Cheryl Muller wrote:
"As regards tea tree oil on the nipples - my sources in The Lawrence Review of Natural Products states "Do not ingest the oil. Adverse effects have been reported.....case report describes ataxia and drowsiness as a result or oral TTO ingestion by a 17 month old male. "   "Various additional reports on TTO toxicity can be referenced.". Also "Use of tea tree oil has resulted in
 allergic contact eczema and dermatitis."  So probably not good to use on eczema anywhere on the body."

Cheryl,
I cannot see drawing the conclusion that b/c there have been some cases of toxicity in oral ingestion of tea tree oil (how much was ingested?) and that it has resulted in some cases of cantact dermatitis that it is "probably not good to use on eczema anywhere on the body". Anything at all can cause contact dermatitis on someone. We don't say never to use a topical antibiotic anywhere on the body b/c someone had a rash from it. Tea tree oil is widely used in many parts of the world as an antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal and immunostimulant. It was originally an aboriginal remedy (used by the Bundajalung Aborigines of New South Wales for almost everything) and is probably the most widely studied essential oil available.
    From my personal experience, I only ever had yeast on my breasts once and was nursing my 3yr ds at the time (2x per day). I was pregnant with my dd and the yeast had spread up my breasts. I used the tea tree after nursing and it resolved within about a week and did not return. I do not suggest mothers use it on their nipples if they are nursing a young baby or frequent feeder.
    Tea tree oil is one of the best treatments I know of for vaginal yeast and for athlete's foot and itchy ears--all candida related. Women can just drop the oil in their underwear, in their shoes or add to an herbal ear oil. There is a documented case in Australia (1983) of a man who saved his own life after being bitten by a funnel web spider (one of the two most poisonous spiders in the world) using tea tree oil (he did go to the hospital but received no other treatment and the spider was positively identified).
    According to Robert Tisserand, the first documentation about safety was published, "In 1930 a report in the Medical Journal of Australia commented on its non-toxicity and lack of irritancy". According to Tisserand, after WWII, interest waned due to use of antibiotics, but in the 1970's research began to again document its safety and efficacy, including a study in 1985 on vaginal candida and a subsequent one on cystitis.
    My point of course is that we should not be so quick to dismiss treatments just b/c we are unfamiliar with them.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

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