Research has told us that for great gut health, you need as many different species of bacteria in your large intestine as possible. Although we don’t have any proof, it seems likely that using oregano oil in high amounts for too long reduces bacterial diversity in your large intestine.
How Long To Take Oregano Oil For SIBO
Oregano oil is a potent antimicrobial herb that has powerful effects on your microbiome. Because it kills bacteria on contact in both your large and small intestine, you should only take it under the guidance of a qualified nutritionist or health practitioner.
Most practitioners recommend that if you have SIBO, you should take it for no longer than six to ten weeks, to avoid killing too many bacteria in your large intestine. That’s because your large intestine should house a large variety of bacteria: that’s what it’s for.
In fact, you might think you have SIBO when they really have a problem lower down, in your large intestine. You might have a low diversity of gut bacteria, which would make taking oregano oil counterproductive: you’d only be lowering the diversity further.
That’s why it’s important to know exactly what’s going on in your gut before you start taking oregano oil or any other type of treatment for SIBO. We recommend that you work with a practitioner who can help you choose the right gut health tests to solve the puzzle of your symptoms and begin the journey back to great gut health.
What is SIBO?
Until the beginning of the century, SIBO was a rare gut condition that doctors thought only happened after surgery on the gut. Today, research has proved it’s responsible for up to 85% of IBS cases.
SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Like it sounds, it means you have too many bacteria living in your small intestine, where only a very low level of specific types of bacteria should be living.
A ‘normal’ small intestine has around 10,000 bacteria per millilitre of fluid. Your large intestine has about 1,000,000,000. And, while for your large intestine it’s a case of the more the merrier, your small intestine is a lot more discerning: the types of bacteria that live there are specialised for its unique environment.
Your small intestine does a lot more digesting and absorbing than your large intestine. It contains a lot of your immune system, helping to fight infections and regulate inflammation.
Not so long ago, researchers believed that the small intestine was almost sterile. Now, however, we know that bacteria that live there do essential jobs.
The bacteria that live in your small intestine are important for many reasons. Recent evidence suggests that they:
- stop dangerous bacteria and yeasts from setting up shop there
- help absorb nutrients
- produce key nutrients ‘on their own’ (not from your food) like iron and vitamin K
- help to push your food along, known as ‘peristalsis’
In a nutshell, SIBO is too many bacteria, of the wrong type, living in the wrong place, affecting the ‘normal’ functions of the small intestine and causing symptoms.
How long should oregano oil be taken for SIBO?
Oregano oil is a powerful antimicrobial that you should treat with caution.
Research has shown that it’s just as effective as pharmaceutical antibiotics at treating SIBO, but a round of antimicrobials is longer, lasting four to six weeks on average, as opposed to one week or ten days: the normal antibiotic prescription.
Dr. Allison Siebecker, also known as the ‘SIBO Queen’, says that four weeks is the typical length of a course of oregano oil (or any other herbal antimicrobial) if you have an ‘average’ level of SIBO, but if your SIBO test revealed 55 parts per million or more, you might need up to ten weeks worth.
Interestingly, she says that at six weeks she often sees resistance happen. That means the oregano oil starts to lose its effects and you might see your symptoms return. A good practitioner will be able to spot this and suggest next steps.
Studies have shown that like antibiotics, antimicrobials—including oregano oil—for SIBO reduce gas levels, on average, by 30 ppm per round. It’s not uncommon for clients to need two rounds of oregano oil, or an alternative antimicrobial to reduce gas levels and address SIBO symptoms.
Can oil of oregano cure SIBO?
Cure is a problematic word, because cure would mean that your SIBO would go and never come back. While some people treat SIBO once and never see it again, most of our clients find they have to watch their diet and lifestyle for good.
