slow, once a day on an empty stomach, my saliva flow is very active and I keep a cup around for about an extra hour, because the way I see it, your body has not completely ended the pulling process just because you spit out the oil. So to keep from poisoning myself, I keep a cup around and didnt incur any side effects whatsoever.

I was experiencing mild conjunctavitis in my left eye -not red but burning, itching, and mucous discharging. After my first OP with the coconut oil it was almost completely gone! I also felt lighter and had more energy, as well as my sinuses felt clearer. I hadn't noticed that my sinuses were congested, but they're just... Clearer?! ?

Then I did a OP with safflower oil several hours later. I'm finding that my throat is releasing toxins now. I'm starting to hack-up crap from my lungs -I'm an ex-smoker for 5 months now- and they feel like they are REALLY starting to clean out. I do have a mild head-ache, and a mild soar throat (only on the right side (weird! )), but I still feel healthy... I'm going to use the extra virgin coconut oil in the morning -I like the natural anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties of the oil as well as the MC-triglicerides- for a power cleanse in the morning. And then, I'll use the safflower oil with oregano for the other two treatments in before lunch and dinner. I might even try hemp oil before going to bed, as I've read that it makes one sleepy after using it. (I don't have trouble sleeping as it is, but any extra help might be good). GLTA... I'm glad to have heard about OP and this web-site...

Hi everyone I am new to this site and the first thing I read about was all the benefits you get from apple cider vinegar and I tried it for heartburn that I had. For awhile I had a really bad stomachache from the heartburn so I did the Apple Cider Vinegar and it went away.

Well about a week later I came down with a really bad sore throat I had trouble swallowing I was getting paranoid cause I cant stand to be sick so I grabbed my Apple Cider Vinegar and did a mouthwash and gargle. Well lol I did it straight no water and after I spit it out I took a breath and couldnt so I held my breath with constant swalling till I could breath again. I guess maybe I should of drank something right after but I didnt. So anyways I was so relieved that my sore throat was gone. I was so happy so to get to the bottom of all this if you are op-ing and you have side effects can you use the Apple Cider Vinegar to clear some of the symptoms I want to do the op-ing but need to know if I can do other things to help with the symptoms thank you and good luck everyone.

I am an aromatherapist, and if you were having just a regular earache I would recommend using a few drops of undiluted tea tree essential oil in each ear and the apply a warm watter compress to each ear. But this sounds more serious so I would bring our the big guns, and this means being very respectful of the power of this essential oil. The essential oil I am referring to is Clove oil. It contains a chemical composition called eugenol and this is a powerful anti-bacterial agent, as well as an analgesic (pain killer). Put a few drops of the clove or clove bud oil on a Q-tip and insert into the ear as far as it will comfortably go, do not get any oil on your hands or near your eyes, if you do get it on your hands avoid touching any mucous membranes and wash your hands repeatedly. This application is also good for toothaches and on cystic acne. When the ear is feeling better, or even when using the eugenol you can do the OP. I sincerely hope this information will help you. Personally if I were deserted on an island I would have to have the BIG THREE essential oils Lavender, Tee Tree, and Clove Oil

I tried this for 3 weeks before I had to go to the dentist on a lark because I hadn't been flossing and I was dreading the blood, pain, and lectures I'm used to at the dentist. I oil swish coconut oil while I'm showering every morning for about 10-15 minutes. Just got back from the dentist yesterday--she said, "Wow. You have really been trying hard! " She said there was virtually no plaque. Plus, when she flossed for me and cleaned and scraped what little plaque there was there was no pain and no bleeding! I'm never stopping! First pleasant trip to the dentist ever.

Allergy to coconut is extremely rare; hardly any cases have ever been reported. Your reaction, esp. dizziness you mention, may have to do with the antifungal properties of the oil, with yeast and possibly toxic metals. Yeast "helps" the body by ingesting toxic metals and storing them out of sight of your body. Check out http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com for more info on yeast and mercury. I know the dizziness well - have been detoxing since April and have just learned about OP. Will try soon and start with Sesame. Hope this helps - good luck :-)

Have the people that are having such strong bad reactions considered allergy to coconut or nuts in general?

