Trying to control Herpes naturally.....my tips and I want yours....finding it hard

Hi everyone,

So I was diagnosed with HSV 2 back in October 2013. Still finding it hard to accept and dealing with the emotional pain of it all. So I guess this discussion is in relation to any natural therapies people are using to control and suppress their outbreaks. The thought of taking Aclovir, every single day for the rest of my life makes me so depressed. I just don't want that to be an option. At the moment I am having a clove of garlic, olive leaf extract, apple cider vinegar, lysine, echinecea, fish oil daily to try and kill this virus. I know it can't be cured, but I am trying my best to flush it out of my system if that is even possible. I'm trying to be hopeful. Does anyone deal with the constant itch not just around their area, but like top of their legs? I have had this on and off since I was diagnosed. It goes away for a few days, then comes back. Same with the nerve pain. I don't have outbreaks at all, just itchy spots that go red and are a pain to deal with. If I'm at work and feel an itch, I nearly start crying. I just don't know if I can live with this, it's not fair. I'm only 27 and it just seems like my spirit has been crushed. I keep seeing from posts that things get easier, but how are you meant to genuinely smile when you feel things on your body and think of this disease all the time? It's mentally exhausting. Does anyone use any natural remedies that have helped? Am I being really extreme in taking everything I do daily to help this virus? Thanks everyone for your responses.

Hi Emily!

Welcome! Glad you found us!

First, I want you to know that I am as anti-drug as I can be. I'm a Massage Therapist and I will always try the natural route first before resorting to drugs...I'm very rarely sick and I attribute it to that fact... I believe the drugs work better when your body isn't used to them being there all the time.

Right now you are in the early stages and your body is still coming to terms with it. You are feeling the same frustration someone feels when they have any disease or accident that alters their life, especially when they are in the healing stages and it feels like it will NEVER get better. I've had H2 since I was 17, and I'll tell you right now that it WILL be ok. It just needs time for your body to build the antibodies.

However, When it comes to supressing a virus on an every day basis, what we are really trying to do is set up an environment that it can't reproduce in or doesn't like. So you can't "flush" it out of your system. The Herpes virus resides in the nerve ganglion which is basically the end of the nerve near the spine.

Think of it as a railway line.. you skin is one end of the line...the ganglion is a main terminal for that group of nerves. Once the initial outbreak is over, the virus follows the nerve to the ganglion... so future outbreaks will always be in that group of nerves....it can't jump to another major nerve/line or move around the body. That's good news because once your initial outbreak period is over (usually 1-3 months...for some longer especially with the Prodrome type symptom like itching and nerve pain) the virus will then show up in predictable places AND if you are re-exposed to that strain (HSV1 or 2) you won't get it in another area.

Now - for the natural cures/etc.

#1 way to keep Herpes at bay??? REDUCE YOUR STRESS! Yeah - sounds counter-intuitive right now, but the sooner you let go of your frustration at your current circumstances and trust your body to do what it needs to do, you will find the symptoms will ease up.

Of all the things you mention that *might* work, Lysine is the only one that seems to have success in *some* people. All the others? Well, they won't hurt you but I'm not sure that they are doing anything to the virus.

I'm going to put links below that have the past conversations about natural relief... and I know plenty will chime in here as well... so I'm not going to repeat any of that. One thing I will say... if you are sexually active, you need to seriously consider taking the suppressant drugs for your partner (unless they carry the same H virus) so you don't pass it to them. Acyclovir has been around for 20+ years and to my knowledge (and believe me, I researched it before I went on it for a now ex-BF) there are no long term side effects if take at the regular dose. If you are single, well, it's your body and your choice of how you manage the virus and what you can stand to live with and how your body reacts to the natural route. But when you involve someone else's potential health, well, you need to at least discuss with them what their risk-tolerance is for catching the virus.

So - here are the links - you will find LOTS of great advice in them...

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-treatment/#more-2122

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1802/going-the-natural-route#Item_4

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1912/camu-camu-superfruit-antiviral-that-could-help-with-herpes#Item_11

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1925/emotional-freedom-technique-eft#Item_2

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1624/herpes-medication-genital-hsv-1-how-to-keep-herpes-outbreaks-clean-dry#Item_22 My discussion amonium Alum)

http://herpeslife.com/herpes-forum/discussion/1496/bathroom-time-

(((Hugs))) and good luck

Hello and welcome,

I am taking supressive treatment every day and I have been looking for other natural ways to go about this. Also my mother doesn't take any treatment. She doesn't even take natural treatment. She has her's so at bay that it only comes every 5 years. She said that I wouldn't have to take the medication if I didn't want too, but until I find more natural ways to go around it then I am going to use the supressive. I want to keep the person I am with as safe as possible.

I also take 3 tablespoons of cold pressed organic coconut oil a day. It has natural anti viral properties in them... I have also heard of Olive Leaf and organic Black Licorice tea.. I think licorice is disgustin, but I have been drinking it also, because I heard there are also other anti viral properties in it also.. After a few years I would like to take myself off the treatment and let my body build up it's own immunity also using the natural therapy.

I'm VERY anti-drug, I'm only 44 and I like my liver and my kidneys very much and would like to keep them healthy for a very long time. However, after much research and lots and lots of agonizing over this virus, I decided that the pharmaceutical anti-viral route was the way to go for me.

I still use one remedy, though, that was shared with me by a lovely lady on this site, and it works GREAT! I gently and slowly melt about 100mL of organic coconut oil, add about 10 to 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil (I hit the middle @ 15 cuz I'm a nerd that way), gently stir and store in an airtight container (I used an old baby food jar thanks to my little nephew). When I've had outbreaks, I can conceal the jar easily in my backpack or purse, it melts gently on contact with my finger, and I can apply it liberally...yet it's solid at room temp so it doesn't spill. As you read earlier, both of these are well known anti-virals

I'm careful of 2 things: 1)I NEVER "double dip" and 2) I am careful not to rub it near my urethra or vaginal opening, but other than that, I'm generous with it. It soothes itching, burning and "sticking" mostly, which I have found to be among the most uncomfortable things about an outbreak.

Welcome to the site, Emily06, and best wishes...whatever route you choose!

Thank you so much for your replies. I really appreciate them all. I haven't been on in a while, was still emotional about it all. But you know what? Too many circumstances have happened around me that are far more severe than this virus and it has really put life into perspective in a lot of ways. Why am I spending my time stressed about something that can be treated? There are people out there that have life threatening problems. I read a great quote the other day, it said 'I used to think Herpes was the worst thing that had happened to me, I wish today that was still true'. I think it's great to have this support group for people that are lost, don't know what to do and just need to know it is very common. You are really down to earth chicks, I love that. Thanks again, you have helped a lot.

'I used to think Herpes was the worst thing that had happened to me, I wish today that was still true'.

Soooooo important to remember that.... glad you have managed to put Herpes into perspective :)

Peace