Also, as nutritionists, we can’t claim to cure any condition or disease. We look at things more holistically, aiming to bring your gut and your other body systems back into balance to address the root causes of ill health, rather than ‘curing’ symptoms or diseases. SIBO is a sign that you need to address your wider gut health, because SIBO doesn’t happen in a fully functional gut. There are many reasons why you could have SIBO:
Insufficient stomach acid
The job of your stomach acid is to kill the bacteria that you swallow. There are many reasons why you may not have enough. If you don’t, bacteria are more likely to end up in your small intestine and overgrow there.
A lack of bile
Bile has many functions, but one of the most important is defending your small intestine against infections. If you don’t have a gallbladder, for instance, your liver may not deliver enough bile to your small intestine when it needs it.
A dearth of digestive enzymes
Digestive enzymes break down your food and help your body absorb it. Without enough, it hangs around in your small intestine and becomes food for your bacteria instead.
An unbalanced immune system
SIBO can happen with a condition known as post-infectious IBS, which is essentially IBS caused by food poisoning. We don’t know why, but people with SIBO and IBS often have higher levels of inflammation in their guts. It’s not clear whether the SIBO or the inflammation comes first, though.
Your immune system is perhaps the most important part of a giant and complex puzzle that prevents bacteria from growing where they shouldn’t.
An open ‘trapdoor’ between your small and large intestines
At the point where your small intestine connects to your large intestine, there’s something called your ileocaecal valve that allows for food to come in, but stops it from going backwards. If it doesn’t shut when and how it should, the bacteria in your large intestine can go into reverse and multiply in the wrong place.
Uncoordinated or weak gut movements
To digest and eliminate your food, your gut performs highly coordinated muscular contractions. It’s mostly completely out of your conscious awareness, but beginning at your mouth, all the way to the other end is a journey that requires your ‘migrating motor complex’ (MMC) to put in a lot of work.
Conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s can all hamper your MMC, but we don’t always know why problems with the MMC happen.
SIBO isn’t usually an easy, ‘one and done’ condition, although some of our clients have had one round of oregano oil—or another antimicrobial—and have stayed SIBO free despite going back to eating processed, high-carbohydrate food and/or a lot of alcohol.
While we can’t say that oregano oil ‘cures’ SIBO, nutritionists and health practitioners use it a lot because it works to reduce gas levels and symptoms. At IBS Clinics, it’s usually our top choice to treat hydrogen SIBO, and we often use it for methane and hydrogen sulphide too.
Here are some more benefits of oregano oil:
- Oregano oil is probably less harmful to your microbiome in your large intestine
- It’s an ancestral medicine that has been used for many centuries before antibiotics were invented
- Most pharmaceutical antibiotics broadly attack all bacteria, including good bacteria that help you digest food, secrete nutrients, support your immune system, and balance your mood. (Oregano oil can also kill good bacteria, but not to the same extent).
- Pharmaceutical antibiotics are made of just one compound, which means bacteria quickly work out how to resist it. Because oregano oil contains many compounds, they have a harder job to evade it, reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance.
- Oregano oil is much cheaper than a private prescription for Rifaximin, the usual pharmaceutical antibiotic doctors in the UK prescribe for SIBO, along with others like Neomycin or Metronidazole.
How does oil of oregano treatment work?
Oil of oregano works by killing certain types of bacteria.
There are several compounds in oregano oil that kill bacteria, but the most active ingredient is carvacrol.
Out of all the herbs, oregano has the most carvacrol, but it’s common in many others, including thyme and rosemary. This compound—known as a ‘terpene’—kills a variety of bacteria including species of bacillus, Enterococcus, E.coli, Salmonella, and Psuedomonas. It’s also been proven to work against methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Carvacrol essentially works by attacking the cell membranes of bacteria so the minerals leak out and the cell implodes. Initial investigations have revealed that carvacrol may be kinder to your microbiome than pharmaceutical antibiotics, meaning that you keep more of the bacteria in your large intestine. Carvacrol is also effective against most yeasts, including Candida, so some practitioners use it if you have a fungal overgrowth in your gut. Our microbiome tests reveal levels of yeasts in your gut, and some also test to find out which antimicrobials are effective against the particular types you’re harbouring.
