How Lithium Orotate Can Cure HSV-1, HSV-2, Varicella zoster, and Other Viral Infections
Lithium orotate is the nutritional form of the trace mineral, lithium. In most cases, a discussion of just “lithium” in the medical world will refer to either lithium carbonate or lithium chloride, both of which are pharmaceutical forms of lithium that have to be administered at dangerously high doses due to their low bioavailability. Lithium orotate, in contrast, is a naturally occurring form of lithium with high bioavailability. As such, it can be administered at much, much lower doses to produce the same (or better) effects as these pharmaceutical forms of lithium, but without the side effects or risks involved.
In this article, I will use “lithium” and “lithium orotate” interchangeably. Many studies on the use of lithium as an antiviral medicine involve the use of pharmaceutical lithium, and I will note this difference where relevant. However, readers should be aware that the exact type of lithium in this context isn’t important. Lithium orotate can (and does) produce the same results as pharmaceutical lithium, but can be administered at lower, safer doses.
Lithium Orotate as an Antiviral Nutrient-Based Medicine
In addition to being an important treatment for herpes virus infections (including HSV-1, HSV-2, and herpes zoster/shingles), lithium orotate may also exhibit antiviral effects in the treatment of these other viral infections:- COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)
- Reovirus
- Hand-Foot-and-Mouth disease virus
- Hepatitis C virus
- Chickenpox
- HIV
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Viral lymphadenopathy
- Adenovirus
Lithium Orotate for HSV-1, HSV-2, Shingles, and Chickenpox
Lithium is most often employed as a treatment for psychiatric disease, so there are many studies where researchers have observed not only improvements in mental health conditions as a result of lithium use, but also in herpes symptoms in those patients with a coexisting herpes infection. For example, one study found that administration of lithium in patients with affective disorders also significantly diminished the rate of recurrent herpes labialis outbreaks. A different study found that lithium administration completely prevented herpes labialis outbreaks in 13 out of 28 psychiatric patients with the condition.But other studies have also been done exclusively on the use of lithium for the treatment of herpes. These have produced similar results in groups of mentally healthy adults as well, including in the treatment of genital herpes. One study found that 1 year of lithium carbonate (a pharmaceutical form of lithium) administration in a group of 10 women with chronic, recurrent genital herpes infection significantly reduced the number of monthly herpes outbreaks. Besides reducing the number of actual outbreaks, the use of lithium carbonate also helped reduce length of each outbreak, as well as symptom severity. The effects of lithium carbonate were gradual and the women’s conditions improved over the course of the year.
In yet another study on the use of oral lithium carbonate for the treatment of HSV, 11 patients with recurrent HSV outbreaks were given lithium carbonate over the course of 5 months. This study also observed that lithium carbonate administration successfully reduced the number of herpes outbreaks each month, the duration of each outbreak, and the severity of symptoms.
Buy KAL lithium orotate, 5mg supplements here.
Lithium Orotate: Topical Treatment for Herpes Lesions
Other human studies have also found that an entirely different form of lithium, lithium succinate, can directly treat herpes outbreaks when applied topically (this type of lithium is also used to treat seborrheic dermatitis). This is a lesser known pharmaceutical lithium; lithium orotate powder, combined with coconut oil or another appropriate carrier oil like apricot kernel oil, may have a similar effect when applied topically to herpes lesions or other viral skin lesions.The topical use of lithium orotate may be highly effective in some cases, even beyond simply reducing the presence of lesions, since herpes lesions are a kind of “gateway” directly into the pathways in the nervous system that lead back to the virus’ “home” in the body (which is usually in the dorsal root ganglia or cranial nerves). Therefore, applying powerful medicinal agents like lithium orotate directly to lesions caused by herpesviruses (including HSV-1, HSV-2, and the Varicella zoster virus, among others) can potentially deliver this medicine directly into the relevant nerve pathways in the body.
Studies have also found that the topical administration of lithium succinate can reduce viral secretion of endotoxins, thus reducing the presence of viral skin lesions more quickly. This mechanism of action also suggests that topical lithium applications may also help treat conditions like certain skin-related autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (psoriasis is an exception, however, since it is apparently made worse by topical lithium administration).
