L LYSINE - Have you tried it?

[Angela]

L-Lysine Comments

Angela

[emcauley03]

I tried Lysine after repeated back to back outbreaks with no relief from abreva. I took 1,000mg a day and it helped stop the outbreaks. BUT it comes with one MAJOR down fall! If you forget to take it even just once you will have a MEGA outbreak! I paired it with other immune system boosters like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Arginine, A basic Multi-Vitamin, and B-12... Maybe it was B-6... Anyways, It did stop my reocurring outbreaks. At first I had a minor outbreak that didn't get very large and went away quickly. After that I was outbreak free for months... TILL I forgot to take it ONCE, then I had a Massive outbreak of about 2-3 coldsores at once. I was so frustrated that I quit taking it completely! I'm not entirely sure if it was related at all (no confirmation from a doctor) but I had a really bad Shingles outbreak after that as well. I did alittle research on Lysine, I found that in controlled experiments where subjects were given 3,000mg a day they had very good reports of Lysine working. BUT the major downfall in the study was that after taking 3,000mg daily for 5 years Kidney Failure was a common side effect. So it depends on wheather or not you want to deal with eventual Kidney Failure and if you can remeber to take it DAILY with no missed days. It's quit a toss up for me...

[Angela]

:?
I tried Lysine after repeated back to back outbreaks with no relief from abreva.

Ok, was it L-Lysine that you tried OR Abreva?

I took 1,000mg a day and it helped stop the outbreaks.

How do you know it was the L-lysine that helped to stop your outbreaks? What if was the fact that you have a certain type in a certain location? What if what you thought was an outbreak wasn't really an outbreak? Do you think it was really an outbreak OR was it something else?

BUT it comes with one MAJOR down fall! If you forget to take it even just once you will have a MEGA outbreak! I paired it with other immune system boosters like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Arginine, A basic Multi-Vitamin, and B-12... Maybe it was B-6... Anyways, It did stop my reocurring outbreaks.

That's interesting because none of those are made to fight herpes. Do you think that perhaps it's all just a coincidence? (just playing devil's advocate here..)

At first I had a minor outbreak that didn't get very large and went away quickly. After that I was outbreak free for months... TILL I forgot to take it ONCE, then I had a Massive outbreak of about 2-3 coldsores at once. I was so frustrated that I quit taking it completely! I'm not entirely sure if it was related at all (no confirmation from a doctor) but I had a really bad Shingles outbreak after that as well.

Ok, well herpes zoster and herpes simplex are two completely different things. Do you have herpes simplex OR herpes zoster?

I did alittle research on Lysine, I found that in controlled experiments where subjects were given 3,000mg a day they had very good reports of Lysine working.

I've always heard people say that L-lysine doesn't do much outside of petri dishes.

BUT the major downfall in the study was that after taking 3,000mg daily for 5 years Kidney Failure was a common side effect.

Who had a kidney that failed?

So it depends on wheather or not you want to deal with eventual Kidney Failure and if you can remeber to take it DAILY with no missed days. It's quit a toss up for me...

Something that you might want to think about...

L-Lysine was not made to treat herpes simplex virus OR herpes zoster.

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback though...

Angela

[emcauley03]

First of all I'd like to say that you don't have to be such a pain in my @$$!
I was using Abreva and it didn't help at all, so I tried taking the L-Lysine.

I know it was an outbreak b/c all my life I've gotten maybe 1-4 cold sores a year, then suddenly I was getting them Back to Back. Once one healed another would pop up.

I know that none of those medicines fight Herpes specifically, BUT they Boost your immune system to help keep the virus dorment.

It wasn't just coincidence that they suddenly stopped coming when I'd had back to back cold sores for over a year straight!

I know that Simplex and Zoster are not the same thing but I was not around any form of Herpes Zoster (chicken Pox) for me to get such a serious and extremely painful virus. Plus the Meds they prescribed me was for treating both, so I ASSUMED they were fairly similar. The Zoster showed up on the same side of my body that I ALWAYS get my coldsores.

Studies HAVE shown that Lysine is helpful outside of a petri dish and if you want to tell me other wise then you need to finish your research! I have read articles and spoke with MANY people that will disagree that it only works in a petri dish. It can't untrue if I personally have seen it help!

In the studies some of the "test subjects" of L-Lysine had kidney failure after taking 3,000mg a day for years on end.

Lysine doesn't "TREAT" Herpes, but I will personally say that it can help to keep the virus dorment!!

Here are some things taken directly from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia:

"The amino acid lysine has demonstrated the ability to reduce the duration of infection through inhibiting the replication of the HSV. When foods high in lysine are consumed in preference to foods high in arginine, HSV replication may be inhibited; conversely, consuming foods high in arginine may interfere with the therapeutic use of lysine."

Here from herpes.com: "VIR-L-Lysine boosts your Immune System,
helping you become healthier - all around.
VIR-L-Lysine helps prevent Outbreaks!
VIR-L-Lysine helps shorten the impact of Outbreaks!
VIR-L-Lysine helps keep Herpes in remission, helping you live a Normal Life with Herpes! "

From herpes.com as well: "In the viral lab of Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, researchers using our premise found 96% of the patients were able to keep their herpes in remission while using Vir-L-Lysine. They found within 1-4 weeks after stopping, the return of the lesions could be predicted. Although both an over the counter drug and a prescription drug help somewhat, neither were as effective as Vir-L-Lysine."

I can't say it's all true but do some research first before you try to disagree with someone!

[Angela]

:evil:

First of all I'd like to say that you don't have to be such a pain in my @$$!

