Since my Lyme disease diagnosis in the summer of 2018, I have done a lot more research on different types of infections. This not only includes Lyme disease and its coinfections, but viruses, parasites, and fungi. When it comes to viruses, there is still a lot we don’t know, but books such as Medical Medium and the Epstein-Barr Virus Solution have made people even more aware about the impact that viruses such as Epstein-Barr can have not only on our thyroid health, but other aspects of our health as well.
What I’d like to do is share five things you should specifically know about the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), although as you go through this information, please keep in mind that some of the information in this blog post pertains to other viruses as well.
1. Epstein-Barr can trigger Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s. In January 2017 I wrote an article entitled “Can Epstein-Barr Trigger Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?”. In this article I presented some of the research which showed a connection between EBV and thyroid autoimmunity. Since then I can’t say that there has been a plethora of new studies on EBV and thyroid autoimmunity, although a study published in October 2018 showed that EBV reactivation resulted in the production of thyrotropin receptor antibodies, which are associated with Graves’ disease (1).
In addition to the research, one can’t dismiss the clinical experience myself and other natural healthcare practitioners have had when treating EBV in autoimmune thyroid patients. I’ve had patients with Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s get into remission upon treating viruses, including EBV. However, I’ll admit that it’s not always easy to know when to address EBV (and other viruses), and of course viruses are just one factor that can trigger autoimmunity. As a result, it shouldn’t be surprising that in some cases where I thought EBV was the main culprit, addressing this stealth infection didn’t result in the person getting into remission.
2. There are many other factors that can trigger thyroid autoimmunity. Some sources suggest that EBV is the primary factor that causes thyroid and autoimmune conditions, along with other chronic health conditions. My research and clinical experience demonstrate that there are other triggers of Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s. In fact, in my book “Hashimoto’s Triggers” I discuss many of these triggers, including the following:
- Other infections (i.e. H. pylori, parasites)
- Chemicals (i.e. heavy metals)
- Food (i.e. gluten)
- Stress
- Estrogen dominance
3. Research shows that EBV might play a role in thyroid cancer. One study investigated the relationship between EBV and papillary thyroid carcinoma (2). In 41 samples, Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1) was detected in 65.8% of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma, which was significantly higher in younger ages. Another study looked to determine the presence of EBV and thyroid cancer, and the results showed that the EBV DNA was detected in 71.9% of the samples (3). Thus, the authors concluded that EBV infection may play a role in the development of thyroid tumors.
Of course this doesn’t mean that EBV is the cause of most cases of thyroid cancer. That being said, if you or someone you know is ever diagnosed with thyroid cancer, it might be worth testing for EBV, and addressing the virus if it appears to be problematic. How do you know if EBV is causing problems? As I mentioned earlier, sometimes this can be challenging to determine, but correctly interpreting the test results is important, which I’ll discuss next.
4. EBV testing can be challenging to interpret. In the past article I wrote on EBV I discussed three commonly tested markers. This includes viral capsid antigen (VCA)-IgM, VCA-IgG, and Epstein Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA). I discussed how the presence of VCA-IgM indicates a recent infection with EBV, while the presence of VCA-IgG indicates a past infection. Most people will test positive for VCA-IgG and EBNA, and in the past it was thought that EBV was in an inactive state if VCA-IgM was negative and VCA-IgG was positive. However, it seems that this isn’t always the case, and if someone has very high levels of VCA-IgG and EBNA IgG on a blood test (>100 U/mL), this can be an indication of EBV reactivation.
Some practitioners also recommend to test for Epstein-Barr early antigen (EBV-EA) antibodies. According to Dr. Kasia Kines, author of “The Epstein-Barr Virus Solution”, this marker is usually not tested for when doctors order an EBV panel, and I admit that I didn’t start testing this marker until recently. According to Dr. Kines, if VCA-IgG, EBNA IgG, and EA IgG are all positive, regardless of what the values are, then this can indicate reactivation of the virus. Keep in mind that not all practitioners agree with this interpretation, as many won’t recommend any treatment unless if the VCA-IgM antibodies are positive, which rarely is the case.
5. Natural antiviral agents can help…to some extent. With any type of infection, the number one goal should be to improve the health of the person’s immune system. This doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t take action to try to directly eradicate or inactivate the pathogen. But too many people focus on “killing” infections, and don’t do anything to improve their immune system health. Once again, if a patient of mine has any type of infection, in most cases I will put them on a protocol to address the infection. But one question you need to ask is “why did I get the infection in the first place?”
