I know I just posted about high lysine foods - but speaking of lysine, I spoke with a nurse practitioner who said she was at a conference a couple years ago where they determined lysine has absolutely no benefits and works solely on the placebo effect. I've never seen that anywhere else and was wondering if any of you have seen or heard this. I believe it does work for me but am curious.

Are you speaking of genital herpes or cold sores on the mouth? I used to get very bad/big cold sores at one stage and somebody recommended lysine. I've since taken lysine off and on (approx twice per year) and i never get cold sores like i used to. If i do get one, it's extremely small and often barely visibly and clears up in next to no time.

As for genital herpes (i have type 2) i was taking lysine religiously and higher doses than normal, but it didn't do anything for me personally of which i'm aware of. I have more success with dabbing either straight or diluted tea tree oil (depending where the ob is) onto the ob, keeping stress free, getting quality sleep and eating a balanced diet and keeping my immune system strong.

I just had my 2nd outbreak recently and I took 3000mg of lysine everyday during it, nothing like my 1st outbreak. It also went away in like less than 3 days. I now take 500mg everyday and haven't had any issues. I know some say that it has no affect at all but I'm not sure how much I believe that because I feel it helped me. I also buy my supplements through a store online, the description of lysine includes that it has been studied that it helps fight the herpes virus. I know a lot of doctors will tell you it hasn't been proven, but think about what has been proven. Medications that are approved by the FDA, all vitamins and supplements are not. Doctors get kick backs from medicine they prescribe, I just feel that there is more money to be made by pharmacutical companies and doctors when they can keep you taking THEIR meds. Think about it, hasn't it been proven that vitamin C keeps your immune system strong and isn't it said that when you get sick to stack up on vitamin C? But yet the FDA won't approve vitamin C to be something that can help people get healthy and keep them that way. If you ask me it's all a bunch of crap. I think there are dozens of vitamins and supplements out there that help our bodies in many ways, if they didn't no one would bother making them. In my opinion if you find something other then prescription meds that help you take them. I took lysine and am still taking it now because I feel it DID help me with my second outbreak. :D

Right! We all need to realize that "Doctors get kick backs from the meds they prescribe"! They don't get a plug nickel if they tell you to take Lysine or garlic etc.

Right! We all need to realize that "Doctors get kick backs from the meds they prescribe"! They don't get a plug nickel if they tell you to take Lysine or garlic etc.


So true when I asked my doc if she objected to my lysine use it was like there was dead silence on the phone then she made comments that started with like "well ya know" and "I guess" and "as long as you understand" my big white butt!!!! She was just mad that I wasn't calling her for Valtrex, and when I had my 2nd outbreak I DID call for meds, maybe samples she might of had, cause i have no insurance and valtrex cost me $260, then I asked if there was another med she could precribe that might be cheaper and the answer I got was she only uses Valtrex....yea ok DOC! :nono: haha!!!

That is so true about prescription meds for certain illnesses. I refused to take any form of prescription meds for my type 2 herpes, i wanted my body to fight this on it's own and become accustomed to this virus. If you can find a natural alternative, why take prescitpion meds which have side effects.

Whether it's lysine or something else, each individual has to experiment for themselves and see what works for them and in what quantities eg: olive leave extract is great for some, but it used to make me feel nauseas.

Yea, I agree with Audrey concerning finding an alternative. I was on Valtrex for my first outbreak, 500mg twice a day for 10 days, and guess what, I had a freakin 10 day headache that came along with it. SO no doubt, if you can find something else that works for you, that is a supplement or vitamin that is made to be good for you some how some way, then I say go for it!!! :D

Well, with only less than a week between my OBs...the first one lasting close to 2 months...no prescription meds and I didn't start taking any natural treatments until too far into my OB to do any good. OK so as soon as I started getting that wretched dull headache that I was sure meant another OB was coming, I took 3000mg lysine and extra garlic...started swabbing with peroxide and as soon as one sore popped up I put garlic on it. As of today, almost a week from the first signs of my headachey symptom....it's almost all gone now. No new sores and the one sore I did get is almost gone. Hopefully it will just go on away. I cannot say for sure the lysine did it but I may have!

Keepsgoing, it could be the lysine or it could be a combination of all the things you used. Garlic has been of help to so many. Some people on the boards cut up the garlic and mix it with virgin olive oil and let the mixture sit so that the oil absorbs the garlic and they then dab the oil onto the ob. I tried simply opening a garlic gel capsule and that worked for me in the very early stages of the ob, but towards the end of the ob i noticed it affected me by making the sore it. So now if it happens i know to use the garlic oil at the start and tea tree oil later.

Basically it's all about experimenting as each of us is unique and what works for one wont necessarily work for the other.