Ha Ha Ha -- That's funny that you think I'm being a pain in the ass. You know.. you could always use the abreviation PITA to shorten it up a bit so you don't have to waste too much time typing it out.

I don't think I have an "attitude" either. I'm merely sharing what it is that I know about L-Lysine and Herpes. So sorry that bothers you. For the record, what I have learned I have done through years of research and reading. Perhaps it might do you some good to order a couple of books about herpes before you make up your mind that your herpes is controlled by a substance that isn't even approved to be a treatment for herpes simplex virus.

I was using Abreva and it didn't help at all, so I tried taking the L-Lysine.

Well, if you tried to use Abreva for genital herpes outbreaks then it's no wonder why it didn't work for you. It wasn't made to treat genital herpes. It was made and approved for oral herpes. Most people that need help controlling their outbreaks do so with clinically approved herpes antiviral meds and not over the counter creams.

I know it was an outbreak b/c all my life I've gotten maybe 1-4 cold sores a year, then suddenly I was getting them Back to Back. Once one healed another would pop up.

Ok, but unless you had your "cold sores" tested.. how do you truly know that it was a herpes outbreak? (I'm not saying you don't know what you are talking about.. I'm only trying to say that there are other things that can pop up that are not always going to be herpes. Just trying to rule out ALL the possibilities.)

I know that none of those medicines fight Herpes specifically, BUT they Boost your immune system to help keep the virus dorment.

Eating a balanced diet, excercising, and getting plenty of sleep will help keep your body healthy which in turn may work to keep your outbreaks under control. When your body is not stressed then the virus won't be stressed. Also, too much L-lysine is NOT good for your body. You can really hurt yourself. AND if you are eating a well balanced diet then you don't need the extra L-lysine supplements because you can already find L-lysine in lysine enriched foods such as chicken OR milk, etc.

It wasn't just coincidence that they suddenly stopped coming when I'd had back to back cold sores for over a year straight!

Interesting...

And you are sure that what you had was a constant herpes outbreak. That's VERY interesting because herpes doesn't work that way.

I know that Simplex and Zoster are not the same thing but I was not around any form of Herpes Zoster (chicken Pox) for me to get such a serious and extremely painful virus. Plus the Meds they prescribed me was for treating both, so I ASSUMED they were fairly similar. The Zoster showed up on the same side of my body that I ALWAYS get my coldsores.

Well, I'm glad to hear that you realize that Herpes Zoster and Herpes Simplex are two different things even though they are within the same Herpes Family.

Studies HAVE shown that Lysine is helpful outside of a petri dish and if you want to tell me other wise then you need to finish your research!

Ok, well.. perhaps you've got some materials that I can read? I have plenty for you to read.

I have read articles and spoke with MANY people that will disagree that it only works in a petri dish. It can't untrue if I personally have seen it help!

Oh really? Like who? And which articles are those that you have read?

In the studies some of the "test subjects" of L-Lysine had kidney failure after taking 3,000mg a day for years on end.

These so-called tests were done on human beings? Really? Like who and where?

Lysine doesn't "TREAT" Herpes, but I will personally say that it can help to keep the virus dorment!!

Uh, no it doesn't.

Here are some things taken directly from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia:

"The amino acid lysine has demonstrated the ability to reduce the duration of infection through inhibiting the replication of the HSV. When foods high in lysine are consumed in preference to foods high in arginine, HSV replication may be inhibited; conversely, consuming foods high in arginine may interfere with the therapeutic use of lysine."

Oh and who enterred that bit of information? You do realize that "The Free Encyclopeida" is put together by people that aren't necessarily qualified to comment on the subject matter they are attempting to write about?

Here from herpes.com: "VIR-L-Lysine boosts your Immune System,
helping you become healthier - all around.
VIR-L-Lysine helps prevent Outbreaks!
VIR-L-Lysine helps shorten the impact of Outbreaks!
VIR-L-Lysine helps keep Herpes in remission, helping you live a Normal Life with Herpes! "

Herpes.com is nothing more than a virtual ad for those that are paying herpes.com for the ad space. As I'm sure you realize.. there are thousands of different companies that create some form of L-lysine. It can be found in the grocery store. Furthermore, the information on that site isn't even accurate. I tried to contact them to get them to change the information for my local herpes support group (because it's wrong) and they have never returned any of my attempts to hear from them.

From herpes.com as well: "In the viral lab of Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, researchers using our premise found 96% of the patients were able to keep their herpes in remission while using Vir-L-Lysine. They found within 1-4 weeks after stopping, the return of the lesions could be predicted. Although both an over the counter drug and a prescription drug help somewhat, neither were as effective as Vir-L-Lysine."

Uh again.. they are going to put up whatever they can to get people to order that product because they are part of their affiliate or marketing campagne that keeps their site going on the Internet. Haven't you ever heard of sponsors?

I can't say it's all true but do some research first before you try to disagree with someone!

Ha Ha Ha -- you're telling ME to do more research? I've been around for a VERY long time. I highly doubt that it is "I" that needs to do more research.

From one PITA to another,

Angela

[emcauley03]

First of all BITCH I know how to abbriviate I just wasn't sure you were smart enough to understand.

Abreva is for COLD SORES you dumb ass! I don't have Genital Herpes I have Oral Herpes! If you didn't get that by reading on to the next paragraph. You're not very bright are you?

I know it's herpes b/c it's a family issue that many of my relatives have.

For your information Herpes can have back to back outbreaks! I'm Proof Bitch!

Look around on the internet and you can find these article that say lysine helps Herpes!

The tests didn't give specifics on who or where they happened but I'll do some searching and find that information for your dumb ass!