This was one question I asked myself when I found out I had Lyme disease. And to be honest, it’s still something I ask myself. To some people this might seem like a silly question to ask. After all, people get Lyme disease because they were bitten by a tick that is carrying Borrelia Burgdorferi, right? Similarly, many people get EBV and other viruses because it’s transmitted quite easily through bodily fluids, including saliva. While this is true, perhaps the better question to ask is not “why do I have this infection”, but “why is this infection having a negative effect on my health?” Because the truth is that we’re all exposed to potentially pathogenic microbes, and many people have such “infections”, but not everyone presents the same way.
So while I’m going to list some natural treatment approaches for viruses below, in order to receive optimal benefits you need to have a healthy terrain. Eating a healthy diet is of course necessary. Since most of the immune cells are located in the gut, having a healthy gut microbiome is essential for fighting off ALL infections, and not just gut infections. In addition, healthy adrenals are essential to fight off infections, as chronic stress is one of main reasons some people succumb to viruses and other infections. Reducing your toxic load and supporting your detoxification pathways can also play an important role.
That being said, let’s take a look at some specific natural agents and other therapies for EBV:
Herbs. Two herbs which can help to inhibit viral replication include licorice root and St. John’s Wort. However, while some of the other natural agents listed below are low risk, I wouldn’t take these two herbs unless if you’re under the guidance of a competent healthcare practitioner. I’ll add that while St. John’s Wort has antiviral properties (4), I couldn’t find any evidence showing that it directly impacts Epstein-Barr. On the other hand, a few studies (in vitro) show that licorice root can prevent EBV replication (5) (6).
Other natural agents. In addition to licorice root and St. John’s Wort, other natural agents that have anti-viral properties include monolaurin, colloidal silver, quercetin, and olive leaf.
Homeopathy. Although there is no research I’m aware of which demonstrates that homeopathy can be beneficial for inactivating EBV, recently I started using homeopathy on some of my EBV patients and have seen very good results. I like the remedies by the company DesBio, although there probably are other companies that offer similar EBV homeopathic protocols.
UV light and ozone therapy. As I discussed in the blog post I wrote about my experience with chronic Lyme disease, I received multiple UV light treatments and ozone therapy. Both of these treatments can help with viral infections as well.
Reminder: Don’t Rely on Natural Agents Alone
It’s worth repeating that while taking herbs, nutrients, homeopathy, or even receiving UV light/ozone therapy can help with Epstein-Barr, your number one focus should be to improve your immune system health. This is the case with just about all infections, as while taking natural antimicrobials or prescription drugs might be necessary at times, if this is the only thing you do then you won’t truly be addressing the cause of the problem. This is one of the main reasons why it’s quite common for people to have recurrent infections.
I’m sure there are some people reading this who felt that they were living a healthy lifestyle, yet still dealt with an infection such as Epstein-Barr. If this is the case with you then chances are there is a weak link. So if Epstein-Barr has been a factor in your health and you have been eating great and doing an awesome job of managing stress, then your immune system health is probably being compromised in other ways. Perhaps the main “weak link” is another hidden infection, exposure to environmental toxins, toxic mold, or even EMFs. It’s not always easy to find the reason behind a compromised immune system, but doing so is necessary to overcome a chronic infection.
A Few Other Things To Know About EBV:
- An acute EBV infection doesn’t always result in symptoms. Many people think of mononucleosis when thinking of EBV. Mononucleosis, also known as “mono”, is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, a sore throat, a fever, swollen lymph nodes, and other signs and symptoms. But not everyone who is initially infected with Epstein-Barr will develop these symptoms. So Epstein-Barr can be a factor even if you never had “mono” or other virus-related symptoms.
- Epstein-Barr doesn’t just impact thyroid health. Epstein-Barr has been linked to other health conditions as well. This includes multiple sclerosis (7), rheumatoid arthritis (8), and lupus (9). Non-autoimmune conditions linked to Epstein-Barr include Burkitt lymphoma (10), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (11), and gastric cancer (12).
What’s Your Experience with Epstein-Barr?
If Epstein-Barr has been a factor in your thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition please feel free to share your experience in the comments section below. Feel free to share anything you’d like, although I’d specifically love to hear about any “alternative” treatments you received and whether you feel they helped or not.
I’ve been working on healing my Hashimoto’s for over 6 years. I’ve done many things including adding cultured foods to my diet, eating raw vegan until dinner, taking LDN, keto diet, raw vegan 30 days, liver detox diet, etc., cutting dairy, alcohol, corn, gluten, soy and eggs. Most recently have been following the Medical Medium and have been drinking celery juice every morning since September 2018 and this month I added a daily heavy metal detox smoothie with wild blueberries. Nothing seems to help, my Hashimoto’s disease is still raging and my thyroid function continues to decline although I generally feel good (maybe I’m slowing the progress?). I eat mostly organic, lots of fruits and vegetables and have done many protocols and supplements but nothing seems to help me.
