Interesting Abstract on coconut oil and monolaurin http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21771462 Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2011 Mar;4(3):241-7. doi: 10.1016/S1995-7645(11)60078-3. Epub 2011 Apr 12. Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.: Arecaceae): in health promotion and disease prevention. DebMandal M1, Mandal S. Author information Abstract Coconut, Cocos nucifera L., is a tree that is cultivated for its multiple utilities, mainly for its nutritional and medicinal values. The various products of coconut include tender coconut water, copra, coconut oil, raw kernel, coconut cake, coconut toddy, coconut shell and wood based products, coconut leaves, coir pith etc. Its all parts are used in someway or another in the daily life of the people in the traditional coconut growing areas. It is the unique source of various natural products for the development of medicines against various diseases and also for the development of industrial products. The parts of its fruit like coconut kernel and tender coconut water have numerous medicinal properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, antidermatophytic, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, immunostimulant. Coconut water and coconut kernel contain microminerals and nutrients, which are essential to human health, and hence coconut is used as food by the peoples in the globe, mainly in the tropical countries. The coconut palm is, therefore, eulogised as 'Kalpavriksha' (the all giving tree) in Indian classics, and thus the current review describes the facts and phenomena related to its use in health and disease prevention. Copyright © 2011 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved Full study http://www.rainforestherbs.com/Coconut-Health-Study.pdf 5.12. Antiviral effect-page 245 Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of viruses that are lipid-coated such as visna virus, CMV, Epstein- barr virus, influenza virus, leukemia virus, pneumono virus, hepatitis C virus. The MCFA in coconut oil primarily destroy these organisms by disrupting their membranes, interfering virus assembly and maturation[36]. The monoglycerides are active; diglycerides and triglycerides are inactive against these viruses. Of the saturated FAs, lauric acid has greater antiviral activity than either caprylic acid, capric acid, or myristic acid. Monolaurin acts by solubilizing the lipids and phospholipids in the envelope of the virus, causing the disintegration of the virus envelope[36]. The antiviral effects of the FAs and MGs are additive, and total concentration is critical for inactivating viruses[13]. 5.13. Antifungal effect The antimicrobial spectrum of monolaurin is broad including fungal species such as Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Fusarium sp., Alternaria sp., C. albicans, Fonsecaea pedrosoi and Cryptococcus neoformans[18]. Rihakova et al reported two different types of antifungal effects in Aspergillus. niger (A. niger), one by inhibition of spore germination and another by inhibition of the radial growth, at monolaurin concentrations of 0.5 mg/mL and > 1 mg/mL, respectively[37]. They can also help combat yeast overgrowth, such as candida and thrush. VCO has been used in the treatment of Candida infections full stop after inections Ogbolu et al[38] compared the susceptibilities of the Candida isolates to VCO and fluconazole using the agar- well diffusion technique and found that C. albicans had 100% susceptibility to coconut oil at an minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of 25% (1:4 dilution), while fluconazole had 100% susceptibility at an MIC of 64 毺gm/mL (1:2 dilution). Capric acid caused the fastest and most effective killing of the C. albicans strains while lauric acid was the most active at lower concentration r a longer incubation time C. krusei showed the resistance to coconut oil with an MIC of 100% d), while fluconazole had an MIC of > 128 毺g/mL.
page 244 Besides causing viral infection, the herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have a role in the in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques after angioplasty and the presence of viral DNA in the grafts used for bypass surgery constitute a potential risk for atherosclerosis or restenosis[17]. The components catechin, epicatechin along with condensed tannins (B-type procyanidins) were present in the water extract obtained from coconut husk fiber, that showed inhibitory activity against acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1[18]. In fact, all members of the HSV family are reported to be killed by the fatty acids and monoglycerides (MG) from saturated fatty acids ranging from C-6 to C-14[20], which include approximately 80% of the fatty acids in coconut oil. Monolaurin is not formed in the body unless there is a source of lauric acid in the diet, and coconut is a rich source of monolaurin.
Vitolony - I am curious about using cannabis for the Meniere's anxiety. How do you use the cannabis? Do you smoke, eat edibles, or use the oil?