For your information you RETARD L-Lysine can help Herpes stay dorment. I know! I know people it's helped and it worked for me!
If it doesn't help then why is it on your web page????

Maybe these people were helping did you ever think of that? You can buy L-Lysine ANYWHERE!

Nasty Old Bitch YOU'VE been around too long!

[Angela]

If you did your homework you would see that L-lysine doesn't do a damn thing for genital herpes OR oral herpes.

Perhaps you should wash your mouth out with soap and then sprinkle it with a little bit of pepper.

Angela

[Optimus Grime]

Hello all,

I'm a newbie here and have had HS2 i think for about 8 years now but only recently began experiencing OB's. Most have been pretty mild with 1 or 2 very small lesions that heal up within a day but have recently had a couple of very bad flare ups that were persistent in remaining. I am currently working overseas and the only medical access I have is to a small clinic/hospital run by U.S. Army personnel. It's a small American community here with nothing much to do but gossip amongst each other about each other. The Dr's there seem trustworthy and I've seen them for other ailments with no problems but the rest of the staff there are all very young and seeing how they interact with each other, do not trust that they have the maturity to keep something like a patient having H confidential, no matter what the rules say and I could easily see word getting around quickly here about that sort of thing so have held off seeing a Dr. here to get a prescription for any antivirals until my return to the U.S.

That being said I would like to share what has worked for me thus far. After researching alternatives online, I came across several university studies and trials that do indicate that L-Lysine appears to be an effective agent for reduction of occurrence, severity and healing time for recurrent HSV infection. Based on this info I ordered some L-Lysine online and began taking 1000-2000 milligrams daily along with 750 mgs of Red Marine Algae plus my normal daily regimen of Vitamins C, B12, Zinc, and Garlic. I'm fairly active (jog and lift weights) and used to take a sports mega multi vitamin but found out that it contained arginine which the H virus "feeds" on to propogate.

My OB began to clear almost exactly within 24 hours and were pretty much gone by day 3 of taking 3000 mgs of L-lysine a day. That was a week ago and I have since lowered my dosage to 1000 mgs (1/2 a pill, twice a day) and everything seems fine so far. The only adverse effects I noticed was a small rise in blood pressure and some flatulence after the first dose that subsided after about the 4th or 5th dose. I'm going to try and further lower the dosage to 500 mgs a day to eventually none per day and will post here if there is an immediate recurrent OB as I've heard happens sometimes when people stop taking it.

These were my results from using lysine and I can't say that they will be the same for anyone else, only that from my experience taking it seemed to work out really well for me.

Below are links to some of the studies I found that used actual people in their test. There is an abundance of information that describes exactly how L-lysine functions in the prevention of H OB's but I have only listed the Studies and Trials conducted by noted University Research departments:

University of Maryland Medical Center:

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

<b>"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."</b>

Southern California University of Health Sciences Research Division:

(they tested both oral and topical l-lysine treatments)

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... 31875/pg_1

<b>"RESULTS: At the end of treatment the ointment produced full resolution in 40 percent of the participants by the third day and in 87 percent by the end of the sixth day. A cold sore episode may last up to 21 days without treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Overall data indicated significant improvement in participants by the sixth day of treatment for all but two participants. There were no adverse effects reported during this study."</b>

Oxford Journals:

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/conte ... t/12/5/489

<b>"To test the effect of lysine supplementation on herpes infection, 1543 subjects were surveyed by questionnaire after a six-month trial period. The study included subjects with cold sores, canker sores, and genital herpes. Of these, 54% had been diagnosed and treated by a physician. The results showed that the average dosage used was 936 mg of lysine daily. Eighty-four per cent of those surveyed said that lysine supplementation prevented recurrence or decreased the frequency of herpes infection. Whereas 79% described their symptoms as severe or intolerable without lysine, only 8% used these terms when taking lysine. Without lysine, 90% indicated that healing took six to 15 days, but with lysine 83% stated that lesions healed in five days or less. Overall, 88% considered supplemental lysine an effective form of treatment for herpes infection."</b>

There were more but I didn't want to make this post any longer than it already is. While I would not reccommend long term use of high dosages of L-lysine, niether am I keen on taking any chemical pharmacueticals on a long term daily basis and would only take either if symptoms arise. The overall conclusions indicate L-lysene does affect the H virus in clearing up outbreaks but unlike antivirals, does not, or was not testing for, it's effectiveness if any at all in preventing transmission or shedding but then neither are any of the antiviral pharmacueticals 100% effective in that aspect.

I hope this has been informative on this subject and wish you all well in dealing with this.

[Optimus Grime]

:?
I paired it with other immune system boosters like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Arginine, A basic Multi-Vitamin, and B-12... Maybe it was B-6... remeber to take it DAILY with no missed days. It's quit a toss up for me...

Arginine is a proven "food" for the virus which is why certain foods and beverages with high arginine levels such as chocolate and beer are suggested to either be reduced in people with HSV or balanced out with either a lysine supplement or by increasing their intake of high lysine foods such as cheese.

Many Multi-Vitamins also contain arginine (I found this out the hard way) so If you forgot to take your lysine pill but were still taking the Arginine supplement and your multivitamin ALSO contained arginine then you pretty much just gave the virus a buffet on which to feast and propogate.

[Angela]

:?
I paired it with other immune system boosters like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Arginine, A basic Multi-Vitamin, and B-12... Maybe it was B-6... remeber to take it DAILY with no missed days. It's quit a toss up for me...

Arginine is a proven "food" for the virus which is why certain foods and beverages with high arginine levels such as chocolate and beer are suggested to either be reduced in people with HSV or balanced out with either a lysine supplement or by increasing their intake of high lysine foods such as cheese.