How Lithium Works as an Antiviral for Herpes Infection
Research has found that lithium salts most likely prevent and treat herpes infection by interfering with viral DNA synthesis, thereby preventing automatic viral replication. Other studies have also found that lithium may help prevent the reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus infection, thus also acting as a kind of “prophylactic” treatment against future herpes outbreaks. This ability to prevent viral reactivation may be due in part to lithium’s stress-reducing capabilities; indeed, there are many studies that suggest that stress is a major causative agent for the reactivation of viral infections like herpes.Some other proposed mechanisms of action of lithium as an antiviral include:
- Its ability to replace magnesium ions as an enzyme cofactor during the synthesis of viral proteins,
- inhibition of viral DNA polymerase,
- alterations to lymphocyte and macrophage function,
- a reduction in T-suppressor lymphocyte activity,
- alterations to the synthesis of prostaglandin E1 and some free fatty acids,
- and changes to the membrane dynamics of healthy host cells that makes them less vulnerable to viral penetration.
Psychiatric Conditions Associated with Herpes Infection
Regardless of whether or not a person experiences the physical manifestations of herpes infection, an infection can still be present in the body, hidden carefully away in difficult to reach tissues and organs (like the gallbladder, for example). These kinds of “hidden” infections can cause various health problems, including not only autoimmune disease, but also some kinds of mental health conditions. The herpes virus has been found to inhabit certain areas of the nervous system, including not only better-known areas like the cranial nerves and dorsal root ganglia (which are areas where the herpes virus can lie dormant for years after a chickenpox infection, and reactivate much later in life as shingles), but also in the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum.Below is a brief list of the psychiatric conditions that have been positively correlated with different kinds of herpes infections (including with HSV-1 and HSV-2, Varicella zoster, and other human herpesvirus infections):
Autoimmune Diseases Associated with Herpes Infection
Autoimmune diseases of all kinds benefit greatly from supplementation with lithium orotate. And indeed, many of these autoimmune diseases can be traced back (at least in some cases) to an underlying herpes infection. While we discuss this concept in more depth elsewhere, I wanted to include a brief list here of herpes-associated autoimmune diseases that can be treated with lithium orotate supplements:- Behçet’s Disease (HSV-1)
- Paraneoplastic Pemphigus (HHV-8)
- POEMS Syndrome (HHV-8)
- Scleroderma (HHV-8)
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis / Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis / Autoimmune Thyroiditis
- Autoimmune Addison’s Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis / MS (HHV-6)
- Balo’s Sclerosis / Concentric Sclerosis (HHV-6)
- Devic’s Disease / Neuromyelitis Optica (Herpes Zoster)
- Bell’s Palsy (HSV)
- Pemphigus Foliaceus and Pemphigus Vulgaris
Buy DoubleWood 5mg lithium orotate supplements here.
Lithium Orotate for COVID-19 and Other Coronavirus Infections
Various animal studies and in vitro studies have found that lithium chloride (a pharmaceutical form of lithium) is effective at preventing and treating viral infections from the Coronaviridea family. One in vitro study found that lithium chloride was able to suppress infection with the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in Vero cells. In this study, lithium chloride was found to inhibit viral entry and replication, as well as apoptosis of healthy cells. In MARC-145 cells, lithium chloride was found to reduce viral RNA and protein production in PEDV and respiratory syndrome virus.Studies suggest that lithium chloride may be most effective as a preventative/treatment within the first few hours after infection with a virus like COVID-19 (more specifically, within the first 8-9 hours after infection). Yet, other research into the effects of lithium chloride as a treatment for a porcine coronavirus-induced form of gastroenteritis suggests that this nutrient-based medicine may work as a treatment for both early- and late-stages of infection. Animal studies have found that lithium chloride may also work as both a preventative and a treatment option for coronavirus-caused bronchitis.
Lithium’s antiviral effects against coronavirus infections may be due to a few different mechanisms of action. Firstly, lithium is known to inhibit an enzyme known as glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta (GSK-3β), as well as inositol monophosphatase. In addition, it is also thought to indirectly affect electrolyte balance. The presence of GSK-3β is particularly important for the replication of coronaviruses, meaning that lithium’s ability to inhibit this enzyme makes it an especially good choice for preventing viral replication in coronavirus infections like COVID-19.
