The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Side Effects
Posted by John (Elgin, OR) on 02/11/2007
Since I have been doing oil pulling, I have developed mouth sores two times now. The first one I developed looked like a boil. It was very painful. I finally brushed it very hard with a tooth brush. It bled profusely when brushing teeth. I quit brushing the area and after a long time it finally healed up. I mentioned it to my dentist and he took a photograph of it. He was puzzled as to what it was. I'm wondering if this couldn't be crud coming out from the oil pulling. The site of this sore was on the roof of my mouth. Now I have developed another sore on the upper left side of my mouth just above a tooth. This also bleeds profusely when brushed. It's not as painful as the first sore. Please advise.
Side Effects
Posted by Byron (Boston, Ma, Usa) on 06/18/2011
Speaking as a traditional healer, these ulcerations are a healthy immune function to remove sick, dying and dead tissue and blood from your head via the oil pulling it out. It is the way the body works, surgically, and is perfectly normal and good. Otherwise these situations could come to a head as cancers or other very serious medical conditions in the future. You are instinctively doing the right thing. If you experience it again. Drink at least one gallon to two gallons of water per day to help flush it out and if you are only pulling once a day with the oil you may want to increase it at these times two or three times per day...
Alcohol Allergy
Posted by Bob (Northridge, CA) on 02/07/2007
★★★★★
I was close to twenty years allergic to alcohol. I've been using Olive oil Sunflower oil and Sesame oil for about a month and a half to get rid of psoriasis it did not help at all-what it did was cure my allergy to alcohol-that's for now.
Alcohol Allergy
Posted by Lese (Mclean, Va) on 07/30/2012
You say that oil pulling took away your allergy to alcohol? I have an allergy either to the alcohol, sulfites, the fermenation process or something for over 20 years. I would like to hear more about how you believe oil pulling solved that issue? Please help. Thanks!
Asthma
Posted by Marion (Riverside, California) on 11/11/2008
Dairy is not good for Asthma sufferers... instead, try Soy milk.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Liz (Bangalore, India) on 02/05/2007
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Hi, I've been oil pulling with sesame oil for over 2 months and it has helped me with my sinus condition, energy level, and to get past the flu season while everyone else got it. (Which is a surprise because I'm the first to catch a bug). But the thing is I stopped a few weeks ago, and I've developed allergies, itchy skin with welts and now I have discovered a swelling, in my breast. While my doctor says it can wait for 2 weeks before getting checked, I was wondering if there's any connection between my new conditions and the oil pulling. I am a little concerned, I'm not sure if I should continue or stop. I have mercury filling that actually chipped soon after I got it done (over 5 years ago)
Congestion
Posted by Gracie (Pasadena, CA) on 02/04/2007
★★★★★
I went to health food store twice yesterday looking for correct oil; the only cold pressed oil that they had was olive. I could hardly sleep with excitement of my first oil pulling... After 2 minutes I had to spit out oil because of mucus in throat. Yellow. Again for maybe 3 minutes I swished oil with mucus in throat, spitting out white substance. Another try for about 2-3 minutes, I spit out white substance and coughted up 2 globs of white thick mucus. Dry heaving and wanting to vomit over toilet bowl. I could have swished the oil around for the full time but for the draining mucus in throat. It was not unpleasant having the oil in my mouth at all as I was using a nice fine olive oil. I'll continue tomorrow morning and trust that with time I'll be able to manage 20 minutes. In the meantime, I am most grateful for this information.
Dental Issues
Posted by Vaidvij (Bangalore, India) on 01/26/2007
★★★★★
Oil Pulling Therapy seems to work well in clearing the toxins of the body. I have my bad tooth problem cured and still continuing the therapy. Overall effects are amusing and very much satisfactory.
Whitens Teeth
Posted by Lorelei (Utah) on 01/11/2007
★★★★★
After more than 2 months of oil pulling, I am ready to comment. I wanted to make sure I gave it enough time to see what would happen.
First, do NOT use unrefined oil! That was a big mistake! I spent the whole day trying not to barf. I used refined sesame oil after that. I swish for 10 mins, rinse, and swish for another 10 mins, then rinse with baking soda and salt in water (about a half tsp each in a few ounces), then rinse with just water. I only have the patience to do it once a day.