Many Multi-Vitamins also contain arginine (I found this out the hard way) so If you forgot to take your lysine pill but were still taking the Arginine supplement and your multivitamin ALSO contained arginine then you pretty much just gave the virus a buffet on which to feast and propogate.

I got your not in my inbox and will be more than happy to post your comments on that page. I really don't mind. However, I still do not believe in a "Herpes Diet"

Also, too much L-Lysine is not good for you.

I tried L-lysine when I was first diagnosed with genital herpes and it did absolutely nothing for me. Zip, Zero, Zilch. I prefer to stick with Valtrex when it comes to treating my herpes outbreaks.

Angela

[Optimus Grime]

:?
I paired it with other immune system boosters like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Arginine, A basic Multi-Vitamin, and B-12... Maybe it was B-6... remeber to take it DAILY with no missed days. It's quit a toss up for me...

Arginine is a proven "food" for the virus which is why certain foods and beverages with high arginine levels such as chocolate and beer are suggested to either be reduced in people with HSV or balanced out with either a lysine supplement or by increasing their intake of high lysine foods such as cheese.

Many Multi-Vitamins also contain arginine (I found this out the hard way) so If you forgot to take your lysine pill but were still taking the Arginine supplement and your multivitamin ALSO contained arginine then you pretty much just gave the virus a buffet on which to feast and propogate.

I got your not in my inbox and will be more than happy to post your comments on that page. I really don't mind. However, I still do not believe in a "Herpes Diet"

Also, too much L-Lysine is not good for you.

I tried L-lysine when I was first diagnosed with genital herpes and it did absolutely nothing for me. Zip, Zero, Zilch. I prefer to stick with Valtrex when it comes to treating my herpes outbreaks.

Angela

Well, everyone is different so what works for one person might not necessarily work for another. I've read elsewhere on this site where others have posted that they suffered adverse side effects from Valtrex but that would not lead me to believe that EVERYONE who tried it did for them but that doesn't lead me to believe that it doesn't for anyone else.

I understand that too much lysine can be harmful which is why, as I stated in my post, I began cutting back the dosage once my OB cleared up. I began taking 3000mgs and am now down to 500 and will attempt to quit altogether next week (I'll post any changes in my condition here). To be fair, i don't think taking too much Valtrex would be particularly healthy over the long run either.

Ok, you tried lysine and it didn't work for you, I get it but on the flip side I and others tried it and it worked for us. You made this site to help people right? Shouldn't prospective people who read this info be given subjective info regarding ANY type of prospective treatments that may help them?

I'm new and don't want to get off on the wrong foot here and apologize if I'm coming off as argumentive. I don't have anything against Valtrex nor do I have any particular stake or stock in l-lysine. I am only sharing my honest experience in the hopes that it would maybe help others.

[Angela]

I posted this in another thread and apparently it's needed in this one as well. And while I was planning on posting your feedback on my web site I decided that it would be pointless to do that since I am linking directly to this thread and people are going to read what you have to say when they click on the link to vote in the poll anyway. I'm sure you understand, right?

VITAMINS, MINERALS, AMINO ACIDS – These days it seems, nutrition gets the credit or the blame for a host of physical and mental ailments. And you can include herpes on the list. Some people praise the benefits of removing coffee, alcohol, or yeast from their diet, saying that this reduces the frequency of outbreaks. Others suggest supplementing the diet with substances such as the mineral zinc or vitamins C and E.

Perhaps the most often tried nutritional approach is use of the dietary supplement L-Lysine. One of the essential amino acids that the body uses to build proteins, L-Lysine is a natural part of many foods we consume, such as meat, milk, and eggs. Beginning in the late 1970’s, a small number of nutritional researchers began to claim that people who consumed abnormally large quantities of lysine on a daily basis had fewer herpes flare-ups and recovered from them more quickly. In one study, subjects took 3,000 mg of lysine every day to achieve these gains. Unfortunately, other studies found that lysine was ineffective.

While interest in lysine therapy seems to have waned over the past decade, it still has a fairly strong work-of-mouth approval in some circles. Typical is the letter from Preston: “I started taking lysine every day, but I wasn’t consistent. I would run out, then get more pills in a month or two. Then I started taking 500 mg every single day, and I haven’t had an outbreak in a year. I don’t care if it’s all in my mind as long as I get results.”

The consensus in the scientific community is that lysine supplements in particular have no inherent value. Experts also say that if you feel your diet is deficient in some way and you want to take a supplement, the best bet is a broad-spectrum, multivitamin formula that meets the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for the nutrients listed. According to many experts in the field, nutrition is a complex interaction of various elements, and people are best served by eating a balanced diet that gives them all the essential nutrients from real food. (We do need lysine, and a balanced diet probably contains something on the order of 500 mg a day.) On the other hand, megadoses of any one amino acid or vitamin can easily throw the body’s chemical system out of balance.

At one time, advocates of lysine also suggested restricting dietary intake of another amino acid, arginine, which is found in lots of common foods, among them chocolate, nuts, corn, and beer. Some people have found that, for them, arginine-rich foods seem to trigger outbreaks. Nutritional research in recent years, however, shows that arginine actually enhances immune function and helps people resist some infections. It’s been tested on burn patients, for example, and has been shown to lower rates of secondary infection.

If all this seems confusing and contradictory to you, you’re not alone. The one area of general agreement seems to be this: If your diet is inadequate in some way, this can definitely have a negative effect on your health and your resistance to infections. Seeking help from a nutritionist may be a good idea. He or she probably will not be able to control herpes specifically with dietary changes, but the benefits to your health as a whole may carry over to herpes.

