My father, I and my children are all carriers of the herpes virus (statistics show that 67% of people under 50 are infected) and it breaks out on my lips and around and in my nose when I am sleep deprived or stressed = exhausted. Remember: A healthy diet, enough sleep and little stress are the cornerstones of the immune system. Viruses only manifest themselves when your immune system is weakened or not strong.
I once did an intensive Jini wild oregano oil protocol (alternating on and off to kill MAP) for over two years, but it wasn’t enough to kill herpes. I’ve also applied diluted wild oregano directly to cold sores, but that didn’t speed healing much.
Then I tried a topical L-lysine ointment and wow, did it ever work great? Later I experimented with taking L-lysine orally. Let’s get into the details…
Why does L-lysine cure herpes or cold sores?
Lysine inhibits the activity of the amino acid arginine, which is required for herpes replication. So you destroy an important building block that the virus uses to grow and spread.
In my personal experience and that of my children, we have found L-Lysine to be extremely effective in preventing or curing cold sores.
How to Use L-Lysine Topically
I have experimented with taking it topically and orally, my kids have only ever done that I used L-Lysine topically and were completely satisfied with the results. If you can apply the L-lysine ointment there before the sore breaks out – when it just feels swollen, tender or itchy – the sore may not even appear. But even if sores have occurred, applying the ointment three times a day can significantly shorten the effective and healing time.
How to make your own L-lysine ointment
You can either buy an L-Lysine ointment from your health food store, we used a product called Super Lysine and it works really well, or you can make your own ointment at home.
Ideally, purchase a pharmaceutical grade L-lysine in powder form (this avoids the fillers and flow agents contained in the capsules). But if you already have L-Lysine capsules, these will work too.
Take an olive oil based herbal salve (I prefer comfrey or calendula) and mix in about 5% L-Lysine and mix well to incorporate. So if you have 100 grams of ointment, add 5 grams of lysine. Seal the mixture tightly in an ointment container or jar and apply 3 times a day.
Note: Most commercial L-lysine ointments contain less than 2% lysine, so 5% will have you covered. If you have genital herpes, you can experiment with adding 20-30% lysine to your ointment and see how that works.
How to take L-lysine orally
For oral treatment (And yes, you can do both): For prevention, I take 500 mg/day during high stress or low sleep times. And then I take 1,000 mg when I have a breakout. So far I’ve only had breakouts when I forgot to take the 500 mg when I was stressed! I just open the capsule or use the powder and take it with a pack of Emergen-C (since I can’t swallow tablets) – perhaps the vitamin C boosts the L-lysine as it supports the immune system? Who knows, but it feels good for my body.
The only caveat to taking it orally is that you are prone to diarrhea, which L-lysine can worsen. In this case, either try a small dosage and increase gradually, or stick to topical use only.
However, research shows that L-lysine helps relieve anxiety-related diarrhea and is also considered a promising treatment for colon cancer. Therefore, I see no disadvantage in including an appropriate dosage of this amino acid in your holistic treatment.
Some people take up to 3 grams of L-lysine per day (3 doses of 1000 mg each), but it is not recommended to go beyond this or stay at a high dosage for more than a year without a break. In my experience, if you manage stress, sleep, good nutrition and exercise holistically, there is no need to use such a high dosage. It is much better to treat problems holistically than to look for a “miracle cure”.
Remember that L-arginine is also a useful amino acid. It is converted by the body into nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to open wider and improve blood circulation. In certain circumstances it is essential, e.g. B. during pregnancy, infancy, serious illness and recovery from trauma. It also helps counteract the effects of aging, improves the immune system and fertility. So you don’t want to permanently inhibit L-arginine by continuously taking high doses of L-lysine. Just use it as needed.
Remember: health is about balance, not long-term megadose use – except for probiotics! But only because most of us no longer get good bacteria from our food.
ps Check out the HOME HELP section of this site – all of my tried and true protocols (from my family and thousands of my readers) are all there. Make sure you check it first for anything that comes up!
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