Michael from Grand Bay, AL: I realize it was in June of 2009 of your post. But I am fairly new to this site and OP. I notice when reading through informative site. I have similar problems you had then. How has your blood pressure become and especially weight loss? And what oils do you now use or continue to use. Since I have these problems and more.

Hi Littlelight, I did both tests with a bit different results but I didn't manage to find the type of the oil I should use on the Chopra site? And anyway, if I am a bit of all of them should I use the oil suitable for the most strong type?

As this practice has its origins in Ayurveda, it might be better to chose your oil based less on blood type, and more on your predominant Ayurvedic constitution:

Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. You can take a quiz to find it out here:
http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/constitutions/index.html

And get some info on which oils are best for your dosha here:
http://www.chopra.com/kapha

You might find a better fit using this method.

I have to say I've been using tea tree oil directly for it's antibacterial properties mixed in a mini-bowl with baking soda & lemon oil w/a little dab of water to make a paste. I rub this directly on my abscess & gums in question & have noticed all pain, inflammation & redness has disappeared with 1 hour after doing. I rinse 2x with warm water, then 5 minutes later hit it with a peroxide rinse. Before bed I put 1 drop of roman chamomile directly on the gum/abscess & lavendar/tea tree mix on the skin following the gumline associated. The gum is healig & the abscess is almost 100% gone. This last mix is per Valerie Worwood formulas...

I have been using coconut for oil pullin for 2 days. Today is 8/20/2010.

I was looking for a way to avoid root canals. I had pain in my teeth on both sides of my mouth and just did not want any more root canals. I read in a book written by a dentist that root canals allow bacteria to set up as soon as 24 hours after they are done. And that the bacteria can spread to other parts of your body and cause pain and disease that the medical doctor won't make the connection that the problem is stemming from a root canal whether it was done years ago or just recently. I am happy I found this site. My goodness how can swossing oil around your mouth have such power and allow you to reap such benefits? Here are some of mine:

The first night I found out about oil pulling I just used a cotton swab to massage my gums and teeth with olive oil. The next morning my gums were so sore. I wonder if the oil stirred up the bacteria in my gums. I started oil pulling that morning with coconut oil as I read it killed bacteria. Over a period of some time, my teeth had become yellow, I do not know why as they used to be white, white, white. I oil pulled for 20 minutes. Immediatly I saw that my teeth lightened up tremendously. I was elated. I had used tooth bleach but the procedure would have to be repeated). Mucous began to released as I was doing the oil pulling and continued afterward for probably over an hour (I didn't time it). My teeth are so smooth now (and whiter), only after 2 days of this. When I drink water now, I feel so hydrated and the water taste good just hitting my mouth. This is something I had never even thought of. I didn't know what I was missing until now. The pain in my teeth has lessened. I can still feel a little bit. But it is leaving.

I had pain, first in my right hip, then got tremendous pain in my left hip. Now both areas are almost pain free. Also, I had pain in my neck and shoulders, it is gone. I am feeling twinges of pain I believe in my lung area. I used to wake up practically craving junk food and would have to force myself to eat the healthy organic foods that I always buy. The cravings seem to be gone for the time being. Now I feel stable and want the healthy organic vegetables with no problem. I woke up this morning with a lot of energy and couldn't wait to get out for my morning job. I had gotten to the place where I felt exercise was something I "had to do". Now I am back to the pleasure of taking care of my body. And not only that, my joy of doing things and new ideas are returning. The feeling I have now is: What can I do today. I love this. The relief of these symptoms tells me that bacteria can cast a dreary veil over your life. I am thankful for the founders of this site. Oh, one other thing. My doctor said, I have high sugar but not high enough to be on medication. Sugar is an environment where bacteria can flourish. I believe the cocunut oil pulling has killed a lot of bacteria in internal environment.

How long did it take to heal your receeding gum line by using Coconut Oil pulling?

Hi all, I have a question about which products/brands you used for the fantastic results! Please let me know which products worked for you as there are a lot of products out there that contain extra ingredients that causes side effects.

WARNING!