MANAGING HERPES – How to Live and Love with a Chronic STD – By Charles Ebel and Anna Wald, M.D., M.P.H.

If you would like to read this book for yourself I have it listed as a resource on www.yoshi2me.com.

Angela

[Optimus Grime]

VITAMINS, MINERALS, AMINO ACIDS – These days it seems, nutrition gets the credit or the blame for a host of physical and mental ailments. And you can include herpes on the list. Some people praise the benefits of removing coffee, alcohol, or yeast from their diet, saying that this reduces the frequency of outbreaks. Others suggest supplementing the diet with substances such as the mineral zinc or vitamins C and E.

Perhaps the most often tried nutritional approach is use of the dietary supplement L-Lysine. One of the essential amino acids that the body uses to build proteins, L-Lysine is a natural part of many foods we consume, such as meat, milk, and eggs. Beginning in the late 1970’s, a small number of nutritional researchers began to claim that people who consumed abnormally large quantities of lysine on a daily basis had fewer herpes flare-ups and recovered from them more quickly. In one study, subjects took 3,000 mg of lysine every day to achieve these gains. Unfortunately, other studies found that lysine was ineffective.

While interest in lysine therapy seems to have waned over the past decade, it still has a fairly strong work-of-mouth approval in some circles. Typical is the letter from Preston: “I started taking lysine every day, but I wasn’t consistent. I would run out, then get more pills in a month or two. Then I started taking 500 mg every single day, and I haven’t had an outbreak in a year. I don’t care if it’s all in my mind as long as I get results.”

The consensus in the scientific community is that lysine supplements in particular have no inherent value. Experts also say that if you feel your diet is deficient in some way and you want to take a supplement, the best bet is a broad-spectrum, multivitamin formula that meets the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for the nutrients listed. According to many experts in the field, nutrition is a complex interaction of various elements, and people are best served by eating a balanced diet that gives them all the essential nutrients from real food. (We do need lysine, and a balanced diet probably contains something on the order of 500 mg a day.) On the other hand, megadoses of any one amino acid or vitamin can easily throw the body’s chemical system out of balance.

At one time, advocates of lysine also suggested restricting dietary intake of another amino acid, arginine, which is found in lots of common foods, among them chocolate, nuts, corn, and beer. Some people have found that, for them, arginine-rich foods seem to trigger outbreaks. Nutritional research in recent years, however, shows that arginine actually enhances immune function and helps people resist some infections. It’s been tested on burn patients, for example, and has been shown to lower rates of secondary infection.

If all this seems confusing and contradictory to you, you’re not alone. The one area of general agreement seems to be this: If your diet is inadequate in some way, this can definitely have a negative effect on your health and your resistance to infections. Seeking help from a nutritionist may be a good idea. He or she probably will not be able to control herpes specifically with dietary changes, but the benefits to your health as a whole may carry over to herpes.

MANAGING HERPES – How to Live and Love with a Chronic STD – By Charles Ebel and Anna Wald, M.D., M.P.H.

If you would like to read this book for yourself I have it listed as a resource on www.yoshi2me.com.

Angela [/quote]



I don't know, I guess maybe some footnotes as to who the authors were quoting as far as the "consensus of the scientific community" or some of their oft quoted "Experts" of the time would be a tad more convincing

I also posted this elsewhere but upon review feel it more appropriate here. The reports below are all unbiased, non commercial, monitored university studies conducted in controlled environments on reliable and screened test subjects, the most recent study that I could find having been conducted bySouthern California University Research Division back in 2005. The book you cited was published back in 1994, 14 years ago but to be fair and thorough, I also posted clinical trials dating from as far back as 1984.

<b>L Lysine Research Update
Safety and effectiveness of an L-lysine, zinc, and herbal-based product on the treatment of facial and circumoral Herpes

Altern Med Rev. 2005 Jun;10(2):123-7. Singh BB, Udani J, Vinjamury SP, Der-Martirosian C, Gandhi S, Khorsan R, Nanjegowda D, Singh V.Professor of Research and Senior Scientist, Southern California University of Health Sciences. Correspondence address: SCU Research Division, Whittier, California.</b>

<b>STUDY: L-lysine, an essential amino acid, inhibits normal replication of Herpes simplex virus (HSV), shortening the normal course and duration of the disease. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a combination of L-lysine with botanicals and other nutrients in relieving the symptoms of facial and circumoral herpes.

METHODS: This small pilot study was conducted using an outcome (open-label) model. Thirty male and female participants (15 in each group) meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria were admitted to the study. The 10 outcome measures used to monitor the sores were tingling, itching, burning, tenderness, prickling, soreness, bump/swelling, small blister(s), oozing blister(s), and crusting, as well as before-and-after photographs of the lesion, and a daily diary.

RESULTS: At the end of treatment the ointment produced full resolution in 40 percent of the participants by the third day and in 87 percent by the end of the sixth day. A cold sore episode may last up to 21 days without treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall data indicated significant improvement in participants by the sixth day of treatment for all but two participants. There were no adverse effects reported during this study.</b>

<i>(The study below was conducted by the Indiana University School of Medicine back in 1987 followed by another done by a pathology lab back in 1984. In the course of further research on this topic I also found studies as recent as 2007 but included these two older ones because they were both conducted within 10 years before the book you cited was published and also because it seemed odd to me that the MD's who wrote the book would have missed relatively recent (at the time) information so pertinent to the topic they were writing about. 1994 was when the internet was first gaining prominence and even if they chose to forego that avenue of research, most medical professionals were sharing information and findings amongst themselves long before that in the form of published studies, journals, and papers, most of which are readily available online today some of those which pertain to this topic, I have provided a link to below.