Oregano oil SIBO die-off
‘Die off’ is what we call the symptoms you feel when high numbers of bacteria are dying in your body. When bacteria die, they give off various chemicals known as ‘endotoxins’ that can affect the way your body functions.
Because oregano oil kills bacteria, it may give you die-off symptoms. But the die-off symptoms you get from oregano oil aren’t specific: you’re just as likely to feel the same with any other type of antimicrobial.
If you’re worried about suffering from extreme die-off symptoms throughout your SIBO treatment, rest assured that it’s unlikely. While some people feel very unwell for the first week or so, it’s rare.
Die-off symptoms happen because your body needs to eliminate the endotoxins your dying bacteria produce. That burden is placed on your liver, spleen, and other organs, including your gut. If you have leaky gut, you might get symptoms outside of your GI tract. Often the toxins can cause your immune system to react, leading to a temporary increase in inflammation in different areas of your body.
Some common die-off symptoms are:
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Gas
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Nausea
- Rashes and hives
When does SIBO die-off happen with oregano oil?
Die-off symptoms with any type of antimicrobial can start almost immediately: sometimes the same day you begin your treatment. If you’re going to get them, they almost always start within a few days—and definitely within a week—of starting antimicrobial treatment, whether that’s herbal antimicrobials or pharmaceutical antibiotics.
If you start getting symptoms after a week of starting treatment, they’re unlikely to be happening as part of a die-off reaction. You’re much more likely to have caught a virus, be reacting to foods or going through stress, for example.
How to take oregano oil internally
Unless you’re putting it on your skin, you’ll be using oregano oil internally.
While oregano oil can be an effective antifungal agent for toenails and fungal skin infections (if it’s diluted properly), for SIBO, you’ll need to swallow it in some form.
At IBS Clinics, we usually recommend oregano oil in capsule form. We often use emulsified oregano oil in capsules because it’s more likely to make it into your small intestine to do its work (the emulsification process protects it from the acids in your stomach, which can destroy some of the compounds).
There’s no standard dosing guidelines for oregano oil because it’s a natural herb. The amount of active ingredients in each product, plant and even each leaf varies. A lot of practitioners recommend taking 200mg two to three times a day with meals. This is generally a safe starting dose, but that doesn’t guarantee that it will be safe or effective for you, because everyone is different.
For instance, Allison Siebecker, a US SIBO expert, says she sometimes uses up to five capsules, three times a day for larger patients or more stubborn SIBO cases.
Most people will start to feel better within one to three weeks, but for others it can take up to four to six weeks, or longer. It’s important to remember that even though oregano oil is a herb, it’s a potent antimicrobial substance that can damage your microbiome if you use too much of it for too long. For this reason, we recommend that you take a SIBO test before taking oregano oil or any other antimicrobial. If SIBO isn’t your problem, you could do more damage than good.
You can also use oregano in a herbal tincture, which you can get from a herbalist. The usual dosage is one or two dropperfuls a day.
If you want to use the oil on its own and not in a capsule, you should ask a qualified herbalist. We don’t recommend that you use straight oil unless it’s been prepared to use internally.
Remember, oregano is a herb that you can use in salads and cooking too! Although this may not address your SIBO symptoms, traditional cultures have used herbs to ward off sickness for centuries.
Who should not take oil of oregano?
Never use oregano oil on children or infants. Pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with diabetes also shouldn’t use it.
Oregano oil can interfere with some medications, including lithium and diuretics. Also, as with any herb, it’s possible to be allergic to it. If you’re allergic to any of the herbs in its family, you could also have a reaction to oregano.
Can you take oregano oil long term?
There haven’t been any studies that examine the effects of oregano oil long term, but we don’t recommend taking it at the doses we use for SIBO for longer than six to ten weeks.
However, a low dose is unlikely to have the same bacteria-killing power as a SIBO dose. It’s possible that you could take around 100mg a day long term and not harm your microbiome, but again, we have no evidence for this.
