I had long suspected that I was plagued by the yeast Candida albicans. I could tell this from the chronic yeast infections, skin infections (such as itchy acne) and the strange cognitive fogging that I’d been experiencing for a while. While not life-threatening, these symptoms were certainly bothersome and even depressing. I constantly wondered, “What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I feel as energetic, clear-headed and healthy as I used to?”
I tried going to the dermatologist for my skin problems, and she gave me courses of antibiotics. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do this since it seemed to be harsh, but she assured me that taking antibiotics for acne was common. Well, I realize now that many people resort to this because they trust doctors and doctors prescribe antibiotics because it’s easy to do so. They must not take into account the horrible side effects! Sure, my acne went away temporarily, but after my rounds of antibiotics, they came back with full vengeance, along with hair loss, worsening of fatigue, and ultimately, a further proliferation of skin infections. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I didn’t want to continue suffering and I certainly wasn’t going to give my money to doctors so that they can be careless with my health.
I began to take probiotics in the hopes that the friendly bacteria I was flooding my body with would take over the “bad guys” that had developed in my gut. Expecting miraculous results (I was, after all, taking a high quality supplement from Jarrow Formulas), I waited. And I waited. And I saw no improvement in my symptoms, even after several months of persisting in taking the probiotics.
I then came to the conclusion that whatever force had infested me would continue to infest and annihilate my intestinal flora as long as it was allowed to exist. I then decided that I would have to take measures to destroy the Candida albicans, and then supplement my intestines with healthy flora.
I considered the options. I needed something that was antibacterial, antifungal and possibly even anti-parasitic. The options were olive leaf extract, oregano essential oil, coconut oil and several other natural remedies. I have recently become enamored with essential oils and their endless uses, and so was especially intrigued by oregano oil. I had never tried this particular essential oil before, and I read that it is the most potent of all as far as its antimicrobial activity.
I read many times that oregano essential oil had the ability to discourage or even destroy bacteria, fungi and parasites. I hadn’t read a lot of studies conducted on humans, but there were plenty about mice that actually seemed promising. I usually don’t buy a lot of the results from experiments conducted on mice. After all, humans and mice cannot be compared! However, I read a study in which mice that had been administered the bacteria strain Staphylococcus aureus. Those who had been given oregano oil survived, while the ones given only olive oil all died. I thought that this was interesting. There had to be something to this. Besides, I have grown to become a strong advocate for alternative and complementary medicine. While natural doesn’t always equal safe, I think that judicious and educated usage of natural therapies is a lot better than blindly popping pills from doctors. My personal bias, perhaps, but I feel that it’s justified based on my experiences. And many other peoplefs experiences as well.
I read a bit more into this potent oil. Carvacrol is the main component of oregano essential oil, as is another phenol consitutent thymol. According to various sources, it’s important to get a quality oregano oil that is labeled with carvacrol. A lot of times, companies put in more thymol than carvacrol, and unfortunately, thymol is not as potent as the latter, and can even be toxic when ingested. I went online and found a website that sold an oregano oil in veggie caps by a company called Vitality Works. Though it was a bit pricey, I liked how it clearly stated “Carvacrol” on it’s label, and also listed it sources and the amount of carvacrol delivered. I then saw that the same company sold a tincture, and I opted for that. I have more faith in tinctures for some reason, and I mistrusted my then faulty digestive system to absorb what was in the capsules.
When the tincture arrived, I couldn’t wait to try it that night. I was already so weary of feeling tired, weary of all my digestive ills. I really wanted this to work. As with most natural products, though, I knew that I had to have patience and wait for time to prove their efficacy. On the label it said to 1-4 drops daily, in water if prefered. I put two drops right under my tongue. Goodness, did it burn! Terrified that I had made some dire mistake, I began to panic. Yet I told myself to have faith; plenty of people have tried this oil, the ancient peoples have relied on it as a remedy for myriad ailments, and I needed to give it a chance. After the burning subsided, I began to feel pleasantly numb, and it was then that I had recalled that this oil has powerful painkilling properties, rivaling (or even superceding) those of morphine.
I also had ordered a cheaper version of oregano essential oil to use topically. I had mixed it with jojoba oil (it’s important to mix it with a carrier oil such as grapeseed, olive or jojoba oil to reduce the risk of irritation) and some lavender oil, and then stirred in some aloe vera to make a refreshing moisturizer for my skin. I put a little extra on my acne spots, and I loved the tingle that followed. It felt like it was working.
Of course, the tingling sensation can be deceiving. Sometimes when my skin tingles, it means that it’s actually being overstimulated, as with peppermint or cinnamon oil. However, when I woke up the next morning, it looked as though my homemade concoction had worked. Extremely well, in fact. My skin looked more even, and the cysts that I had had were reduced signficantly.
Now for the disturbing parts. As this is a personal account of health problems and the natural solutions that are sought out, some medical symptoms will be described in some detail. According to others, they had seen parasites and worms (such as tapeworms and hookworms) be expelled with their bowel movement. I had always been a bit incredulous about these claims, but when I experienced slight cramping, I had no idea what was going to occur in the next ten minutes. When came out was not diarrhea, but thick, clay-like feces that were dark and filled with many spots. While I’m not sure if they were tapeworms, these feces looked like things I had never seen before. I took this to be a great sign, and I still believe that it is. I feel like the oregano oil truly helped clean out what has been sitting in the deep abyss of my colon. My bowels have never been very functional, and I kind of knew that there had to be a lot of junk inside there. After all, I had been experiencing chronic health problems for no apparent reason.
I have only tried oregano oil for a few weeks, and it’s time for me to stop. You’re supposed to take it in two-week cycles. Now I’m just allowing my body to repair. What I can say is that I feel a lot better. Possibly twenty times better. My skin is a lot calmer, and the painful cysts on my face are finally healing. It seems too good to be true, but the proof is before my eyes. I don’t have that awful “brain fog” anymore, which is great. Keep in mind that it’s important to start supplementing yourself with probiotics a week into the oregano oil cleanse, as the oil is so strong it pretty much cleans up everything inside you, including the “good guys”. I will retry this regimen once again, just to maintain my good health, and I hope to follow up this article with another account of my experiences with this amazing oil. Note: Remember, be careful with it. Don’t exceed the 1-4 drops. And before you try it on your skin, make sure to do a skin patch test (even though I didn’t do it). You just want to make sure that you’re not allergic.
