Sucessful Treatment of the Herpes Virus with Essential Oils - A Personal Account

Herpes Simplex is a tough one - a supposedly 'incurable' viral infection leading to painful lesions. The lesions come and go, more often for some folks than others, and are somewhat precipitated by stressful conditions where one's immune system may be compromised. Modern medicine does not as yet offer a 'cure' for a herpes infection, only medicine that must be taken on a regular basis to keep outbreaks from recurring (and some medicines that can shorten the duration of outbreaks as well). Incurable, painful, not-so-pretty, and to top it off, depending on the type of virus, the illness is labeled 'oral/labial' or 'genital' - a little embarrassing to say the least!

Well, I've been through this. I've had the painful lesions, had to deal with the regular outbreaks of painful cold-sores in my mouth and on my lips (I was blessed with the 'oral' variety). I've been through those great internal debates on how to break the news to a partner (thankfully always returning that look that says something like 'Oh! I thought you were going to tell me my cat just died...that's no big deal'). Though it still seemed like a big deal. Regularly having those few days of feeling like a flu was coming on, followed by a few days of outbreak - at what always seemed like the worst of times. On top of it, being an athlete, training really hard tended to cause outbreaks as well - weightlifting in particular. Maybe it was just really strenuous, or maybe I wasn't actually a 'weightlifter' - but that heavy lifting would almost always lead, once again, to an outbreak.

Would I have to go through this forever? Would I always be taking prescription drugs to keep the virus at bay? I tried some natural routes; Lysine - an amino acid - seemed to help, but not all the time, and not unless I took it (and a LOT of it) before the outbreaks would occur. I used significant amounts of lip balm, as sun overexposure would again bring it on. I have a lot of years left! Will this always be a factor in my life?

Then it so happened I got involved in essential oils - the powerful aromatic compounds distilled in small amounts from plants. You've probably heard of them - Lavender oil, Sandalwood, Frankincense, etc. They're getting to be fairly common these days. And then one day I stumbled onto research being performed with a particularly rare essential oil called 'Melissa' or 'Lemon Balm'. Melissa is steam distilled from the leaves of the Melissa herb - and in very small quanitities. The plant yields a small amount of oil relative to all the other aromatic plant species out there. Research has been being performed in Europe for several years applying Melissa oil to herpes outbreaks, with very interesting results. In fact, one German pharmaceutical company extracted the 'active' component of the oil and sold it in a prescription preparation for use by herpes 'sufferers'.

Perhaps the most impressive statement about the efficacy of Melissa on herpes outbreaks was made by Dr. Dietrich Wabner, a German scientist at the Technical University of Munich - he reported that a 'one time' application of 'true' Melissa oil could lead to a complete remission of outbreaks. A cure! It seemed expensive for a little bottle of clear liquid, but not so when compared to any other medicine - and the possibility of a 'complete remission of outbreaks'! I'd figured I had nothing to lose.

A little further investigation gave me a better idea of a protocol; The oil may not lead to a complete remission in one application - though much success was found when the oil was applied directly to the affected area when an outbreak felt 'imminent' (those of you dealing with this know what I mean). This was to be done a few times a day throughout the outbreak, and for the next several times an outbreak was surfacing. My outbreaks tended to occur on my tongue at that point - I would get the flu/fatigued feeling, then my tongue would swell a bit, and I'd get some cold sores on it. I still got lesions on my lower lip occasionally, but not as often if I kept protected from the sun. So I started on the Melissa; just one drop in my mouth a few times a day. It's a powerful oil, but I actually liked the taste, and the aroma was truly wonderful - very uniquely herbaceous and bright.

Well, I wasn't one of the fortunate one's with a complete remission on the first try. But it did help - the outbreaks were shorter, and then seemed to occur less frequently. THEN something WONDERFUL happened - the outbreaks stopped all together. And believe me, my life has been no less stressful - more so if anything. But no matter how hard my days were, how heavy my weight training sessions or other athletic endeavors, the outbreaks have not returned! No more unexplained low-level flu symptoms or sore spots in or on my mouth. I can't remember the last time this happened, and don't even keep the bottle around anymore just in case - though I do recommend it to those in a similar position.

Now to those who may have more sensitive skin than I, Melissa can be diluted in a carrier oil (like Hazelnut or Rosehip Seed oil) down to 10% or less of the total concentration and still be just as effective - taking any essential oil orally, and undiluted certainly, should be done with caution - pay attention to your own reaction and proceed accordingly. I haven't any experience with the 'genital' variety of the virus, but I it should work just as well - though this is where the carrier oil might feel a little nicer. But whatever way it's used, the protocol should be followed as closely as possible: apply the oil a few times a day to the affected area as soon as you feel an outbreak coming on, and stick with it until the lesions have healed. Then do it again the next several times an outbreak is surfacing. There are no guarantees, but I do hope this wonderful natural medicine can provide the same relief for others as it has for me.

As a side note, another Herpes Simplex virus is known as 'Shingles'. This also causes sore, sometimes weeping lesions of the skin. Many folks have found relief using Ravensara essential oil (also considered a powerful anti-viral) in a 50-50 blend with Tamanu oil. The Tamanu acts as a carrier, and sooths the skin during the healing process. I have heard nothing about 'complete remission' in these cases, but I have heard of this blend really working for those with this painful condition.

Finally, when buying Melissa essential oil, buy it from a trusted source - the oil has been adulterated because of it's high cost. The substitute - a blend of Lemongrass and other oils - will not have the same effect. Look for 'True' Melissa, or better yet, organic 'true' Melissa. There are about 25 drops per milliliter, and you only need one drop per application, so a few milliliters will go a long way. If you decide to try this natural healing oil, or to recommend it to others, I wish you - or they - the best of results.

Eric V. Allen is an aromatherapy enthusiast and the technical consultant for Ananda Aromatherapy. More about essential oils can be found at www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html

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