Within a few days, my teeth were white! This is amazing, because despite not drinking coffee, tea, cola, etc, my teeth stain very easily. They are also mostly plaque-free. My mouth is very healthy overall. Gums look healthier. I haven't had any canker sores either. I can't say that this has helped any other problems though. Still tired and have bags under my eyes. Still had an outbreak of cold sores. Still have psoriasis. Still have terrible periods. Still have dry feet! It has possibly kept me from catching my kids' myraid colds, etc. But that could also be due to cold(ish showers), echinacea, apple cider vinegar, or any other healthy thing I have started recently! I would recommend oil pulling though, just for mouth health alone.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Nancy (Winnsboro, TX) on 01/04/2007
★★★★★
oil pulling- began about 1st week of October. My sleep better, skin is getting softer, less mood swings, lots of laughter, better outlook on life, lost weight. I used sesame oil, some days with sunflower, now have been using coconut oil and seem to have less problems with swallowing this oil than the others. My husband has been doing this as well and is seeing lots of areas of improvment- he's a disabled combat veteran, full of agent orange-we both plan on continuing to OP and keep a record of improvements while we keep up our nutrient dense eating choices as well.
Multiple Oils Tried
Posted by Su Chi (India) on 12/15/2011
I started O.P. a week ago. Benefits already observed sound sleep, good BM and lost 2.2 pounds.
Dental Issues
Posted by J. (Charlotte, NC) on 12/04/2006
★★★★★
I have been doing the oil pulling for three days and have seen increasing improvement in teeth whitening as well as gums are no longer bleeding. I also have my husband swishing and a few friends and we are excited and waiting for results to report back. I love your website and find the information most informative and hopeful.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Stacey (USA) on 09/15/2006
★★★★★
I found that my tongue felt amazing after the first time. It was pink and CLEAN. no matter how much I scrub with my toothbrush my tongue never seems to feel that clean. As well I found that the skin on my face was softer and smoother, my pores were smaller. I was afraid that I would breakout in "Adult acne" but i didn't!!!!! As far as all my other ailments, the jury is still out. Stacey
Broad Benefits
Posted by Mariana (Richmond, California)
★★★★★
oil pulling with sesame oil has so far cured my diarrhea and insomnia. My teeth are whiter. I am amazed that i have not gotten a cold or the flu this year. i was wondering if this also cures epilepsy?
Insights and Theories
Posted by Dellers (London, Uk) on 04/19/2012
For candida just take a garlic capsule every day.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Tracie (Charleston, Sc) on 08/07/2012
I read somewhere that you should detox with ACV for a week or two before beginning. I drink tons of water each day, more like a gallon or more. I started adding ACV to my water and my queestion is, is there a limit to the amount of ACV that I can have each day and still be healthy? i'm trying to begin a habit of putting in a tablespoon per 24oz. and if it is ok for me to have that much is it ok that I am doing the oil pulling at the same time? Is there a limit to ACV while oil pulling?
Insights and Theories
Posted by Jim (Syracuse Ind., Indiana) on 08/20/2012
is there any help for tinnitus?..... Ringing of the ears?
Insights and Theories
Posted by Faddist (Gibraltar) on 09/03/2012
My tinnitus is caused by too many heavy metals - in my case from my teeth from crowns- I am trying the pulling therapy - but so far it has not improved my tinnitus. I think it should and maybe I am not doing it for long enough.
I detox metals by juicing greens and occasional liver cleanses.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Cyd (Phila Area, Nj) on 10/17/2012
is there a particular reason this is done in the morning? can it be done before bed?
Insights and Theories
Posted by Rosie Q (Santa Cruz Ca) on 12/30/2013
Jim from Syracuse- I have read somewhere that taking zinc helps with tinnitus although I have not had much experience using that personally. There is a great ear drop formula you can find in health food stores- grapeseed oil with a tiny bit of tea tree oil, it helped me a lot.
Insights and Theories
Posted by Caitlin (Austin, Tx) on 01/19/2015
To Hainer: You could be allergic to sesame seeds and hence, sesame oil. Switch to another oil like coconut and keep switching perhaps every two weeks, until you find the one that suits you.
Dental Issues
Posted by Dave (Fountain Inn, Sc) on 04/23/2015
To Wwtd;
Oil pulling effect on tooth infection...
I think the oil pulling definitely is keeping the infection at bay. The effect is to draw out the infection and eliminate rather than letting it fester. The long term duration of the infection means it is deep and on going from a single source and no doubt the original root canal was the cause.
