Wild Oregano Antiviral Protocol for flu bugsWhen the swine flu pandemic first broke out, back in 2009, I had received emails from both readers and family/friends who were worried about contracting it. Now with new flu bugs every season, you might want to have some self-treatment, natural tools in your toolkit. So, I’m going to share with you what I do, that has repeatedly worked so well for me, my family, and readers. This wild oregano oil antiviral protocol uses a commercial brand of wild oregano (like Joy of the Mountains or Oreganol – which is already diluted 3:1) NOT essential oil of oregano.

For any viruses that have a cough or respiratory component, then you can also gargle with the wild oregano before swallowing. And in serious cases, you can use inhaled glutathione or diluted hydrogen peroxide in a nebulizer, or other essential oils in a steam tent – instructions are at the end of this post.

I have used wild oregano oil numerous times to prevent myself from contracting the extremely virulent vomiting flu bugs that swept through our city about twice per winter. With three children, they were always bringing these viruses home from school when they were younger. Once they got old enough to take care of themselves prophylactically (preventatively), however, we now remain pretty much flu-free every winter.

Back then, I was vomited on repeatedly by any or all of the children, and was virtually up all night anytime they were sick, (until the onslaught passed) it’s safe to say my exposure has been pretty intense and my resistance was low. However, even though other adults in my household had also come down with the bugs, I’d avoided every one by using this intensive wild oregano oil antiviral protocol – because I REALLY, really hate to vomit. And I still use it to this day if needed! So here we go…

Jini’s 7-Day Antiviral Wild Oregano Oil Protocol

*Remember to use a commercial brand of wild oregano (not essential oil) that has already been diluted 3:1

  • Take 5 drops every hour for 24 hours – begin this at the first exposure to the virus or first symptom. If you are sleeping, don’t wake yourself up to take it, but let yourself sleep (which greatly assists your immune system). However, if you get up to go to the bathroom, etc. then take a double dose of 10 drops.
  • Then take 10 drops every 3 hours, for 48 hours – again, if you are sleeping, don’t wake yourself up to take it, but let yourself sleep (which greatly assists your immune system). However, if you get up to go to the bathroom, etc. then take a dose of 10 drops.
  • Then take 10 drops, 3x/day for the next 2 days – just take the dose during waking hours.
  • Take 5 drops, 3x/day for the next 2 days – just take the dose during waking hours.
  • Take high dose probiotics for the next 2 weeks to repopulate your gut with good bacteria. Remember that wild oregano oil is antibiotic, as well as antiviral, so after a heavy dosage like this, you MUST balance the bacterial flora in your GI tract by flooding it with good bacteria. If you’re taking the Natren probiotics that I recommend, this means you take 1 tsp of each powder, 3x/day OR 1 Healthy Trinity Capsule, 2x/day. Remember to use the powders if you are having more than 3 bowel movements per day – otherwise the transit time through your GI tract is too fast for the capsules to dissolve properly.

NOTE: Take on an empty stomach for maximum potency, then drink a full glass of water immediately after to dilute in the stomach. This dosage protocol is only suitable for adults – see below for my dosing experience with my children.

Wild oregano oil is also anti-inflammatory, so should be fine for most people, but as with any substance, some people will not tolerate it. In that case, use olive leaf extract instead, or two or more of the other recommended antivirals: colloidal silver, aged garlic, grapefruit seed extract (GSE) and potassium iodide (if using longer than 2 weeks, you need to monitor your thyroid).

Intravenous Vitamin C is probably one of the best anti-viral substances, but it must be done repeatedly. However, if you can dose orally at 7,000-10,000 mg per day (without giving yourself diarrhea) then that’s a high enough dose to prevent infection, or speed recovery.

Here’s The Easiest Way to Ingest Wild Oregano Oil

Follow the instructions in this video as my daughter Zara shows you the easy, no-burning! way to take wild oregano. As I mentioned above, if you have a cough or sore throat, just gargle for 20 seconds or so before swallowing:

Wild Oregano Oil Dosing For Children:

Standard herbalist protocol is to NOT use wild oregano oil for children under age 5. For myself, when my young children were sick, I felt that if I sufficiently diluted the dosage, it was better to give them wild oregano than antibiotics or any other kind of drug.

