I believe (on circumstantial evidence only) that many chronic symptoms of fatigue are due to infections that the body has essentially quit fighting (thus things like white blood cell counts don't show it). I was exhausted for a couple of years, barely functioning after a couple of hospitalizations for near-death experiences. I had chronic sinus and ear infections that didn't respond to antibiotics anymore, recurring shingles, and barely managed to function, sleeping 14 hrs per day. My doctor put me on long term sulfa antibiotics and the anti-shingles med, but that only helped a little. Then I researched everything I could about anti-staph natural cures. I can't say exactly what was most effective, because I did them all at once, but here is what I tried.
Supplements for energy:
Magnesium, vitamin D, Zinc, Pantothenic Acid, kelp (Iodine), and you need to balance with enough copper.
Supplements with anti-bacterial and some anti-viral properties:
echinacia and goldenseal (take in 2 wk bouts), grapefruit seed (not grape), NAC, colostrum, lots of garlic, of course lots of vitamin C (grams at a time), some vitamin E, a good multivitamin, and a pretty fair amount of fish oil (reduces inflammation throughout the body) AND Lysine as an anti-viral.
Other antibacterial things to do:
Couple cups of Peppermint tea a day WITH apple cider vinegar, oil of oregano (a few drops in the tea, and inhaled - just a drop on a paper towel - sounds like food, but feels more like paint thinner). For draining the sinuses, oil pulling. This seems strange but it is basically putting oil - like safflower oil - in your mouth and holding it there for 10 minutes. Uncomfortable, but really works (supposedly from India). Also, Sudafed as a decongestant, also.
Of course, you want to crowd out the bad bacteria with good bacteria. I use SinusEase, which comes in a bottle at Vitamin Cottage in the refrigerator. It has rhino bacteria as well as the acidopholus, etc. for the stomach. Drink about a third of a bottle each day and get some up toward your nose.
Also - and this really hurts and my doctor questions about how harsh it is - get one of those sinus rinse bottles you are supposed to put a bit of salt solution into. Put in some garlic-infused oil, some hydrogen peroxide, some Listerine (the thymol and eucalyptol are potent anti-bacterials as well as the alchohol) - about 1/3 inch of each except less of the peroxide - a bunch of salt, and fill the bottle the rest of the way with water. Rinse your sinuses out with that. You will definitely feel it. Tailor it to what you think helps you and how much you can stand.
(If you really want to feel your head explode, just snort a bunch of Listerine straight).
I felt better pretty qucikly, within a week or two, doing these things. Since then it has been a steady climb upward toward being normal. Since I've gotten on top of the infections, I've slacked off on the most unpleasant things (oil of Oregano, sinus rinsing) though I make sure I do them at any sign of sickness or weakness.
Now, when I play tennis for two hours or so, I'm more tired than before I got sick, but I'm not trashed for a week lying in bed.
All of this is just what one guy did to get better, doesn't mean it is applicable to others, but it is definitely worth researching.
Supplements for energy:
Magnesium, vitamin D, Zinc, Pantothenic Acid, kelp (Iodine), and you need to balance with enough copper.
Supplements with anti-bacterial and some anti-viral properties:
echinacia and goldenseal (take in 2 wk bouts), grapefruit seed (not grape), NAC, colostrum, lots of garlic, of course lots of vitamin C (grams at a time), some vitamin E, a good multivitamin, and a pretty fair amount of fish oil (reduces inflammation throughout the body) AND Lysine as an anti-viral.
Other antibacterial things to do:
Couple cups of Peppermint tea a day WITH apple cider vinegar, oil of oregano (a few drops in the tea, and inhaled - just a drop on a paper towel - sounds like food, but feels more like paint thinner). For draining the sinuses, oil pulling. This seems strange but it is basically putting oil - like safflower oil - in your mouth and holding it there for 10 minutes. Uncomfortable, but really works (supposedly from India). Also, Sudafed as a decongestant, also.
Of course, you want to crowd out the bad bacteria with good bacteria. I use SinusEase, which comes in a bottle at Vitamin Cottage in the refrigerator. It has rhino bacteria as well as the acidopholus, etc. for the stomach. Drink about a third of a bottle each day and get some up toward your nose.
Also - and this really hurts and my doctor questions about how harsh it is - get one of those sinus rinse bottles you are supposed to put a bit of salt solution into. Put in some garlic-infused oil, some hydrogen peroxide, some Listerine (the thymol and eucalyptol are potent anti-bacterials as well as the alchohol) - about 1/3 inch of each except less of the peroxide - a bunch of salt, and fill the bottle the rest of the way with water. Rinse your sinuses out with that. You will definitely feel it. Tailor it to what you think helps you and how much you can stand.
(If you really want to feel your head explode, just snort a bunch of Listerine straight).
I felt better pretty qucikly, within a week or two, doing these things. Since then it has been a steady climb upward toward being normal. Since I've gotten on top of the infections, I've slacked off on the most unpleasant things (oil of Oregano, sinus rinsing) though I make sure I do them at any sign of sickness or weakness.
Now, when I play tennis for two hours or so, I'm more tired than before I got sick, but I'm not trashed for a week lying in bed.
All of this is just what one guy did to get better, doesn't mean it is applicable to others, but it is definitely worth researching.
Last edited: