This is one of those things that everyone swears by, yet I had virtually no luck with it when I first tried it. All of the anecdotes and research sounded very promising, but after taking a whole bottle of capsules and seeing little benefit, I dismissed it as another internet myth.
However, I realized later that both trials I made with it occurred before I discovered the gut/bladder connection. When I developed a post-antibiotic UTI recently, I had lots of oregano oil on hand due to trying it topically for the vicious case of staph. I did a quick charcoal cleanse and took OLE and oregano oil only, and drank lemon water.
That UTI was dead in just a few days.
My theory is that, in the trials before cleansing, the oregano oil simply wasn’t making it into my bladder in sufficient quantities to do the job. Also, when I first took it I tried it alone, not in conjunction with OLE.
I believe that, if you’ve done the Boot Camp and still have an infection, oregano oil may be what you need to drive a stake in that thing’s heart for good.
The main medicinal agent in oregano oil is carvacrol, which is a monoterpenoid phenol.
Unless you’re a biochemist, that probably didn’t turn on any light bulbs…let’s just say it combines the killing action of terpenes and phenols. Each of those things kill bacteria in different ways. You’ll notice that the basic protocol for the average UTI combines OLE, raw garlic, and cayenne. Each of those represent a different chemical group. Oleuropein, the medicinal agent in OLE, is a phenolic acid. Allicin, the medicinal agent in raw garlic, is an organosulphur, cayenne is in the terpene (think ginger and turmeric) family, with a protoalkaloid element, too. When combined, you’re basically napalming pathogens on 3 fronts. Oregano oil also helps destroy pathogen biofilms, which is commonly a factor when you’ve been treated with multiple antibiotics for recurring infections. Like OLE, it’s effective against both gram negative (E. coli, Klebsiella) and gram positive (Staph, Strep, Entero) bacteria.
In the case of one rare strain of E. coli, any terpene is a strong irritant, so if you experience increased symptoms after taking ginger/turmeric/cayenne, or if you’re mostly better but stalled at a low level of infection, drop any of those three you’re taking, and just concentrate on OLE and oregano oil.
In my experience, it will help kill an E. coli infection that is merely irritated by cayenne.
The brand I used was Vitacost: I bought the 2 oz bottle with the dropper, and filled empty capsules right before taking. They’re sold out of that right now, but they have their own capsules, and Amazon has Nature’s Way, which is a reliable brand.
After you’ve done a charcoal cleanse, I would start with 2 capsules of either brand with every meal, and with a small snack and a glass of lemon water at bedtime. You can take your OLE at the same time, or in between meals and at bedtime, so you’re slamming the infection every couple of hours all day long, with a 1-2 punch staying in your bladder all night long.
Monitor your symptoms and test in the morning, and if you feel the need, increase oregano dosage to 4 capsules at bedtime and in the first morning dose, keeping the other two doses at 2 capsules. Keep taking till your morning tests have been clear for 3 days running, and you are VICTORIOUS.
If you’ve been struggling along feeling like you’re going to die before this infection does, this will help you Hulk out on that nasty little devil.
I’m so overwhelmed with all this. I’ve been UTI free for nine months. Last UTI before that I’d taken Keflex for five days and in a week it was back. I started Uva Ursi and a couple of days in took one Keflex but then decided to stick it out (symptoms weren’t that bad). I cleared it and had a negative culture. Then a week ago started again. Took Keflex for 6 days and while the awful burning was gone something felt wrong so I got another U/A and it was positive (nitrites where I’ve never seen them before on tests). They gave me cefnidir. Culture was sensitive to other cephalosporins but this still feels pressure. Urine tends to be acidic. I’m so confuse with all the things to try and in what order. How can I do a charcoal cleanse when I take thyroid meds? I tend to constipation at times. I know I can’t do the celery stuff – too much involved for me and I’m afraid of all the oxalates and kidney stone risks. I’ve taken OLE before with no side effects. I have alternative docs tell me I must have Candida, but I’ve never had one yeast infection in 67 years despite a lot of antibiotics, titer was negative as well.
Hello could you please tell me what ole is? I’m having uti back to back and itd making me depressed. Could you tell me how to do a charcoal cleanse ?