I use colloidal silver two or three times a week as a mouth wash, holding a mouth full for a full minute...a FULL minute. And I make sure that my whole tooth structure top and bottom are saturated during that minute. (I also drink two tablespoons of CS twice daily.) I use CS before and after any trip to the dentist.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Cherry (Fort Worth, US) on 03/18/2015
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I have been oil pulling about 3 weeks. But, recently I had been itching none stop for the past 2 days. I was wondering is this part of the process because I do not want to stop oil pulling because the way my teeth now feel. Plague stopped building up on my teeth and they absolutely feel wonderful. They feel as if they have had cleaning and a polish. I hope that the itching will stop just as the sensitivity in my teeth and headaches subsided. If anybody can clear this up for me I would be grateful. I have recommended oil pulling to my family and they can see a difference in the color of my teeth.
Broad Benefits
Posted by Jamie (Singapore) on 07/14/2015
Did you mentioned what oil you were using and whether you have any allergy problem prior to the itching problem.
Side Effects
Posted by J (Leicestershire, UK) on 02/25/2015
I have a query regarding oil pulling. There are some other websites that warn of the risk of lipid pneumonia as small droplets of oil could be accidentally inhaled. Can anyone comment on this risk?
Oil Pulling Side Effects
Posted by Debra (Milwaukee) on 02/12/2015
I just recently started oil pulling with sesame oil and I have experienced a sore throat. Is this normal?
Side Effects
Posted by Edith (Columbia, Maryland) on 01/03/2015
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Has anybody tried oil pulling for hormonal issues? I've been dealing with hormonal problems and gigantic uterine fibroids for years. I have too much estrogen or too little progesteron. Probably candida problem as well. I've been oil pulling for two month. I missed a day or two here and there, but not much. Started with extra virgin/virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil, then extra virgin olive oil, now coconut oil again. It definitely helps with my hormonal issues, and my fibroids, which is why I don't want to stop, but ever since I've started oil pulling, I've been having some serious flu-like symptoms. On and off, mostly on. Mainly sinus problems (that seem to be candida related) and bad fatigue. I'm pretty sure this is healing crisis, but how much longer is this supposed to last? It just would be easier not to give up knowing how much longer to hold on.
Side Effects
Posted by Timh (KY) on 01/03/2015 2042 posts
Edith: It is obvious you need to do some additional detox remedies and cleanses. For starters ---ACV, Iodine, Turpentine, Borax, and herbs like Garlic and Oregano.
Side Effects
Posted by Edith (Maryland) on 01/03/2015
Thank you for your advice! I did one thorough colon-liver cleanse 2 months before starting oil pulling. I'm aware how amazing cleanses are, unfortunately I find them very time and money consuming. I'm already using apple cider vinegar and all kinds of herbs that are good for the sinuses and are antifungal. I'm also using colloidal silver nose spray and xylitol-grapefruit seed extract-saline nose spray to treat my sinus infection. Taking cayenne pepper capsules helps with the fatigue. I've just checked out turpentine and borax, never knew they were so beneficial. I knew about iodine, I just somehow never got to try it. I will give these a try, thank you for the tip!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Kennywally (Midwest) on 06/02/2016 46 posts
@ Perla:
You say you pull in the morning, and that's fine, but most of the bacterial growth happens overnight, and so that's when I pull, in the evening, just before bed, I may scrape my tongue as well, but I only OP for 20 seconds and spit, then I repeat two more times. I have chronic gum issues, so my 1st spit is red, then second pink, and the third runs clear and I leave it on my teeth so that the natural antimicrobial feature of the coconut oil can give some protection overnight. Best Wishes
Broad Benefits
Posted by Meeya (Sunnyvale, Ca) on 12/07/2014
Fantastic! Did you start off doing the oil pulling 3 times per day, or did you gradually increase? Can you please share how long you oil pull each time? I've heard 20 minutes is needed for full effects. Thanks!
Side Effects
Posted by Liz From Atlanta, Usa (Atlanta, Georgia, Usa) on 05/10/2014
I have a question about oil pulling. The benefits sound great and I really want to do this, but I can only hold a teaspoon of oil in my mouth for 1-2 minutes and then I start gagging and retching. I'm so glad I followed the advice to do this on an empty stomach! For the first week I used olive oil because that is what I had in the house, but then I bought some organic unrefined sesame oil and still I gag and retch. I've now tried 12 times and can't get beyond 2 minutes. I busy myself with with getting ready for the day to take my mind off the swishing, but that has not helped. So my question is, how can I overcome gagging and retching? Please advise.
Side Effects
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 05/10/2014
Liz, don't try too hard: 1. Two minutes is also useful! 2. You can also do it with plain ol' water!