I've been oil pulling for almost two weeks now. I use 1 Tbls. Of Virgin unrefined VCO. I do it first thing in the morning after I clean my teeth but before any food. I read about it here and also read several people's testimonies about cleansing crises. I didn't think I would have one because, prior to oil pulling, I had been on a simple cleansing diet for two months, composed only of organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans, teas and water. However, I have started a crisis. Let me say that, after about 5 days of doing it, I started to have slight pain while urinating. It felt like the beginning of a bladder infection. It cleared up in about 3 days without doing anything special. Afterward, I also noticed that my urine felt "heavy, " and maybe slightly darker. Mind you, I was drinking a lot of water. I just felt like toxins were being eliminated. Yesterday, during yoga class, I noticed that my perspiration tasted different. It actually burned my tongue a little and I had to wipe my mouth! I also attribute this to toxins being eliminated. I take a lot of yoga classes and sweat sometimes gets in my mouth. It's normally slightly salty and not gross at all. But the biggest thing that happened is that my heat sensitivity issue shot through the roof. I had several sweating spells when I just could not stop sweating almost all over my body. It felt like a seizure almost. (I've never had a seizure but I imagine you feel very much out of control). I was working in a tight space and it was awful! I'm lucky to have found a great natural deodorant that worked fantastically but it was still a nightmare. Before I realized that it was a healing crisis, I was so depressed, thinking that I was going backwards. I have been dealing with hormone disruption for over two years due to exposure to toxins that stopped my period, caused hot flashes, which turned into heat sensitivity. Now that I know what the crisis is, and that my body is really cleansing a lot, I feel much better about it. Still, I am going to have to slow the cleansing down. I just can't have sweating episodes. I'm going to not do the OP two days a week when I have to go into work. I also just started alkalizing my water with drops. I imagine that my system is very acidic from the toxins. Becoming more alkaline must help. I am also going to switch to sesame oil, the traditional oil used for OP. I did a lot of reading and I think it's the one I need, even though I like the VCO.

I also started taking a tsp of VCO in the evening. I read that it is really good for high cholesterol and thyroid issues. My theory is that my immune system has been compromised by allergens, both natural and artificial. As a result, my liver is working too hard and my endocrine system has been challenged. I know that my hormones are completely crazy. My inner barometer is broken. I feel like my heat sensitivity is due to that and is also a response to allergens which are not being dealt with efficiently because my liver is overworked. I know that thyroid and cholesterol issues run on both sides of my family. This bad smelling and toxic sweat, I believe, is really a secretion brought about by high cholesterol. Lipids are being excreted through my skin and they contain toxins that are being carried out of the body. The sesame oil will help internally and also externally as a nightly massage. I am going to try scrubbing my skin periodically with baking soda because it actually itches a little (I guess from the toxins) even though I use a peppermint castile soap. The liver produces cholesterol when it can't get it from dietary sources. I'm not sure but maybe VCO and sesame oil ease the production of these lipids by the liver. Eventually, I will also take a tsp of sesame oil daily too. I will report back about the progress!

Hi, I just now found out about OP and after reading some of the posts of those using coconut oil and getting some pretty strong reactions the first thing I thought of was that you may have had a yeast reaction. Coconut oil contains caprylic acid which is a known yeast antifungal. Just google it and you can read about it. I think you are having a die off reaction to the yeast dying off especially those taking it also in food. You need to go slower. Look up candida and the spit test to check to see if you have candida and then do everything you can to cure it cause systemic candida is deadly. Good luck.
http://www.thecandidadiet.com/caprylicacid.htm

Caprylic Acid (or Octanoid Acid) is an anti-fungal agent found naturally in coconuts and breast milk. In the commercial world, it is found not only in Candida cures but also dyes and perfumes. http://www.fungusfocus.com/html/caprylic_acid.htm

Danielle from Toronto, did your teeth every improve? I OP for two weeks and my teeth became so sensitive that I could not eat. I haven't OP for 2 weeks at all now, and my teeth still hurt. Never had these symptoms before OP. Just wondering if i should have stuck it out!

