Lysine vs. cold & canker sores = faster healing

[Shallah Kali]

My Mother used to break out in cold sores if she ate fresh apples. I had read in a few places lysine might help so she would take it and heal much faster with it with less pain. Then last year she started taking lysine, vitamin c with bioflavonoids, & proline (another amino acid) as part of the Linus Pauling program that some natural health people believe will reverse or prevent heart disease. As far as we know she doesn't have anything other than high cholesterol so she is taking it as a preventative after double checking w/the pharmacist that the doses of vitamins would not somehow interfere with any meds she was on. When taking daily doses of lysine and the rest she can eat apples every day without cold sores but if she skips several days she gets one.

This week I got a rather painful canker sore. At first I tried swishing with diluted peroixide which just made it more sore :( I decided to find out if lysine might help the canker (probably should have looked up if they are caused by virus, but anyhow...). I forgot to ask my Mom what her dose was so I just took a teaspoon of lysine powder with a meal which is a bit more than 4 grams. Yesterday I did it again with a meal and today there is hardly a sign of the canker :) :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo:

We get the NOW brand L-Lysine powder and I put it in empty caps for my Mom to save a little money. It doesn't taste good but not bad enough gag me or anything taking it straight from the spoon with just water. The last time we got it the price was best at iherb but I don't know if that has changed since then. They also sold it in caps by NOW and other brands.

I think I will see if I can't find any info on lysine helping prevent or cut down on flu. My Mom is allergic to flu and other shots so it would be great to know that regular use of lysine might keep her from catching a bad case like we both got last winter!

[Lucinda]

1. I always start popping lysine when I feel anything viral starting.

Always at the first sign of a flu.
Zinc for colds.
Both seems to keep illness from getting going.

[JanMichael]

2. also elderberry extract

http://www.sambucol.com/

We use the Gaia Herbs capsules too....haven't had a cold in 2 or 3 years now!

[arikara]

3. I've been using a couple supplements now

for 2 years and where I used to get very sick in bed with at least 2 really bad colds a year lasting a week to 10 days each, I've now had one minor cold lasting a only couple days and not even felt sick at all. Quite a difference.

What I take is 200 mcg of selenium most days, and if exposed to someone with cold or flu I bump it up to 600. Plus I've recently started taking 1000 to 3000 iu of Vitamin D. We are so deficient in selenium because our soils have been depleted and its no longer in our food supply; and we are deficient in vit D because we don't get enough sun on our skin in the northern regions. Plus people now tend to slather on the sunblock which in itself is not healthy but that's entirely another topic.

I learned about the importance of selenium to protect us from viruses from a lecture given by Dr Harold Foster, a university professor specializing in medical geography. He has been using it along with some other inexpensive supplements to successfully treat aids patients in Africa. Unfortunately because his treatments are so inexpensive, no one is interested in pursuing it. They only want to flog the expensive and toxic pharmaceuticals.

Dr Foster has written several books on different conditions and allows people to download them free on his website. http://www.hdfoster.com/.

Edit to say that I've heard of lysine helping with cankers and cold sores. I've tried it in the past too but probably didn't take a high enough dose for it to work. Since I've been taking the selenium, I've had neither and I think selenium is the reason. However if I should come down with one, I will try lysine again. Thanks for posting.

[Shallah Kali]

8. WoW Selenium! Studies show virus mutate harder and faster when host is low on it!

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/selenium-curbs-colds-and-flu/31ec66263d803110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/nutrition.recipes/nutrition.basics/foods.for.specific.conditions/colds.flu

How Foods Can Affect Your Immunity to the Flu
Can what you eat affect a flu virus?
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/Research/vaccineResearch/foodsAffectImmunity.htm

Also it may slow the speed of aids replication http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2008/11/28/Selenium_slows_AIDS_virus_spread/UPI-79091227909780/

a page w/links to studies on selenium:
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/Selenium.shtml

[arikara]

14. According to Dr Foster's research

it does more than slow aids replication. They gave their supplements to people who were in bed near death and within 2 weeks they were back on their feet and even able to do some work. He stressed that it is not a cure though, if they stop taking the supplements, they get sick again.

[rosesaylavee]

4. Interesting...

I have found that apple cidar vinegar applied to the sore works too. It has anti-viral properties - do not know the specifics but just that it works. Treated two bouts of shingles and my son's case of chicken pox with it and had significant improvement in the first 24 hours. But I will remember lysine.