I use a vaporizer with straight cannabis, not the oil. I don't want to inhale the smoke. And edibles are not for the uninitiated to undertake lightly. If you don't know how it affects you and you get too much, being too high is not fun. Canna-cookies are NOT for snacking on. lol. Can be quite yucky to be too high. The high from edibles hits you after a significant delay, 60-90 minutes. And then, it lasts a bunch longer than vaporizing. That can be a plus, as the therapeutic effect lasts for longer. But, if you got too much, you are then in for a rough ride over the ensuing several hours. So the length of the high can work against you as easily as it can work for you. Important to remember, if you do decide to start using cannabis, that even if you do get too much, it might not be fun, but it can't hurt you. There are no cannabinoid receptors in the brain stem, so cannabis doesn't inhibit nervous system function like opiates or benzos do. It won't cause you to stop breathing. Can't kill you directly. If you do get too much, just go to sleep. When you wake up you'll be fine. Better to go with vaporizing at first. The high doesn't last as long, but it hits you MUCH faster. Minutes. That is a good thing if you need a control medication for this disease. Waiting for an hour for the effects to kick in would suck. When I was still having attacks and after I had started using cannabis, the nausea from the attack goes bye-bye just a few minutes after vaporizing. Then, I was usually able to just lie down and go to sleep, skipping the worst of the attack. Hands down the fastest, most effective means of controlling individual attacks I had tried. A sub-lingual benzodiazapine is the only other thing I have heard of that is as effective at control. And they aren't good for your body, where cannabis decidedly is. I'm convinced it's God's medicine for the human condition. lol If you do decide to use cannabis, the best strains I found were the heavy indicas with tranquilizer like highs. I found the uplifting and stimulating sativas to cause more dizziness than I wanted to deal with. Though that can be a very individual thing. Hope that helps some.
I ran through my 3 month supply of monolaurin and am afraid it hasnt done much for me. On top of that, my menieres has progressed to drop attacks. Its all I get now. I feel fine in between the attacks as well. Just out of no where everything will spin pretty fast and I fall down, and within a minute it stops. After that im usually fine within 10 minutes, sometimes it takes an hour to get back to normal. Ive had 3 last week. I have no warning before it hits me. My wife noticed that my eyes were very dialated too, not sure if that relates to it. Im at a loss for what to do now. Am still hoping to try anti virals, then if those don't work i'll probably go for surgery. Ive tried pretty much everything else. Its getting pretty depressing.
Sorry to hear that. The couple of drop attacks I had I didn't spin at all. Just one minute up, the next down. One time I spun after the fall but not before or during. Those can significantly impact your life (more than even "just" Meniere's if that is possible). If your dr won't agree immediately to a/v if it was me I would go to surgery right away without passing go!
Personally, I wouldn't go the surgical route until I have spent at least 6 months on anti-virals. I have been on them for two years and recently tried an experiment where I stopped the Famvir. After 3 days things were regressing so much that I jumped back on them and now I am back to my usual state of having Meniere's but being able to function pretty much normally.
I have read on several sites and studies, but I do not know if this is true or not, so please do not regard this as fact or that it applies to every one but what I have read is that drop attacks usually go into spontaneous remission.
Thanks for the replies. Ive been trying to contact my ENT, but his office has been closed for over 2 weeks now. Just my luck! I have an appointment with my family Dr., which is in 2 days and then it'll be a month waiting for the referral to see a different ENT. Its going to be a long month waiting around! Im not sure what to do until then. I was thinking about asking for a leave from work. My job has a union so I should be able to get on short term disability. People go on stress leave all the time. Im collapsing at work so hopefully they will approve it. Im just afraid of falling and getting hurt. Sometimes it spins so fast that I cant see anything. Almost smacked my head off the bathtub last night while I was brushing my teeth. Its crazy how fast this is progressing. Ive had menieres for 3 years now. 8 months ago was my first drop attack, 4 months after that another one, now they happen more than once a week. Not a fun way to go through life, thats for sure. I will keep trying for the AV's, if I cant get any in a month, and the new ENT doesnt approve of it, might have no other options other than surgery. Sorry for the rant. I hope you guys are doing better than me!
Qntaro, I get it. I feel like I have been kidnapped and taken to a special amusement park in hell. You get up and then. "Oh no, not the tilt a whirl again". or the roller coaster. just a bit of dark humor this morning.
Qntario, Would your family doctor prescribe the av if you went to him/her with all the information? it is horrible what you are going through. Might be worth a try?
Donamo, I don't disagree with you but not everyone is fortunate to be able to find a doctor that will agree to try anti virals. And if this person (anyone actually) is having drop attacks there may not be the time to wait it out until they can find a dr to do it. I have not had the surgery but many here have and are able to go back to their regular lives without fear fairly quickly.