Mike -

I am curious why in another post recently here you suggested lysine to a poster to try for frequent recurrences? Most studies have been fairly inconclusive not to mention very small and not always double blind on lysine as far as I'm aware. The only study I"m aware of that showed any statistical difference is the one by griffith et all in 1987 ( 114 participants ) and was with the 1gm 3x/day dose of lysine taken every single day for 6 months. That dose also has a lower probability of being taken long term and cost-wise is more expensive than generic acyclovir which has been proven to reduce not only ob's far more significantly but also has been shown to reduce overall viral shedding which is something very important to folks in discordant relationships especially and hasn't been studied at all with lysine. The dose most frequently recommended on bottles of lysine is 500mg 1x/day from what I've noticed which has been shown to have no effect on genital herpes in what few studies have been done.

The reason I am questioning this is because I am wondering why you mentioned it when lysine is in general not recommended for genital herpes by the medical professionals most actively involved in the treatment of genital herpes? I know you did phrase it with some folks find it's helpful ( or something to that effect - forget the exact post at this time to do an exact quote ) but I"m just curious as to why you would even suggest it ?

Thanks!
betsy

Good question, betsyb.

Simply trying to empower someone with information. We don't currently recommend lysine or any other CAM treatment (complementary and alternative medicines), but Lysine has been one of the most (if not the most) commonly asked about alternative treatments for herpes over the years. I'm not sure of the post you're speaking of and/or under what context it was mentioned, but we always make sure to not say that it's been proven to work or that we recommend it. The intent was simply to speak about it then, as a person would likely hear/read about it eventually somewhere.

As far as CAM treatments, they continue to be an area of interest for many. If you or anyone else is interested in information related to that topic, The Helper (ASHA's quarterly journal on herpes) last reported on the subject in Winter 2005. Back issues of The Helper are available for $5. Or another option is to research an online version of a fairly recent article by Charles Ebel, Susan Rosenthal and others that was published in the journal, HERPES, October 2005. The article used to be available for download on the ihmf.org site (International Herpes Management Forum).

Thanks,
Mike

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http://www.ihmf.org/journal/download/122Perfect(38)vol1238.pdf is the direct link to the article Mike mentioned if anyone is interested.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question Mike I just felt that if I didn't question your suggestion of it - folks would be coming to other boards and posting here telling folks to try lysine because mike over at asha recommends it . I just hate to see the myth of lysine perpetuated any more than it is already I'm a fan of the most bang for your buck when it comes to herpes since in a lifetime of having it - you'll shell out quite a lot of money to treat it

betsy

Lysine is one of numerous amino acids that the body needs for growth and tissue repair. It is classified as one of the nine "essential" amino acids because you need to get it from outside sources such as foods or supplements--in other words the body can't make it on its own. Many foods supply lysine, but the richest sources by far include red meats, fish, dairy products, and Herbs & Supplementary Products. Lysine supplementation and the consumption of lysine-rich foods for lowering cholesterol, improving athletic performance, and enhancing recovery after surgery. Lysine may help to: Prevent and relieve cold sores (herpes), and Speed healing of shingles lesions. ( website removed by moderator )