Don't you wonder how or why these things work? How do they interact chemically with the virus and the body's immune system? I wish to heck we had a decent research system in this country that these so-called 'alternative' methods could be fully explored. If it would make Big Pharma some money, there would be dozens of studies.

[Shallah Kali]

6. I believe the Lysine somehow inhibits the life cycle of viruses (sp.? Virusi?)

It is not an immune stimulant to my knowledge and so should be safe for people with autoimmune issues. Echinacea, golden seal (which is endangered), oregon grape root (not endangered w/similar constituents to goldenseal), astragalus, and cordyceps (a fungi) are supposed to act by stimulating the immune system. Lemon Balm is antiviral and even had a small study showing it reduced healing time of cold sores in half - http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_lemon_balm.htm

I too wish more studies were done. I like what Dr James Duke says that all meds should be tested against herbs traditionally know or since proven effect for a problem before being approved. If they don't work better no approval. Every so often I look up studies on MedLine to see if a herb or something like lysine has been tested. I distrust studies that claim a substance did not work yet won't list the dosage in the free summary. Too many times when a negative study says a substance did not work they used a tiny fraction of the traditional dosage. It is like a study 'proving' oat bran did not reduce cholesterol levels. Yeah the levels didn't budge in those studied but the test was done on people with healthy cholesterol levels. The studies that showed an improvment were in people with high levels so who gives a hoot if it does not work on healthy people!

[arikara]

13. One of the properties of apple cider vinegar

is that it helps to alkalinize the system and bring ph into the range that it should be. Most of us are too acidic because of western style diet, and which leads to chronic disease. I've read that if our bodies are maintained at the proper ph then we won't come down with these immune disorders and viruses that are so prevalent now.

I love ACV and use it for lots of things. The most dramatic cure that I've seen from it is when the Mr had a sinus infection, pain on both sides of his face, a pounding headache and couldn't sleep. It was too late to see the doctor, who would have only prescribed antibiotics anyhow... which wouldn't work for at least a couple days. So I went to my favorite health website www.earthclinic.com and found a cure that involved inhaling the steam from boiling apple cider vinegar. I tried it myself, it felt like inhaling sulfuric acid but no kidding, it cleaned out his sinuses in about 30 seconds, headache and pain gone that fast he went to bed and slept like a baby with no recurrence and no nasty side effects either. Amazing stuff.

Unfortunately, "they" will never do any research on something as benign as ACV because they could't make money off it.

[gblady]

5. Lysine works great....

I always keep it around for whenever I feel a cold sore outbreak coming on...
I get them when I get anxious...but with Lysine, I catch them before they break out.
It's wonderful stuff.

[Shallah Kali]

7. L-Lysine helps aborption of calcium - link at altmed univeristy of maryland site

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lysine-000312.htm

Lysine is an essential amino acid, which means that it is essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, lysine must be obtained from food. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Lysine is important for proper growth and it plays an essential role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient responsible for converting fatty acids into energy and helping to lower cholesterol. Lysine appears to help the body absorb and conserve calcium and it plays an important role in the formation of collagen, a substance important for bones and connective tissues including skin, tendon, and cartilage.

snip

Uses

Herpes and Shingles
L-lysine can be used to treat mouth and genital lesions caused by herpes simplex virus as well as shingles caused by herpes zoster viruses. Taking lysine supplements can speed recovery time and reduce the chance of recurrent breakouts of the herpes infection.

Osteoporosis
L-lysine helps improve the absorption of calcium from the digestive tract and prevent loss of calcium in the urine. In so doing, some researchers speculate that L-lysine may help prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis. In addition, test tube studies suggest that L-lysine in combination with L-arginine (another amino acid) increases the activity of bone-building cells and enhances production of collagen.

Other
Certain forms of lysine and/or lysine bound to anti-inflammatory medications may help alleviate pain following an episiotomy (a procedure performed during labor that involves cutting the vaginal area to enlarge the vaginal opening and facilitate delivery). These forms of lysine may also relieve migraine headaches and painful periods. Whether L-lysine and other readily available lysine supplements also offer these benefits is not known.