If your SIBO symptoms keep coming back whenever you stop taking oregano oil, you need to explore why. In our experience, there are three main ways to prevent SIBO from coming back:
- Minimise sugars and starches in your diet
- Address the use of some long-term medications
- Identify and address any underlying conditions
Unfortunately, some people appear to be prone to SIBO. If you go back to a ‘normal’ (high carbohydrate) diet, and your symptoms return, you might be one of the unlucky ones. Sugar, starch and alcohol are not your friends. Replace potatoes, bread, rice and pasta with vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, asparagus, and zucchini, and avoid alcohol.
Most people who take an antimicrobial long term find it loses its effectiveness. This might be because the bacteria have ‘worked out’ how to survive it.
How many days in a row can you take oregano oil?
As we explained before, we don’t recommend taking oregano oil for longer than ten weeks. Most people don’t need to take it for that long, but some stubborn SIBO cases might need a longer course.
We usually recommend that our clients take it consistently throughout that period, but sometimes we might suggest a ‘pulsed’ protocol, where you might take it for two weeks, then take a week ‘off’, then take it for another two weeks, for example. Everyone is different.
What happens if you take oregano oil too long?
Bacteria are clever. Just like humans, they evolve, except their lifespans are much, much shorter, so they can ‘learn’ how to evade being killed by antibiotics. Even though oregano oil is less likely to lead to this resistance than pharmaceutical antibiotics, over time it could happen. Some clients say that their antimicrobials appear to stop working at around six weeks.
We know from research that antibiotics and antimicrobials can kill the most susceptible bacteria first, leaving behind the stronger strains to multiply and take their place, reducing diversity.
Oregano oil side effects
We know that oregano is safe when it’s used to add flavour to food. But because it’s a herb and can’t be patented, we have very little research to confirm its safety as a medicine or supplement.
Anecdotal evidence that has built up over many centuries tells us that it’s safe in larger (but sensible) therapeutic amounts too. As far as we know, there have been no cases of serious side effects from taking oregano oil.
In extreme amounts, almost any herb or supplement is dangerous. Oregano has diuretic effects, so it may make you lose fluids, and it can also upset your stomach in larger amounts, causing bloating or diarrhoea. However, GI symptoms can also be down to the die-off effect of antimicrobials in general. You can learn more about SIBO die-off in our blog.
Does oregano oil kill lactobacillus?
Oregano oil has been found to actually enhance the growth of lactobacillus in the ileum, the area at the end of your small intestine before it goes into your large intestine.
This is great news, because lactobacillus protects your intestinal barrier from infection by promoting mucus production and secreting anti-microbial substances, like short chain fatty acids which ward off bad bacteria.
Is oregano oil lethal?
Oregano oil isn’t a dangerous substance if you use it sensibly. Unless you’re allergic to it, using at the doses we recommend is completely safe.
All substances can be safe or dangerous depending on the amount you use. Even water can be dangerous if you drink too much.
Oregano oil can irritate your skin if you use it topically without diluting it, and it’s potentially dangerous if it gets into your lungs. We need more research to know exactly how dangerous oregano oil is.
How much oregano oil is too much?
As we explained before, we don’t recommend using oregano oil for any longer than six to ten weeks, at a dosage of around 600 mg a day.
You shouldn’t use oregano oil for SIBO unless you know you need it. That’s because it’s a powerful antimicrobial substance that can damage your microbiome. If you do have SIBO, the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks.
If you think you have SIBO, take a SIBO breath test and work with an experienced practitioner who will look at your results along with your health history and symptoms to work out the right next steps for you.
Conclusion
Oregano oil is a powerful antimicrobial that has been proven to be effective for SIBO. However, because it doesn’t ‘know’ the difference between the bacteria you don’t want in your small intestine, and the ones you do want in your large intestine, you need to treat it with caution.
Research has told us that for great gut health, you need as many different species of bacteria in your large intestine as possible. Although we don’t have any proof, it seems likely that using oregano oil in high amounts for too long reduces bacterial diversity in your large intestine.
