First for some information: I've been REALLY sick with all this for basically three years but have been on lyme treatment for two and a half years, though I was bitten by the tick when I was 12 years old (I am 25 years old now).
Anyway, antibiotics and lyme treatment have helped me a LOT and I have made progress, but in my opinion, I'm still doing rather poorly. Some days are better than others, and some are worse than others. It always comes and goes, like I'm riding on a roller coaster.
Well, I've been doing really poorly recently, for like the past few months, with a lot of heart symptoms and just feeling very sick and out of it, the usual...
I decided to start Olive Leaf Extract. I've taken it before and remember it making me feel somewhat better when I took it in the past. Same with Grapefruit Seed Extract.
Anyway, so I've been taking Olive Leaf Extract for about a week now and ever since I started taking it, I've felt tons better. I have more energy, I feel like a human, my symptoms are less. I am still having some twitching, RLS, a couple heart palps, neck pain, etc., but all-in-all, everything has been much better. I don't feel the overall malaise and extreme heaviness that I usually feel on bad days.
So what I'm wondering is, what does this mean? Does this mean I have a virus issue? I know that Olive Leaf Extract is a mild anti-viral (as well as anti-fungal and anti-bacterial). What else could it mean that it has seemed to help me feel better after such a horrid few months?
Anyone have any ideas/information about what this could mean?
Thanks!
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I don't know what it means, but I'd keep taking it!!
Posted by nomoremuscles (Member # 9560) on :
I agree with Six. When a horse has presents, don't look inside its mouth.
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
Glad to hear you are feeling better taking OLE. I've been considering taking it myself.
Do you experience any negative side effects when you take it? What brand are you using?
Gary
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Gary, no side effects from it at all. The only thing that makes me wary about it is that it can lower blood pressure, which for most people is a GOOD thing, but my blood pressure is extremely low already (from the disease), so that's the only thing that kind of worries me about taking too much of it - I don't want my blood pressure any lower than it is because that would get dangerous.
I started out taking 1 a day and now have gone up to 2 a day. 500mg a pill and the brand is NOW. I am sure it doesn't matter what brand you use too much. Posted by Elizabeth S. (Member # 22405) on :
Parts of this post edited/deleted for misinformation.
EDIT Please see my updated post below, Olive Leaf Extract is SAFE with antibiotics!
I have M.E. and olive leaf extract has been my main "treatment" for about five years, i think because of its anti-viral properties... Without it my brain functioning is worse, and I'm generally worse, but OLE alone is not enough to kill Lyme. (Now I understand why the OLE had started not to work as well over the past couple of years; after i got bit by that tick.) If you're still having lyme issues (repeating fevers are a big clue) you need to stay with the abx or everything could come back because the lyme isn't completely gone. But stay with that olive leaf, it's amazing and obviously working!
[ 11-11-2009, 04:48 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth S. ]
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Here is the info on Drugs.com about interactions. There are no known interactions between olive leaf extract and medications according to this article.
And NO, I don't think the lyme is gone! But I've just been feeling so horrible that I wanted to try SOMETHING different. And it's helped, so I am curious what it can mean.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Thanks, Six. I have read that Olive Leaf Extract may interact with antibiotics, but not sure HOW much.
Elizabeth - thank you for telling me that, but I posted because I am curious as to what it could mean that it's been helping me feel better as of recently.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Disturbed me -- if you are only taking 2 x 500 mg capsules daily of the olive leaf extract then that is a very low dose.
Actually there are big differences between some of the brands.
At such low doses my guess is that maybe you have a slight Candida issue and it is responding to the olive leaf.
I had hubby on 12 capsules daily for a couple of weeks several months ago (Sea Gate brand) and it didn't do much for his symptoms -- was hoping it would help with bart or BLO or mycoplasma.
Elizabeth -- Hubby's herbalist has never had a problem with him taking any herbs in combo with his antibiotics -- including olive leaf.
Bea Seibert
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
I don't think I have a yeast issue. I've done the spit test as well as take plenty of probiotics and do not consume sugar or very many carbs as I am on a gluten free diet, as I'm gluten intolerant. I suppose it could be yeast, but I'd highly doubt it.
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
OLE had helped me in the past with my first two bouts of CFS(undiagnosed Lyme).
It certainly can help with viruses. Take it in between your doses of ABX, not at the same time.
IMO,
CherylSue
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
Disturbedme, it might be because Olive Leaf (and its extract) is anti-inflammatory, due to its flavonoids.
I am also seeing references to it being antibacterial (as well as antiviral):
If you are looking for more anti-inflammatory sources, I took one Boluoke capsule a week and a half ago (skipped my antibio that day to lessen the impact) and herxed for 2-3 days, then had the best 8 days in a row I have had since 2005. As long as you make sure is ok w/your doctor (it thins the blood), this might be beneficial to you too.
I'm SO glad you are getting some improvement with something. I know how frustrated you have been these last many months. Best of luck to you that you can keep your variables low and be able to make sure you know which thing is helping or harming you, and can keep improving!
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
disturbedme, thanks for your response to my questions.