Link to Wikipedia on lysine vs cold sores w/studies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes#Natural_compounds

EarthClinic - people posting about how they use lysine for cold sores & more:
http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/l-lysine.html

[elleng]

9. Good info, guys. Any effects on herpes that you know?

AND, daughter, age 20, prone to 'minor' but annoying/debilitating illnesses, used to be reflected in tonsils. Tonsils removed. she's still somewhat prone. In college, and tired of fighting these.

Suggestions for her?

THANKS!

[Idylle Moon Dancer]

11. yes, any virus I would think

the way Lysine is helpful against viruses iirc
is that it "mops up" excess something-else - arginine perhaps? -
that viruses use to reproduce

[Shallah Kali]

12. cold sores are a type of herpes that lysine effects

and I have read of people with the kind down below that it helps cut down on those outbreaks so I would expect it to help any variety of herpes and where ever it is located.

I have also read of lemon balm also known as sweet melissa as being helpful but not to the degree that lysine is. If your daughter likes herb teas it wouldn't hurt to find one with lemon balm in it to see if that gives some extra help. I have seen that Nature's Way offers capsules of Lemon Balm if she would prefer to try it that way.

Lemon Balm aka Melissa officinalis
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_lemon_balm.htm

The lemon balm also contains polyphenols which are antiviral in action. These oils especially combat the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores particularly well. The average healing time of cold sores was halved to about five days as seen in one research study, the time between outbreaks also doubled during these trials. The compounds found in the lemon balm also tend to inhibit the functioning of the thyroid gland.

AltMed on Lemon Balm
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lemon-balm-000261.htm


AltMed at Univeristy of Maryland page on Herpes Simplex
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/herpes-simplex-000079.htm

[Metta]

10. People tell me that Swedish bitters applied topically work well with this kind of stuff.

And it's also a digestive aid. :hi:

[WhiteTara]

15. Lysine is great,

I found nutritional yeast about 30 years ago when I suffered greatly from cold sores, etc. Nutritonal yeast contains the complete amino acid chain, including lysine. It is chocked full of vitamin B which supports the adrenal system (stress is usually associated with herpes simplex), so you might want to give it a try. Be sure and start with a TINY amount as it can cause bloating before your system can accept all the nutrients. I started with about an 1/8 of a teaspoon of yeast in yoghurt and built up from there to about 2 tablespoons at a time. You can use juice, water, yoghurt as a base. I like to liberally sprinkle it on popcorn. I have been free from cold sores since.

Good Luck! :hug:

[Shallah Kali]

16. Lysine for Cats w/upper respitatory infections

A cat I got at a shelter several years ago came home with an upper respiratory infection and eye infection. The vet gave her antibiotics and eventually the drippy eye and sneezing stopped. Months later she came down again and this time several other cats got it. More antibiotics, then the rest of the cats got it meaning yet more antibiotics and the misery of twice daily forcing meds on unhappy cats who while did not deliberately claw still did not cooperate. Oh and the vet admitted it was probably viral which is why it came back and will keep coming back. The antibiotics wouldn't do anything except prevent them getting pneumonia on top of the kitty flu. That is a GOOD thing but I wished for something that would treat the kitty flu as well. Now this year after reading up on various uses of lysine (googling info is a hobby :)) when my former shelter kitty started sneezing one day and the next another cat was as well I started giving them some in canned food. None of the studies showing lysine might help upper respitatory infection cause by virus stated the amount to give so I added a couple of rounded teaspoons to half a big can (12oz or so can) of wet food for 9 cats. I did this for three days and the sneezing stopped. Now I don't know for sure they had an virus outbreak. I didn't want to wait and end up with everyone full blown knowing from myself if I hit a cold/flu/infection early with vitamin c and olive leaf extract it usually stops things in the early stage. I haven't had a full blown cold, flu or infection in a year which is a miracle for me!

Well back to the furkids - a few months later the sneezing started again in the shelter kitty and a couple of others so I again tried lysine. Again I can't prove it was an infection breaking out again. All I know was they were doing the machine gun sneezing like when they had the full blown infection so I wasn't going to wait. After 2 days of lysine in wet food the sneezing was gone :) but I gave it one more day just to be sure. If sneezing ever starts again I will again use lysine. If it doesn't stop or gets worse I WILL take my furkids to the vet no matter how I will wince at the bill after. They are wonderful little furcoated beings who deserve the best care I can give them.