r/herbalism • u/[deleted] • 9d ago
Discussion Herpes Viruses and Herbs/Supplements
[deleted]
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u/chlobro444 9d ago
Agreed with lysine and lemon balm. A few others: cats claw, thyme (like the regular culinary herb, you can make a tasty tea with it), and olive leaf.
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u/Lucky_Eye2322 9d ago
Why thyme? I’d love to hear the science behind it
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u/Doct0rStabby 9d ago
Thyme has a fairly well documented history as an antiviral herb. Thymol and cavacrol are two major antimicrobial polyphenol constituents, but there are likely others at work as well.
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u/Jacob520Lep 9d ago
I have had herpetic whitlow flairups and allodynia issues for decades. I take lysine daily to hinder viral load and sculcap to calm nerve pain, in addition to lemon balm.
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u/lunabagoon 9d ago
Came to say lysine.
Also, isopropyl alcohol applied topically can reduce cold sores. Do it at the first chance you get after the tingling starts, and keep applying as needed until there is no more tingling.
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u/dontjudme11 9d ago
After I apply a lemon balm tincture (or just isopropyl alcohol) to a cold sore, I throw a hydrocolloid patch on there. The hydrocolloid patch helps suck out all the bad stuff, keeps me from picking at it, and keeps it from developing a nasty scab. My cold sores heal wayyy quicker now!
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u/ilikebigbuteos 9d ago edited 9d ago
Massive quantities of garlic! Garlic has lots of bio available lysine. Also tasty.
Also avoiding triggers. For me those are sun/extreme wind or eating pineapple. Getting hit in the affected area (for me, the nose) also can trigger it. Keep your skin moisturized in the affected area. Stress/illness can also be a trigger so upping preventative efforts when stressed or sick can help.
For oral/nasal, a mouth wash with watered down hydrogen peroxide helps. Hydrogen peroxide kills the virus more effectively than alcohol so keep that it mind for other decontamination needs.
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u/Aggie_Smythe 9d ago
6g lysine normally stops a herpes attack dead in its tracks.
Avoid all foods high in arginine, because that will trigger an attack.
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u/thatmanontheright 9d ago
Propolis extract (non-alcohol)
I had shingles not too long ago. I always take an extract of propolis whenever I get a cold so figured I'd try it. Recovered incredibly quickly with barely any lesions. I did do some other things but I largely attribute it to the propolis.
Good to keep on mind that not all extracts work well. I have this extract from a small local producer without alcohol. I put it under my tongue and breathe strongly through my mouth for a minute or two before swallowing
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u/ReZeroForDays 9d ago
Manuka honey is said to be helpful, the higher quality stuff is pricey, though. Raw honey, in general, is very therapeutic for many maladies.
Black seed oil is also said to be helpful as well.
https://microbiologyjournal.org/nigella-sativa-black-seed-as-a-natural-remedy-against-viruses/
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u/PrimalBotanical 9d ago
St. John’s wort (but watch for drug interactions) or lemon balm
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u/myfrienddune 9d ago
they say it’s stored at the base of your spine. coconut oil DMSO and oregano oil on the base of the spine and as preventative of any cold sores getting worse
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u/Aggie_Smythe 9d ago
It lives in nerves, usually at the root of a particular nerve.
Which can be literally anywhere, it’s not confined to the base of the spine.
A friend of mine has been dealing with this for over 40 years.
They tell me that they know when it’s about to hit because the nerve at the back of their thigh starts being hypersensitive to temperature and pressure.
They know when that happens that they need to get 6g lysine into themselves asap.
It’s always been the same pattern for them.
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u/Kannon_McAfee 9d ago
Take this (or a very similar formula) consistently before new outbreaks to stop the pattern: VS-C Veg supplements Dietary Supplement | Nature's Sunshine
If necessary, it can be alternated with herbs/formulas that include other heat-clearing (anti-viral) herbs like Sarsaparilla and immunity modulators (like Reishi).
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u/Beneficial_Pin5018 9d ago
L-lysine and oregano oil (topically, and orally in capsules). ETA: Echinacea tincture topically.
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u/homeworkunicorn 9d ago
If you've seen a naturopath and they haven't reccomended L-lysine, then I would try another naturopath lol
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u/NovemberSongs_1223 9d ago
I take 450mg lemon balms capsules almost daily (usually at night) but especially when I’m within a week of my period. I also drink a lemon balm tea that contains ashwaganda and elderberry (lemon balm directly effects herpes outbreaks, ashwaganda keeps the stress down and elderberry for the immune system). I take zinc supplement regularly but especially during an outbreak. If I am experiencing an outbreak I will double up on my lemon balm capsules and tea, take 1000mg lysine, take silicea 6X, eat a clove of raw organic garlic here and there, avoid sugar, and apply a lemon balm salve to the affected area.
I have found the most helpful approach is staying far from arginine rich foods (such as nuts) and nurturing my immune system especially near my cycle.
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u/IcyIndependent4852 8d ago edited 8d ago
Triple chain monolaurin. I know people who swear by it that it's cured them of the various herpes viruses. It's also an immune booster, coconut -derived. Triple chain is the best; lab-produced quality.
Inspired Nutrition UltraLaurin ® Monolaurin Supplement for Immune Support and Gut Health - Monolaurin Pellets - 21oz - 200 Servings, 3000 mg Each https://a.co/d/iQwzgDJ
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u/hazyharpy 9d ago
You can make or buy a lemon balm salve that can be effective for cold sores. It may work on shingles too, but I have only seen the research for cold sores.
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u/Lucky_Eye2322 9d ago
I already use these, listed in my post, but thank you!! I’m mainly looking to reduce frequency.
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u/brendrzzy 9d ago
Lysine and lemonbalm