So whilst I cannot give you any recommendations for your children, I will share the dosing protocol I would use with mine for acute or severe flu bugs:

Babies to age 2: I would dilute the commercial brand (which is not essential oil – it is already diluted 3:1) further with olive oil to make a 7:1 dilution (7 drops organic olive oil to 1 drop commercial wild oregano oil). Then, using this 7:1 dilution, I would apply it to the soles of the feet and the lymph nodes under the jaw and down the sides of the neck. As the breastfeeding mum, I would alternate with taking Astragalus and medicinal mushrooms in my tea (to boost immune system) and high dose Natren probiotics – which then go through to the immune system.

Children aged 2.5 – 4: I would give my kids diluted wild oregano in 7:1 dilution (see above), 10 drops, 2-3x/day. See video for how I got them to swallow it. My then 2 year old would just swallow it straight, quickly, and then chug water. Since it’s a 7:1 dilution, it’s not crazy-hot.

Children aged 5 – 7: I would give my kids the regular commercial wild oregano at this age, 3-5 drops, 3x/day. See video for how they took it. I follow this with Natren probiotics, stirred into yoghurt or mixed in with chocolate milk.

Children aged 8-11: At this age, I’d give my kids 5-8 drops of regular (commercial, not essential) wild oregano oil, 3x/day. If we want to really hammer it, I’d give it to them every 3 hours. Of course, I follow this with Natren probiotics, stirred into yoghurt or mixed in with chocolate milk.

CAUTION: I don’t use wild oregano with kids like a drug (crutch). I don’t use it repeatedly, or ongoing. If my kids were to get more than 1 or 2 flu bugs per year, then wild oregano is not the answer: I would need to look at nutrition, toxins in environment, vitamin D levels, probiotic supplementation, immune system strengthening, etc.

I also believe it is important for children’s immune systems to practice and build themselves up, so I only use this protocol for severe flu bugs, or, when I really need them to get better quickly. But often I will not give them wild oregano and instead will let their immune system handle it and I give immune-support herbs instead, like Astragalus, elderberry syrup, medicinal mushrooms – twice per day in a bit of warm water or herbal tea.

Additional Treatment for Viruses with Respiratory Issues

If you have a pre-existing respiratory weakness, or the virus you’re infected with targets the respiratory system, then there are two additional methods you can add to this wild oregano oil antiviral protocol:

Steam Tent with Essential Oils

I have used this repeatedly with my babies, kids and myself. It is super easy and quick with amazing results.

  • Get a large stainless steel bowl or saucepan, or a ceramic bowl (no plastic or aluminum) and fill it with just boiled, filtered water.
  • Add 20-30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil or Olbas oil.
  • Position your head over the bowl and drape a clean towel over your head, so that it hangs down on all sides of the bowl. You’ve basically created an enclosed steam tent for your head.
  • Breathe deeply into your lungs and belly. Alternate breathing in through your nose, and breathing in through your mouth.
  • If it gets too hot, then vent one side of the towel, or move your head further away from the bowl. Stop and blow your nose as needed.
  • Continue for as long as feels comfortable, your body knows when it’s had enough.
  • Repeat as many times throughout the day as desired.

Note: If using with a baby, I hold the baby with me under the tent and watch closely for signs that it is too much or too hot.

Glutathione or Hydrogen Peroxide in a Nebulizer

For someone with acute lung issues, you may want to use hydrogen peroxide or inhaled glutathione via a nebulizer. I have detailed instructions here on inhaled glutathione as I used this method as part of my healing protocol for pneumonia in 2006 – I have not had a recurrence of pneumonia or any other lung issue since.

Many clinics who administer IV Vitamin C can also administer inhaled glutathione at the same time. That’s how I learned of it, and once I experienced how well it worked, I bought my own nebulizer to continue treatment at home. Read that post for all the details – and the comments underneath the post also contain some great information and tips.

Diluted food-grade hydrogen peroxide in a nebulizer likewise works really well and is substantially cheaper than glutathione (and doesn’t require a prescription). I have all the details here on using nebulized hydrogen peroxide.

Original post April 2009. Most recently updated March 2020.