Reduced diversity can result in dysbiosis: an imbalance in the communities of bacteria and microbes that make up your microbiome. Evidence is linking dysbiosis to more and more conditions, both inside and outside the gut, every year.
If you think you have SIBO and want to try oregano oil, we recommend that you take a SIBO test first, and work with an experienced practitioner to start your journey back to health.
‘I now know better’: Mother guilty in son’s strep death speaks at sentencing hearing
A Calgary mother who was found guilty of criminal negligence causing the death of her seven-year-old son says she no longer holds the same beliefs she did when she refused to take the boy to a hospital, treating him with oil of oregano and dandelion tea instead.
A Calgary mother who was found guilty of criminal negligence causing the death of her seven-year-old son says she no longer holds the same beliefs she did when she refused to take the boy to a hospital, treating him with oil of oregano and dandelion tea instead.
At a sentencing hearing on Thursday, Prosecutor Jonathan Hak argued Lovett should spend four to five years in prison. Defence lawyer Alain Hepner proposed one year in prison and one year probation.
“No punishment that you impose can equal the pain and torment that’s experienced by her,” Hepner told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Kristine Eidsvik.
During the trial, court was told the bedridden boy — who was never taken to a doctor for his illness — deteriorated in his mother’s apartment for 10 days before his death despite one of Tamara Lovett’s friends pleading with her to take him for medical care.
At the trial, Lovett, 48, testified she treated Ryan for what she believed to be a cold or flu with holistic remedies like dandelion tea and oil of oregano.
On March 2, 2013, Lovett called 911 after finding Ryan on the floor outside the bathroom in their apartment. The boy was dead by the time paramedics arrived. An autopsy found Ryan Lovett died from a Group A strep infection in 2013.
Lovett was given the opportunity to address the court and expressed her grief, sadness and regret.
Read her full statement below.
“Every day I punish myself; I think about Ryan and I blame myself for not knowing better and for holding limiting beliefs that ultimately led to the death of my child. At the time, I thought I was doing the best for my child. And although I have lost faith in myself and can’t begin to forgive myself, I hope others learn from my ignorance because these beliefs are no longer entrenched in my psyche and this has been a painful lesson.
“Every moment of every day is a reminder of what I’ve lost. I loved my children, and as any single mother can attest, I wanted the best for them. I believed I was doing what was the best at that time. I now know better. Forgive me for my ignorance. It has cost me a loving son and there is a pain which will last forever. And at the end of the day, it’s all about Ryan, it’s not about me, and I am so sorry.
‘Everything went wrong’
At trial, Doctors testified the infection would have been treatable had the boy, who also had meningitis and pneumonia, been taken to a doctor and given antibiotics.
Lovett was morally and legally responsible to act in Ryan’s best interests, Hak told Eidsvik.
“[She] ignored obvious warning signs. In doing so, her son suffered unnecessarily for two weeks or so leading to his death,” said Hak.
A pre-sentence psychiatric report found Lovett is “grief stricken for failing her son.”
“Tamara Lovett has suffered the ultimate penalty as a result of her actions,” Hepner said.
According to a report prepared by forensic psychiatrist Dr. George Duska, Lovett is socially isolated and feels “helpless and hopeless.”
“I misjudged the situation, everything went wrong,” Lovett told Duska.
Defence wants conviction overturned
Even though she’s already been convicted, Lovett’s lawyer has set a date next month for a Jordan application, meaning he will argue his client’s constitutional right to a timely trial was violated. If the judge agrees, the case would end and Lovett would not be sentenced.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s Jordan decision last year set out a framework for determining whether a criminal trial has been unreasonably delayed to the point where it has violated an accused’s charter rights.
- Ottawa calls meeting of justice ministers to deal with Jordan ruling fallout
The high court imposed hard timelines of 30 months for a case to make its way through superior courts and 18 months for provincial courts.