Rebecca-
So we had a long conversation in the Hippocrates section a couple weeks ago. Basically I had symptoms of PID and kidney stones and was doing the Hippocrates – I did it for 2-3 weeks. I’ve done like 3 different cleanses. Last week things were looking good. My tests were clear. I was feeling good. I was tapering off some things- not the OLE or the garlic or horseradish. I was still taking juice- but about half the level. I was also taking apple cider vinegar baths to help with PID symptoms (which I think was helping)Then this past weekend- I take a bit less of everything because I’m sleeping more. I have a little coffee one day, a little bourbon the day before. I spend a few hours writing so I don’t pee and I took HCL with a meal and bam- I suddenly have Uti symptoms again – urgency, irritation, bright purple lukes in the morning two days in a row (still no nitrates though). I’m flustered and about to cry. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I started this oregano oil bit yesterday out of desperation but I’m kind of at a loss.
Baking soda still doesn’t have any real effect one way or another. I kept with the Hcl at meals now though I’m worried this somehow instigated something. And nothing- nothing makes my bowels run like a tap except magnesium citrate. Not exercise, not horse radish, not OLE, nothing. Maybe HCL will change that?
I’m so close to giving up and going to the doc but god I do not want to take cipro. I’m scared and frustrated and confused.
Any help?
Thanks
Rebekah, I’ve been taking OLE and garlic as per Phase I, and am pretty much symptom-free now. I’m doing a charcoal cleanse now (but just a gentle one – one teaspoon in lemon water early in the morning, 2-3 hours before breakfast) I need to maintain a “life as usual” as much as possible for the next few weeks, due to work and family, and I can’t face feeling ill again. Also I am now tapering down the OLE and garlic to one tablet/clove at meals, as I’m worried of the effect on my liver. (I have been having some eczema, which I’ve never had before, and slightly out of whack liver results in my last check-up, so I’m easing up on the supplements to see if the results improve in my next check-up -which was due around now, but there’s no point in doing it if I can see the eczema’s still there, so the liver problems haven’t gone away.) Do you think this “softly softly” approach will do the job? I guess I can always up the ante a little bit down the line, if my liver results have gone back to normal.
PS – Also, I read somewhere that you have to be careful with oregano oil, as it’s so strong you shouldn’t take it for long periods of time. (It can nuke good bacteria, and I’m not sure it’s good for the liver.) I was thinking of doing oregano oil 1 week on, 3 weeks off, or something similar. Does that sound OK? Many thanks for sharing your incredible knowledge so generously. Please write a book!! I’d buy it for sure. 🙂
Oregano oil is always best utilized:
1. after charcoal cleansing so it doesn’t get used up killing pathogens in the gut,
2. with food and a shot of lemon juice,
3. Short-term as a killing blow after the gut is cleansed, and
4. in combination with the other meds.
Also, Vitacost brand is best because it’s effective without being overly concentrated. If the UTI isn’t gone within 5-7 days *after thorough charcoal cleansing* on the protocol you’re using, something isn’t right.
Either there’s still gut interference going on (more charcoal cleansing needed), the meds aren’t being absorbed properly (meds must be taken with a shot of straight lemon juice), the combination being used isn’t fully effective against the bacterial strain (switch up your meds combo), or there’s a biofilm in the way (you need to add fresh horseradish or wasabi root to your protocol).
How long have you been on Phase II?
Raw garlic cleanses the liver: you should see dark, sticky stools for a few days, and then they normalize without reducing the garlic. Straight lemon juice shots with meals speeds the cleansing.
It’s common to either develop a temporary rash when you first do this, or have a chronic rash suddenly vanish.
If the UTI is still present, dropping your OLE doses will cause it to resurge: the best way to quickly reduce the burden on your filtering organs is to take charcoal to mop up all the toxins in your gut, and then you can take full doses of natural meds and get nothing but improvement in organ function.
To really speed things up, use charcoal cleansing alongside the Hippocrates Special, taking your OLE with the juice and exchanging the garlic for horseradish.
That’ll usually polish off the rest of a gram negative UTI in about 2-3 days.
Hi Rebekah,
Oil of Oregano is too strong for my stomach, can I dilute with the water?
What brand are you using?
Some are far too strong, and all need to be taken with food.
Vitacost brand is best, in my experience, and you may need to take it with a shot of lemon juice to maximize absorption, as mentioned in the Mother of All Problems post.
You should always dilute oregano oil with a carrier oil – like a spoonful of olive oil. Hope this helps.
Vitacost brand oregano oil doesn’t need to be diluted as long as it’s taken with food, which is why I always recommend that one.
Some brands are insanely strong (100 mg carvacrol or more per capsule: Vitacost is about 35 mg per capsule/dropper) and some people confuse essential oil of oregano with it, or are advised to take it by essential oil aficionados.
Personally, I’m not a fan, and would always recommend Vitacost brand. It’s effective without being dangerously strong.