I didn't look for any medical background on either of the authors of the book you're selling but one would think that any medical professionals writing a book about a virus would and should have been aware of or at least researched studies being conducted (at or before the time of their writing) on that virus that contradict his/her opinions or current knowledge of it before making broad and sweeping statements, bascically "as far as they knew" about the effectiveness of certain treatments.

The fact that the authors, MD's mind you, either failed to, didn't bother, or just plain overlooked the reasearch being done at or shortly before that time that contradicts their opinions regarding lysine treatment of herpes would cause me to question the accuracy of any of their published medical statements or advice.)</i>

<b>STUDY: Success of L-lysine therapy in frequently recurrent herpes simplex infection. Treatment and prophylaxis.
Dermatologica. 1987;175(4):183-90.
Griffith RS, Walsh DE, Myrmel KH, Thompson RW, Behforooz A.
Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.

METHODS: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of oral L-lysine monohydrochloride for the prevention and treatment of recurrent herpes simplex (HSV) infection was conducted. The treatment group was given L-Lysine monohydrochloride tablets (1,000 mg L-lysine per dose) 3 times a day for 6 months. A total of 27 (6 male and 21 female) subjects on L-lysine and 25 (6 male and 19 female) subjects on placebo completed the trial.

RESULTS: The L-lysine treatment group had an average of 2.4 (p less than 0.05) less HSV infections, symptoms were significantly (p less than 0.05) diminished in severity and healing time was significantly reduced (p less than 0.05).

CONCLUSION: L-Lysine appears to be an effective agent for reduction of occurrence, severity and healing time for recurrent HSV infection.

STUDY: Lysine as a prophylactic agent in the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex labialis.

Thein DJ, Hurt WC.

The amino acid lysine is an agent that has been proposed for treating the clinical symptoms of recurrent herpes simplex labialis. This study examined the efficacy of long-term prophylactic lysine supplementation.

METHODS:Twenty-six volunteers with a history of frequently recurring herpetic lesions completed a 12-month double-blind crossovers study. The experimental group received daily oral supplements of 1,000 mg 1-lysine. Serum samples were analyzed at scheduled intervals.

RESULTS: In most instances, members of the lysine group reported significantly fewer lesions than the control group. Similarly, those who were taken off lysine supplementation generally showed a significant increase in lesion frequency. Quantitative hematologic measurements revealed the most clinically useful relationship. Data from this sample population indicated that when a person's serum lysine concentration exceeded 165 nmol/ml there was a corresponding significant decrease in recurrence rate. Conversely, the frequency rate increased significantly as concentration levels fell below 165 nmol/ml.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that prophylactic lysine may be useful in managing selected cases of recurrent herpes simplex labialis if serum lysine levels can be maintained at adequate concentrations.

PMID: 6438572 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] </b>

Links to all of the above reports and the results of more clinical studies regarding both pharmacuetical and alternative herpes treatment are available at the below address and are also published at ,<b>pubmed.gov</b>, a service of the <b>U.S. National Library of Medicine</b> as well as the <b>National Institutes of Health</b>, of which there are also links to below:

healthassist.net - http://www.healthassist.net/remedies/re ... rpes.shtml

National Library of Medicine - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

National Insitute of Health - http://www.nih.gov/

It should be noted that I'm not trying to "win" anything here nor do I have any particular bias towards valtrex or any other pharmaceutical and for my own curiosity's sake will probably try one once my circumstances allow. I think sites like Shut Up and Post are great for spreading awareness and alleviating the worries and loneliness that people might feel once they find out they have this but I also think they can be dangerous when the info passed is biased in any way towards anything for whatever reasons, whether commercial or just plain not knowing all the facts about something before stating it as gospel for all to read.

If this site is REALLY about people helping people with herpes then I only think it only fair and fitting to provide us with any and all information regarding anything that might possibly help.

For me that includes providing information and experiences about both pharmaceutical drugs such as Valtrex as well as other natural alternatives such as L-Lysine. I'm not promoting one over the other as it's a proven statistical fact that neither one is 100% effective for all people so we should be fully informed with all knowledge regarding each in order for each of us to make the proper choices in finding out for ourselves what does and doesn't work for us.

[Angela]

Actually -- the latest book that was published was in July of 2007.

You can order that one from the ASHA site itself if you want to.

I stand by what I said before: L-lysine doesn't do anything for herpes.

If you want to believe that L-lysine is making your outbreaks go away and that it has nothing to do with how long you've had the virus, site and type of where the virus is located -- then go for it.

That's the same thing that I said over here

Angela

[Optimus Grime]

Actually -- the latest book that was published was in July of 2007.

You can order that one from the ASHA site itself if you want to.

I stand by what I said before: L-lysine doesn't do anything for herpes.

If you want to believe that L-lysine is making your outbreaks go away and that it has nothing to do with how long you've had the virus, site and type of where the virus is located -- then go for it.

That's the same thing that I said over here

Angela

You can order that one from the ASHA site itself if you want to.

Or I could just check the clinical unbiased research studies and data from either the National Institute of Health's http://www.nih.gov/ or the National Library of Medicine's http://www.nih.gov/
databases---for free! Seriously, there is SO much info out there which supports my stance that it's not funny but If you are so willing to conclude that one book written by a couple of M.D.'s is the utmost in credibility regarding this subject then you have to consider both these sites with all the published documented clinical trials and studies regarding this topic the ultimate gospel.

I stand by what I said before: L-lysine doesn't do anything for herpes.