I'm not on abx and haven't been for over three months. I've been having bad stomach problems and waiting for my stomach to heal so I can start on some herbs and supplements. Hope the OLE won't upset my stomach when I start taking it.
My stomach is sensitive I guess because of IBS. Or maybe it's just the bugs in my gut that are causing this--that's my guess. I've been checked for candida and it came up negative so it's not that.
I'm tempted to try some activated charcoal but am afraid to take it for some reason. I might build up the courage to try it tomorrow. This is one frustrating disease...
Gary
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
gwb, I can't recall if I sent you my herbal stomach tea recipe before or not, but it really helped mine heal from an ulcer and GERD. It's good for the entire digestive/GI system.
Please feel free to pm me if you would like it.
Oh, and please don't be worried about the activated charcoal. I understand how weird it seems and how it can be daunting - it weirded me out too at first, but it is harmless.
Even animals like monkeys will steal charcoal pieces from humans to chew on it when they eat certain leaves or other items that they can't digest well. They learned that it soothed their tummies. It's completely benign - unlike Pepto-Bismol.
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
nenet, thanks so much for encouraging me not to be worried about activated charcoal.
I know you are right about this. I've done a lot of searching on the internet about this and it does seem to be safe. Just want to make sure I don't do something that adds more pain to what I already have.
I went back and looked at my incoming pm's and didn't see anything from you. I would very much appreciate getting your herbal stomach tea recipe, definitely!
Thank you.
Gary
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I would suspect it's helping your "subtle" yeast.
Sometimes we have it but it's not "in our face" so to speak.
GSE and OLE are both good for yeast.
Sounds like your diet is good.. but we can still get yeast.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
How would the yeast issue be making me feel worse than the lyme though??? Because since being on the OLE I've felt pretty good, only a few symptoms - like I mentioned above.
Unless the yeast is what causes the really malaise, lightheaded, blah feeling that comes with my really bad days?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Hey D, Yeast symptoms and herxes actually make me feel WAY worse than lyme. I herx the hardest on antifungals, including olive leaf. It sends me to the ER with heart problems.
"Research suggests that olive leaf may be a true anti-viral compound because it appears to selectively block an entire virus-specific system in the infected host. It then appears to offer healing effects not addressed by pharmaceutical antibiotics. Olive leaf's broad wide-spectrum killing power includes an ability to interfere with critical amino acid production for viruses; an ability to contain viral infection and/or spread by inactivating viruses by preventing virus shredding, budding or assembly at the cell membrane; and the ability to directly penetrate infected cells and stop viral replication."
Maybe it's time to focus on viral and fungal infections?
Posted by LittleLymie19 (Member # 15610) on :
Hey D, Yeast symptoms and herxes actually make me feel WAY worse than lyme. I herx the hardest on antifungals, including olive leaf. It sends me to the ER with heart problems.
"Research suggests that olive leaf may be a true anti-viral compound because it appears to selectively block an entire virus-specific system in the infected host. It then appears to offer healing effects not addressed by pharmaceutical antibiotics. Olive leaf's broad wide-spectrum killing power includes an ability to interfere with critical amino acid production for viruses; an ability to contain viral infection and/or spread by inactivating viruses by preventing virus shredding, budding or assembly at the cell membrane; and the ability to directly penetrate infected cells and stop viral replication."
Maybe it's time to focus on viral and fungal infections?
Posted by Skyler (Member # 11549) on :
That is absolutely wonderful you are feeling better. I have heard olive leaf extract makes lymies feel better, so I just started taking it. I hope I get the same effects as you.
Posted by Elizabeth S. (Member # 22405) on :
Hi disturbedme, sorry for the late reply...
I am not absolutely positive about the interaction, but I've read many places that OLE can deactivate certain kinds of antibiotics. I don't know which kinds, or anything more, but it had to have come from somewhere to be mentioned so much, so considerting that, in my personal endeavor I choose not to risk it until I can find someone to give me a true answer. But if I find out for SURE one way or the other (and i do plan to look because that herb helps me more than anything and it's horrible being off of it) i will let you know. until then, be your own judge, and good luck =)
Posted by Elizabeth S. (Member # 22405) on :
(By the way, if you do keep taking it, make sure it's at least 20% oleuropein)
Posted by Elizabeth S. (Member # 22405) on :
Hi again! I said if i found out anything extra, I would let you know. WELL.
The idea behind olive leaf being incompatible with antibiotics is that abx are made from bacteria and fungi, and olive leaf extract
KILLS bacteria and fungi, thus the OLE would deactivate the abx. The basis for this, however, is apparently misguided! The abx
do not actually contain the living organism: Like any other medication, it contains the chemical compound only. So there is
nothing for the OLE to kill.
* I got a friend of mine to talk to his peers (chemistry professors) to clarify HOW antibiotics works, and they're right, no living
organisms in it (if so, they'd need refrigerated, wouldn't they? lol i never thought of that).
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
But stay with that olive leaf, it's amazing and obviously working!![[kiss]](graemlins/kissing.gif)