I started Oil pulling with coconut oil about three weeks ago, mainly for receding gums. I haven't actually noticed any improvement yet there, although my teeth are now really white and my gums do look nice and pink, but the main thing I wanted to say was that my unsightly ganglion cyst (with which I have suffered for many,many years) has vanished. Previously I had been bashing it with a bible to get rid (I've also tried red clay mud and huge quantities of ACV with tumeric that made me quite ill).I have been putting cocnut oil in my daily porridge instead of butter (only about 1 tsp per day), and it's obviously done the business.

Well pleased.

Oil pulling with virgin coconut oil cured my ganglion cyst - I was oil pulling to help my receding gumline...the ganglion cyst (which I have had for many years and was very unsightly) was a complete and unexpected bonus.

I've been taking the Virgin Coconut Oil softgels for about a month now. I am type o blood type & have had no problems at all. I also use the Extra Virgin Coconut Oil as a mosturizer, my skin looks great! My cellulite is all but gone my spider veins are even disappearing! I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a mosturizer for my face though because I suffer from bad adult acne. The Olive Oil cleared up my acne , took away the begins of all wrinkles & almost all of my acne scars I've had for years are gone. I love it! I'll be 36 next month & I look 10 yrs younger! I love this site! I wash my face with baking soda & water & use Lemon Juice as an astringent.

I am type O but I haven't oil pulled with coconut oil yet, I will try soon. Some of the problems with oil pulling here were connected to the fillings in the teeth, I had those as well but before people just give up oil pulling I would suggest that you do the same I did and buy yourself a good book on oil pulling. It is not true that there is nothing to learn about the subject. I learned a lot and the most important was that the only filling that started to come out after I started to do oil pulling was because the tooth had some problems. I hope that all is well now....

I am curious now, after reading what Alex wrote about the blood-type diet, and am wondering if those who have had side-effects from OP with coconut oil are having a reaction due to an incompatible blood type? Would anyone who has had a negative reaction mind posting if they have O-type blood? I am O and LOVE coconut oil, and use it in virtually all of my baking and have oil pulled with it a few times. It has the most pleasant taste of all of the types I have tried OP with but I don't want to use it if it would be bad for me! (Will do some research on this blood-type diet to become more informed on this subject.)

Also, maybe you are actually reacting to the type of coconut oil being used? If non-organic oil is being used, maybe the side-effects are actually a reaction to something that non-organic coconuts have been treated with which is being carried directly to your bloodstream... just a thought...

I've been Oil pulling for about 5 weeks with coconut oil. I use about 2 teaspoons in the morning and let it melt in my mouth. I've worked my way up to 17 minutes in the mouth. The most immediate change is I no longer suffer from almost daily sinus headaches. My teeth feel cleaner but unsure if they are actually whiter. My skin feels not as dry. Just the change in my sinuses is enough for me to continue. Do you guys change your oil every few months and do you oil pull more than 1x per day? Thanks

Kate, I think after a month you have made a point that coconut OP is not working for you. It's not working for me either but since I had only used it for a week I was looking for people who had been on it for a longer time to validate my observations. I feel more tired, dark circles around my eyes are getting worse, my skin is drier and crackling, sinus are swelling back after being cleared for a while, my whole body is stiffer but what alarms me the most is that my skin is loosing color! I have to admit though that I've been using coconut oil exclusively since one week not just for OP but in food as well. I wanted to know what was the exact effect of that oil on me. Following blood type diet, O type should avoid coconut products. I'm O type but I wanted to see for myself. One other thing that I find disturbing is that sticky feeling I get in my mouth and throat after using coconut oil. No other oil does that. I used olive oil and sesame oil successfuly in the past weeks for OP so I suggest you switch to those. OP can get you through some pretty harsh detox effects sometimes but even during that time you should see you general level of energy and positivity increase dramaticaly. If it doesn't happen then it's not detox and it's not working. For example, you won't stay tired all day, you can get extremely tired and will fall into deep sleep as soon as you lay down but feel rested afterwards, the need for extra sleep might go on for days and days but not slugginess, unless of course you don't listen to your body and stay up all night. I love the taste of coconut oil more than any other oil but since I got heart palpitations yesterday at the gym, I think I'll switch back to other oils. I might be saturated with saturated fats!

my understanding is that coconut oil is a natural yeast killer, you may have a high candida load, and feeling herx from the oil, look up the benefits of coconut oil, it is different than the others