This information about the GSK-3β enzyme is especially relevant when it comes to deciding on a coronavirus treatment protocol. Some research has indeed found that not only does lithium exhibit antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but it also potentiates the effects of chloroquine, an important pharmaceutical drug used to treat COVID-19 (presumably, lithium would also potentiate the effects of hydroxychloroquine, as well as quinine, the natural medicine from which both of these pharmaceuticals are derived).
Both lithium and chloroquine (and related medicines) work to treat coronavirus infections by inhibiting the production of GSK-3β, an enzyme that’s essential for coronavirus replication. Zinc, another trace mineral, has a similar mechanism of action in terms of inhibiting GSK-3β, and is therefore also indicated as a complementary therapy for coronavirus treatment. Theoretically, lithium orotate, zinc, and quinine (the natural form of hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine) could be combined to prevent and treat coronavirus infection naturally at home.
Lithium may also help prevent cell damage in cases of viral infection with coronaviruses, and restore energy back to cells that have already been damaged.
How to Administer Lithium Orotate as a Herpes Treatment
Lithium orotate is a very safe nutrient medicine that can be administered to people of all ages and in all situations (lithium can even be administered to infants, young children, and pregnant/lactating women). In adults, this nutrient can be safely given at a daily dose of 5-100mg per day in divided doses. It can be taken comfortably at doses of up to 20-30mg at a time, but people who decide to take lithium orotate at this dose should be aware that it can cause significant relaxation and even sleepiness at this dose. As such, this is an ideal dose to take before bedtime, since it can enhance sleep. During the daytime hours, a dose of 10-15mg can comfortably be taken without causing drowsiness.If this is your first time taking lithium orotate, start with a low dose of 5mg and assess how you feel. Work your way up to 40-60mg per day at first if you’re actively treating a viral infection, and maintain this dose for a few months before making another assessment (keep a journal so you can see your progress clearly).
Lithium orotate powder can also be combined with coconut oil or apricot kernel oil and then applied directly to herpes lesions to help stop any outbreaks more quickly. This treatment can be combined with oral lithium orotate supplementation, as well as other herpes treatments, to create a comprehensive treatment protocol (well-designed protocols that are used consistently are far more effective than single treatments or randomly used treatments).
Click here to buy a 5mg lithium orotate supplement from Weyland.
Resources:
• Nowak, J. K. and Walkowiak, J. (2020). Lithium and coronaviral infections: A scoping review. Retrieved October 20, 2024 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7255895/
• Amsterdam, J. D. et al. (1996). Suppression of herpes simplex virus infections with oral lithium carbonate - a possible antiviral activity. Retrieved October 20, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8947995/
• Amsterdam, J. D. et al. (1990). Reduced rate of recurrent genital herpes infections with lithium carbonate. Retrieved October 20, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2125737/
• The Lithium Doctor (n.d). FAQs. Retrieved July 20, 2022 from: http://www.thelithiumdoctor.com/faqs/
• N.A. (n.d). Herpes virus link to bipolar disorder and depression. Retrieved October 25, 2024 from: https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2018/09/28/microbiology-herpes-virus-depression-bipolar-disorder/
• Wu, Zhifu, et. al. (2021). Research progress on biological effects of lithium carbonate. Retrieved October 25, 2024 from: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/65438514/D06051721-libre.pdf?1610809463=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DPublished_with_open_access_at_www_questj.pdf&Expires=1729881487&Signature=JYRcG5~mmnnJKE3JW5Wkh2DLYKSIscais0Gvf47~4laLg9eSNg0BBV~myOXDArG~CTWzpNhATWjtt0w-ti1lQIlQQX0Qg4YIhZRqvlEuLdVnC6dn6Y8fhheDqMm2Ne9ucZz1vHnY0sL-ltModK4JA941vFr4CGutvWlk1CjASIyEx-899ziFU4mHxGODJa0V2UTfPLN--CJmjvJddntXTQCrQk0zB6ENeWTtyveoq4OAY1d3RZZYoyAZQ2gn3NDpOtf626v7CMCYdY2-fWXcizqHSY8Prz5RtOm68HTs2k4YZlgCbB4z~glR7oXk8ldfENxnMkQIO9doSJfA-Xu2ug__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