Nikki, it sounds like you’re doing some great things for your health. Even though nothing you’re doing seems to help, I wouldn’t give up hope, as finding the triggers and underlying imbalances can involve some detective work, and most of the time eating well alone and randomly taking supplements isn’t sufficient to reverse the autoimmune component.
Great article!!!! I experience EBV flares from time to time, stress and diet related. It took me YEARS to even understand what this was, but now I have a lot in my arsenal to combat it. Initially I started out with supplementation (Monolaurin, L-Lysine, Vit. C., etc.) along with pampering to help with stress. I’ve recently discovered BioMeridian testing and am getting FANTASTIC results with this. So lucky to live in an area where alternative methods are popular and available. At the same time I get Lymphatic Drainage therapy (not massage) and it’s helped in many other ways…..it’s a marathon, not a sprint…but these things work! Kudo’s for mention of Anthony William, love his books and refer to them almost daily!
Janet,
I am glad you are healing yourself. How do you incorporate the BioMeridian testing into your regimen? Do you happen to live in South Florida? I would love a recommendation for lymphatic drainage and the BioMeridian testing. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your experience Janet! I’m glad the BioMeridian testing has helped, and that’s also great about doing the lymphatic drainage therapy.
I was diagnosed with chronic active Epstein Barr virus about 6 months ago. I have been taking monolaurin , L- Lysine pathogen defense and vitamin c daily only to find an increase in my EBV-early antigen level?
Needless to say I am very discouraged at this point . Any suggestions?
Karen, I can understand being discouraged, but as I discussed in this blog post, the most important factor to inactivate EBV is to improve your immune system health. While taking supplements can certainly help, doing so alone usually isn’t sufficient. In the blog post I also mentioned how homeopathy can be effective, but once again, if this is all someone does without improving their immune system health then they won’t receive optimal results.
I have been studying the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) since I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 2016. At that time I was looking for natural ways to reduce my symptomology and reduce my daily medication burden. My research on Pub Med led me to vitamin D. I found an clinical by Dr. Michael Pender, MD, a neurologist in Australia, discussing Epstein-Barr, CD8+, and vitamin D. Dr Pender listed over 30 autoimmune diseases that he felt could be triggered by EBV, including MG and Hashimoto’s/Graves. He stated that one thing all autoimmune sufferers have in common is low CD8+ lymphocytes, and low vitamin D levels. CD8+ lymphocytes primarily fight viruses, and EBV suppresses them. Increasing vitamin D serum level increases CD8+ count according to Pender. My CD8+ increased by 300% as I increased my vitamin D blood level.
You may also want to review the clinical from the Riordan Clinic on IV vitamin C reducing EBV viral load. I found this very effective. I’m currently in remission, off prednisone and mestinon since December 2017.
Hello Blaine – great to have that information about CD8+ and Vit D.
Do you know through your research whether EBV (or related) is present in Australia?
I am in AUS. Thanks.
Jo
Thanks for your comment Blaine, as I do recommend for all of my patients to have their vitamin D levels tested, as I agree that healthy vitamin D levels are necessary for a healthy immune system. However, it’s also important to mention that having healthy vitamin D levels doesn’t ensure that someone has a healthy immune system, as there are many factors that are important to achieve a state of optimal immune system health.
Thank you for your posts.
I was diagnosed with low thyroid about 30 years ago. Several years back I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr and got “over the symptoms” in about 2 months. I just read and ordered some cinnamon bark oil and read that 1 drop a day for 2-3 months might clear the body of the hidden lyme disease that could be lurking in my body. I was bitten by the tick that causes lyme about 35 yrs ago and then proceeded with antibiotics for 1 week.
I guess I should just praise God that I am still fairly healthy and exercise a few times a week. Looks like from reading your article that life could have been much worse.
That’s very interesting about the cinnamon bark oil Sylvi. I haven’t heard about this helping with Lyme disease, but as I’ve mentioned in a few of my responses to other comments, taking natural agents (i.e. supplements, herbs, homeopathy, essential oils) can all potentially help, but taking any natural agent alone usually isn’t sufficient to eradicate stealth infections such as Lyme disease, EBV, etc.
I tested positive for EBV antibodies, but have not been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Everyone tells me my thyroid is NORMAL. However I have a large multi-nodular goiter and my adrenals are pretty shot. My kidneys are polycystic, as well as my liver. I cannot get help from my primary doctor. “Cut it out” is all they want to do. I try to go to holistic doctors as much as possible, but no one knows what to do for me, after trying certain protocols and seeing no results. I’m getting very discouraged. I do a lot of research to try to find the link between kidney, liver, adrenals, thyroid… but I’m too “old” to go to med school 🙂 and all my research just confuses me more.
Using a near infrared light has helped shrink my goiter. Many options and some research thru google, I bought my from red light man in the UK.
Good health to you!