Lysine didn't do anything for your herpes. Many others have had varied results with the aforementioned clinical studies and research proving otherwise for most other people.

If you want to believe that L-lysine is making your outbreaks go away and that it has nothing to do with how long you've had the virus, site and type of where the virus is located -- then go for it.

[/quote]

I'm just going with the results and research thus far and at this point given the proof I've provided, it's not a matter of merely me wanting to believe it, it's proven fact.

I'm actually more curious as to why you are so vehemently opposed to it and why you feel so strongly about denying it works for other people. I mean, I get that it didn't work for you but why are you so insistent tht it doesn't or won't work for others despite what they themselves say about their results?

In my previous posts, I've provided several studies both past and present which proved the overall effectiveness of lysine treatment results in humans. Is it just coincidence that all those people in all those double blind clinical studies conducted throughout all these years got better after taking lysine?

Really, I'm curious as to what it is about all this that YOU specifically know that all those Dr.'s and Scientists with their many years of education, training, and experience who've been studying and researching this over the many years have been missing that renders all of their results and findings null and void to the rest of us?

[Angela]

L-lysine is a naturally occurring substance called an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. Proteins in the body are used to make the structure that holds us up and the molecular array that runs our metabolic processes. Our bodies have immense control over amino acids because we depend on them so much. We are constantly making and destroying amino acids and connecting them one to the other in order to maintain the exquisite balance just so.

In the 1960s, an effect of L-lysine against herpes simplex virus was noted in the test tube. It seems that changing the nutritional environment of herpes alters its capability to make its essential proteins. This amino acid balance can be critical, especially between two amino acids, lysine and arginine. These two amino acids work in somewhat opposite ways, in that lysine in excessive amounts damages the virus, while arginine in insufficient amounts has a similar effect. The lysine/arginine ratio is the important factor: a high ratio has a damaging effect on herpes simplex virus in culture. It is a giant leap to say that altering these chemicals in the diet will change the body’s ability to combat clinical infection. In fact, it is not known whether this ratio can be changed in the body. There have been clinical trials with L-lysine, but they have NEVER involved total dietary management, which is being suggested by a number of L-lysine advocates. The lysine work to date in humans is summarized below.

Dr. R. S. Griffith and his coworkers published an article in 1978 describing a multicenter trial of L-lysine for herpes infections. Doses of 300 mg to 1,000 mg per day were used. A long term beneficial effect was observed. However, this study had NO control group. Many people with herpes swear by L-lysine, as popular trade magazines have attested. Without PROPER controls, however, placebo effects can be quite profound. In one study, 77 percent of 26 patients reported their oral herpes lesions to be markedly reduced in severity and duration by treatment with water! Ether, the test substance in that clinical trial, was shown to be no more effective than water placebo. Back to L-lysine. If water works for 77 percent of people who think they are using a drug, then it would be wise to be very critical of studies that have NO control group.

Two controlled trials of L-lysine have been performed in Denmark by Dr. N. Milman and his coworkers. First, L-lysine was used as treatment for recurrent oral herpes. The treatment was used as soon as a coming recurrence was sensed. It was tested on 251 recurrences. There was clearly NO beneficial effect. Next, people with recurrent oral herpes took 1,000 mg daily, while the control group took starch powder tablets. After twelve weeks, the groups switched places. The drug had no effect on the number of recurrences, the rate of recurrences, the rate of healing of recurrences, or the symptoms of recurrences. Fourteen people had no recurrences at all during lysine treatment. This was considered to be of borderline significance.

In another study, from the Dermatology Branch at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, Dr. J. DiGiovanna and H. Blank performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of L-lysine taken for four to five months. The drug was given as 400 mg three times daily, and participants were advised not to take “excessive” amounts of seeds, nuts, or chocolate because of their arginine content. Their results were published in January 1984 in Archives of Dermatology. No substantial benefits of treatment were noted. The fact that only twenty patients were studied and follow-up during the treatment period was left mostly up to the patients themselves makes interpretation somewhat difficult. Nevertheless, all participants has a positive diagnosis at the time of entry, and no beneficial effects were seen.

In conclusion, it is not known whether the lysine/arginine ratio matters for herpes in Humans. Dietary controls have only recently been part of the experimental design, and in this setting no benefits were noted. The average North American diet is much higher in lysine (meats and dairy products) than in arginine (legumes, whole grains, nuts). We do not know if altering the amino acid intake actually changes the nutrients available to the virus inside the cell. However, we are also in the dark concerning the safety of this regimen, because alterations of amino acids have undetermined effects on the body. Because amino acids are not called drugs, they are not controlled as drugs; as “natural” nutrients, they can be put into tablets and sold for consumption at any dosage.

[Optimus Grime]

The lysine work to date in humans is summarized below.

The key words being

to date

. We would have to know when and where this article was originally published in order to compare it with more recent studies and I'm sure everyone would also like to know the author so they themselves can make up their own minds regarding its credibility.

For instance, on the links to the NIH there are links to detailed information describing every clinical trial, who conducted it, and when, and most of them had control groups as opposed to the "studies" you cite below, ironically enough, one of which claims to cite the NIH, which is one of the links I provided that concluded lysines overall effectiveness against herpes OB's. [/quote]

[newly diagnosed]

Angela said:

It is a giant leap to say that altering these chemicals in the diet will change the body’s ability to combat clinical infection. In fact, it is not known whether this ratio can be changed in the body.

This is really the key here. It's such a massive assumption to make the transposition from in vitro to [i]in vivo[i], and since the 60s then there has been no decent evidence:

Dr. R. S. Griffith and his coworkers published an article in 1978 describing a multicenter trial of L-lysine for herpes infections. Doses of 300 mg to 1,000 mg per day were used. A long term beneficial effect was observed. However, this study had NO control group.

