Anti-Pathogen Treatment to Heal Your Gut

Here at LTYG, we refer to anti-pathogens a lot! But what exactly are these, and what do they do? Today I want to give some clarity surrounding anti-pathogens, as well as tips on how these should be taken.

An anti-pathogen is any drug or supplement that counters the effects of a pathogen, which then leads to the question…what are pathogens?

Pathogens are microorganisms that can cause disease such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and worms. It can really be any critter that is causing damage or dis-ease in the body, such as bad bacteria ingested after eating bad food or even parasites.

Learn more about this fundamental way to heal your gut!

In her 8 Key Steps video, Jini mentions that IBD conditions are actually infectious diseases. The “infectious” part likely started with some type of pathogen, so if you are still struggling to heal IBD it’s very likely you still have some underlying infection or organisms in your G.I. that haven’t been treated yet.

Now, there are levels to healing… so before you go out and buy every anti-pathogen on the market please tread cautiously! It’s usually best to start anti-pathogens when you are stable with your systems and body, so don’t begin if you are in the midst of an intense flare.

Why? Because anti-pathogens disrupt the flora in the digestive system, by just it doing what they’re supposed to do – kill the “bad guys.” Unfortunately as the anti-pathogen eliminates bad bacteria from the gut and body, this die-off can also cause temporary, flu-like symptoms. This is actually called a Herxheimer Reaction, and it is very normal! These “die-off” symptoms (called this because the pathogens are dying off) is why it is best to start slowly – not in the midst of severe symptoms – as you may cause an increase in those negative symptoms by taking an anti-pathogen.

Most likely you didn’t get this disease overnight, so you need to purge slowly, or you can cause further damage by jumping in too aggressively. It’s best to start with a LOW dose and SLOWLY increase. If you have never taken an anti-pathogen before, you can start with just 1 drop. Yes just one! Then see how your body responds.

For 6 months I could literally only do ONE DROP of Wild Oregano Oil, and I still would feel really sick if I didn’t start detoxing 20 minutes after consuming. That’s how many toxins I had stored in my body! If that sounds like you, then check out my interview with Jini about all of my detox tips and protocols.

To get to a therapeutic dose you’ll eventually want to do more than 1 drop, but go at the pace of your body. For some, smaller doses more frequently throughout the day work better than higher doses all at once. This is your time to experiment and see what your body tells you – listen to your gut 🙂

Your body needs space, time, and detoxification to get all the nasties out. But how do you detox? Go to the Search box on this blog and type in “detox” to pull up all our posts on this topic – including recipes for detox foods. Jini also wrote a fantastic blog post on using an infrared sauna for IBD detox and healing support I recommend reading, if you haven’t already.

Jini’s Lazer tapping course is also an amazing way to detox. It helps to shift energy (as tapping often focuses on “letting go”), so it’s a great facilitator of releasing what no longer serves you – physically and energetically. I tap when I get any HERX reaction, and it helps my symptoms subside while I shift that stagnant energy!

How often should you take anti-pathogens?

Depending on the severity and your stage of healing, this will vary. If you go by the slow-and-low suggestion, it could take you a year to build up to a therapeutic dose… or you could get there in one day with no issues at all. Everyone is SO different, so it’s best to start slow and listen to what your body needs.

What’s most important, however, is the need to cycle on and off anti-pathogens. This is the part a lot of people don’t know about. You won’t be on an anti-pathogen treatment every day for the rest of your life – and in reality, you should only use an anti-pathogen until the infection is gone. It is not intended for long-term, every-day use, but sometimes our gut is so full of toxins that it takes more than just one cycle to sweep out all the “bad guys.” This is where cycling begins.

Per Jini, “You can cycle on and off as needed because you may have a bacteria/fungal hybrid that has a dormant/active life cycle – this can take up to 3 years to clear completely.” Many people (especially those with stubborn infections) prefer to alternate between olive leaf and wild oregano, so that the pathogens don’t get used to any one substance – they feel this is a more powerful approach.

Again, lean into your body wisdom to address how long to take an anti-pathogen, which one, and what dose. And if you need a bit more guidance, I recommend looking into private coaching with Jini’s recommended practitioners (which is something I did).

ALWAYS take probiotics!

Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol (found in her Healing Guide: Natural Treatments for Gut Infection and any of her large books) always combines wild oregano usage with a potent probiotic. This also remains true for ANY anti-pathogen regimen, because the anti-pathogens are killing the “bad guys” – so you want to make sure the “good guys” (or beneficial bacteria) are being replenished! Probiotics and anti-pathogens must be separated by at least 2 hours, as you don’t want to kill the good bacteria you’re ingesting – so don’t take them together!

I, personally, like to have a routine in place:

    1. I take my probiotics and other supplements that need to be on empty stomach in the morning when I wake up
    2. Then I drink my morning shake
    3. Mid-morning I take a dose of anti-pathogens. That way I’m consuming them before I eat again at lunch, since ideally they should be taken on an empty stomach.
    4. Then I wait a few hours, take a second dose, and then wait before eating dinner/supper.

But this isn’t the only schedule that works! I recommend finding what is best for your routine, your body, etc. If you need some guidance, here are some additional resources to help you navigate through a confusing supplement schedule:

Confusing Supplement Schedule – HELP!
Confusing Supplement Schedule – 4 Simplifying Tips
Before & After Examples of Supplement Schedules

I can also honestly say that the Listen to Your Gut Shoppe carries the best of the best when it comes to products! Both the wild oregano oil and olive leaf extract come in capsule and dropper options, so if you are new to using an anti-pathogen it’s recommended to start with the droppers (as you have more control over dosing):

Olive Leaf Extract Capsules
Olive Leaf Extract (Dropper)
Wild Oregano Oil (Capsules & Droppers)

Try to stay grounded in your healing journey wherever you can – use Lazer Tapping or Jini’s Guided Meditations – as you will gain a massive insight into your body as you try these different techniques. And make sure you are taking a look at ANTI-PATHOGEN treatments in your healing journey, if you haven’t already! They were game-changers for me. 🙂

Happy healing!