Brenda, I can’t understand why everyone is telling you that your thyroid is normal, even though you have multiple nodules and a goiter. I’ll include a link to an article I wrote on multinodular goiter:
https://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/articles/multinodular-goiter-natural-treatment-methods/
Also, here is a recent blog post I wrote on kidney health:
https://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/archives/thyroid-health-kidney-health/
I had Mono at age 22-23. I got pregnant at 24, which probably didn’t help my health. I have Hasimoto’s and other Autoimmune Issues. Diet and Heavy Metal detox is helping, but I’m beginning to think it’s time to get tested for EBV, Mold allergy, parasites, etc.
Sue, while it’s great that you’re eating well and followed a heavy metal detox, I agree that it would be a good idea to look into other triggers/underlying imbalances.
I’m on year 14 since EPV gave me Hashimotos Hypothyroidism at age 23. I have a mishapen thyroid, I’ve gained 40#, and I have been in steady decline. The chronic migraines started 3 years ago and I just got them resolved by using an IUD called Morena.
My doctors can’t help, bc my thyroid levels fluctuate and when I start to have normal levels I don’t feel better I feel worse. I take Thyroid Armour 60 most days and 120 on Tues/Thurs, because that’s how committed my doctor is to find the right dose.
I did well with no thyroid medication and my mishapen thyroid shows up as a hot nodule (part of it still works). So I’m starting to believe that I should stop taking the thyroid hormones all together, but the doctors freak out when I suggest this.
My cortisol is very moody, salts are good, vitamin D and Iron run low.
Fun fact, quitting caffeine when you get a cold works. I’ve been coffee free for 6 months and I really don’t need it. I might even say I feel a tiny bit better without it. I really didn’t think that was possible. I only miss the taste.
When I try keto, I feel bad. I love nuts, but they do not energize me. Legumes are my protine of choice and I have to have carbs with it if I want to be awake and present in my life.
Tumeric and Ceylon cinnamon have no demonstrable affect.
Fish oils (the good kind) similarly have no affect.
Aromatherapy of all kinds don’t seem to help.
Exercise (light or strenuous) dosen’t seem to help.
There’s never enough time for sleep, but I get my 8 hours. I don’t have any bad habits, and quit the occasional alcohol for science.
I’ve tried all kinds of therapy, CBT, detox, accupuncture, every type of specialist. The only thing I have is EPV and Hashimotos, now that the migranes are gone.
I think the key is hormones and staying away from ultra unhealthy foods ( I quit bread and cheese like 12 years ago).
I also just have to accept that although I look younger than my age, inside I’m about twice my age. My doctors say that’s not how it’s supposed to be, but it is what I experience. I remember running the Great Wall and Seattle hills in the rain. I can’t imagine being that person ever again.
It would be nice if we could evict the EPV. So please share your successes.
Steph, it sounds like you have done some wonderful things for your health. Hormones very well might be a factor, and it’s great that you are eating well, but it sounds like something is still missing (i.e. a hidden infection, toxic mold, etc?)
I had ricketssia which came at a time of extreme stress and a tick bite. I was treated homeopathically for several months but didn’t find much relief for my major symptom – chronic fatigue. Five years later and I finally have gotten myself better through trial and error. I had to quit my job and leave the city and cut out all stress. I used Cats claw and Stevia, reishi mushrooms and on occasion golden seal also diet – vegan. I would say I have 90% of my energy and health back and improving daily. I did not go the antibiotics route as I’ve suffered from bad Candida since a teen which I’m currently dealing with and funnily enough am going for ozone therapy for next week! So thanks for this!
Thanks for sharing your experience Lisa! That’s great about having 90% of your energy back. I hope all goes well with your ozone therapy sessions!
What is CD8?
I would love to increase my Vitamin D levels (my Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy level was less than 1 the last time tetsted) to help my immune system, but every time I try to supplement with D I get a new dystonia/motor tic. Argh, this EBV is out of control. Now, as of last week, I am hyperthyroid. And maybe hyperthyroid explains the years of internal shaking, motor tics, anxiety, brain fog and tremors? Or just still symptoms of the EBV feeding off my lead and mercury?
I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease after 8 years of struggling with increasing ill health. After getting the diagnosis I begin taking multiple supplements and changed by diet drastically. A year and a half after getting my health back my levels went haywire. My TSH is non existent, high T3, high T4, high RT3 with chronic thyroiditis for the last 3 years as well as persistent goiter. I would love to get a handle on this and finally gain back my health. I take daily vitamin D3, zinc, selenium, bcomplex, Gutright 3x a day, magnesium citrate twice a day and a greens supplement. I try to stick to a clean diet, limited gluten, very small amount of lactose free dairy. I’m certain I have chronic EBV. Any ideas on how I can increase my health? Thanks and great article!!