Without PROPER controls, however, placebo effects can be quite profound.

Do you guys have any idea how much total crap is published in minor scientific journals that amounts to nothing more than badly designed experiments? The respected journals have extremely tight scrutiny of what is published, in that the papers are examined for proper controls. However the lesser articles are picked up by people who want to market dietary supplements with so called "scientific evidence". I can't believe you are all so gullible.

[Angela]

I can't believe you are all so gullible.

Oh I can!!

[m.]

I thought I'd already posted in this thread..sorry if I put the same thing in another.

After my first OB, I couldn't afford to stay on Valtrex. I read something about lysine and decided to give it a try. I also did all that arginine avoidance stuff, etc. I thought it was helping, but then I decided it was because I was feeling so much better anyway, following the awful effects of my OB. I think it was in my head. Plus, the info I gathered from this site kind of confirmed that it's pretty much garbage (or so I now believe!)

[Angela]

Thanks for providing feedback on this AND voting in the poll. I really appreciate it!

Angela

[mal27]

i recently bought a bottle of lysine bc my mom told me it would help my canker sore go away.I think that it actually helped it go away faster.I had no idea people were taking these to treat genital herpes at the time.I started to date this girl and ended up getting this huge sore .I was embarrassed about going to the doc and it was not going away at all,had this thing for like 2 weeks so i got online and started searching and found some searches on people who tried lysine so i was like ,hey i got that stuff in the cabinet.I took like 4 ,500 mg pills ,the next mornin i noticed a huge difference,and in about 3 days .it went from this huge painful red bump to a very very small white bump.I have not had a outbreak in a while until i noticed one coming up again today.I just took 4 lysine pills.Ill repost my results in the next few days.

[luv2dancebas]

lysine does nothing for herpes!!

[Angela]

i recently bought a bottle of lysine bc my mom told me it would help my canker sore go away.I think that it actually helped it go away faster.I had no idea people were taking these to treat genital herpes at the time.I started to date this girl and ended up getting this huge sore .I was embarrassed about going to the doc and it was not going away at all,had this thing for like 2 weeks so i got online and started searching and found some searches on people who tried lysine so i was like ,hey i got that stuff in the cabinet.I took like 4 ,500 mg pills ,the next mornin i noticed a huge difference,and in about 3 days .it went from this huge painful red bump to a very very small white bump.I have not had a outbreak in a while until i noticed one coming up again today.I just took 4 lysine pills.Ill repost my results in the next few days.

Do you even know what you have for sure OR were you just guessing that you have genital herpes?

I don't think L-Lysine really does a whole heck-of-a-lot for herpes.

L-lysine Comments & Feedback

I'm not the only one that says that either.

Angela

[kevter2]

I have tried L-Lysine orally and topically. They both work very well. But I particularly like the topical form of L-lysine. I havn't had a cold sore in in over a year! What I do is prevent them from erupting, all together. Every day I take 2000 mg of vitamin C (high quality), zinc, 500 mg of L-lysine, and I use L-lysine topically on the area that the outbreak would normally appear twice daily, whether or not there is an outbreak, and i don't get them. It also helps to take care of your health by eating fruits and veggies, and getting plenty of rest. Also, stress and PMS can cause an outbreak. You can keep stress down by exercising and vitamin C. Also, wearing protection (lip balm) when you are out in the sun, and, or if it is windy out. Basically, keeping your lips moist helps prevent an outbreak. It has taken me about 9 years to figure all this out. But I'm happy to say, so far so good. I highly recommend the topical L-lysine for preventing outbreaks, and for getting rid of an outbreak a lot faster (as in 2 or 3 days).

P.S. I can tell you where to get the high quality supplements, if interested. Just let me know.


Terry

[Angela]

Since an outbreaks diminishes in intensity and frequency over time, how do you know that you don't get them any more because you've had herpes for so long?

Angela

[ruralgirltwo]

Lysine has definitely worked for me. I have used it to control cold sore outbreaks for many years. I also was diagnosed with lichen sclerosis a couple of years ago and a few months ago started taking 1500mg 3 times a day. The symptoms are gone! I have no more white patches, no itching, etc. I think it is quite amazing and I do not have to take steroids, etc. I have cut down my intake to 1500-2000 mg daily to see if the symptoms return. I say to everyone, give it a try. ruralgirltwo

[Angela]

ruralgirltwo,

Has your doctor confirmed that is what did the trick and not something else?

[ruralgirltwo]

I have not been back to my doctor for over 8 months. When I asked why I had this disease she said it was because I was "OLD"! She prescribed Clobetasol and Premarin for the problem. Clobetasol can cause other health issues as can Premarin. My doctor was surprised when I told her I was doing my own search on the internet. I belong to a Lichen Sclerosis online support group and educational site. I took a long time trying to decide the route I should take to heal myself. I decided on the Lysine and cream program because I have had luck with Lysine before and the natural cream because I read where such creams had helped other people with my problem. The cream I use is put out by a local apiary and has beeswax, aloe vera among other natrual ingredients. That is all I have used as I stopped the Clobetasol and Premarin months ago. I still had all of the problems while I was using those prescriptions. Soooo, for me, it seems that Lysine and the cream are working. What I do not know is would this same combo work for other people and will the symptoms return after awhile. All I can tell you is right now I feel great. ruralgirl

[Angela]

ruralgirltwo,

I'm glad you feel great. That's a good thing.

Thanks so much for sharing.

Angela