Can anyone tell me if they or someone they know has gotten better with *just* the Zhang protocol and no pharmaceutical meds? I'm wondering what the success rate is.
I'm considering doing Zhang for a few months to see if it's effective for me, before trying antibiotics. I'm not sure if postponing the antibiotics is a stupid idea. I'd really rather heal with herbs, though, as abx long term scares me (I have a severe penicillin allergy, and worry about developing another abx allergy). So I want to try Zhang for a while first. Was planning Buhner, but there's a local practitioner who uses Zhang. I don't know anything about the Cowden protocol but have seen it mentioned here.
Any advice/stories appreciated! Thanks.
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
I have a friend who has healed on Zhang's herbs. I do not know if she ever did abx.
Luvs
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
I did Zhang for six months, but I did have to drop one of the products after 2 months because it raised my blood pressure too high.
I was not any better after 6 mos., and I was so sick of smelling like garlic that I still can't stand to eat it now. I had to explain to everyone around me why I smelled so bad, and my husband had to sleep facing away from me, because he could not stand it. I don't think garlic smells that bad, and could not smell myself, but others sure could.
I've never had any ABX for my Lyme, due to allergies. That may be why this failed for me. It may be a great mop up protocol, I do not know.
Klutzo
Posted by daisys (Member # 11802) on :
I can't tell you about the Zhang protocol, except my LLMD asked me to look into it.
He's going to treat me with antibiotics, and then switch later to herbs--I'm assuming he intends to use Zhang herbs.
I hope you get plenty of replies because I have found very little information about using the protocol--except now I know it stinks!
Posted by karuna (Member # 14313) on :
Thanks for the replies.
Klutzo-- since you haven't tried antibiotics, can you share what else you have tried? Has anything been effective for you?
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Doc Zhangs Artemisia can clear up some Babesiosis all on it's own, but I don't know anyone who has ever gotten in remission from his Lyme regime. His Artemisia is awesome though.
Posted by yanivnaced (Member # 13212) on :
my wife did 40 days of zhang artemisa followed by 40 days of mepron/zith and her previously positive babesia reading (high positive) turned negative.
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
karuna- How long have you had Lyme for?
If you got it very recently, I would probably try the abx first.
I've been ill for about 10 years & I didn't know it was Lyme. The abx didn't help me at all when I tried them about 1 year ago. I did them for about 8 months.
I'm trying the Cowden protocol now & I'm having very good results so far... keeping my fingers crossed!
I heard Zhang was good for co-infections but I'm not sure if I have them. I may try that after the Cowden protocol.
I think the Cowden protocol is the best herbal protocol from what I've read. You do have to keep switching around until you find something that help. I really don't like taking large doses of abx. I don't think it's a good idea. There are alternatives.
Just my personal opinion.
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
Hi karuna, To answer your question: I've done so many things all at once, that it's hard to tell which ones have helped the most, and the list of things I tried that did not help would be even longer. I've had Lyme for 22 years, misdiagnosed for the first 17 yrs. as MS, then as FMS.
Things that have noticeably helped me are : Exercise to tolerance, CPAP machine, Armour Thyroid, Samento (which is part of the Cowden Protocol), high dose Magnesium citrate, L-Glutamine, L-Tryptophan, B Complex, Whey Protein, a mostly raw foods diet, complete elimination of toxic people from my life (yes, that even includes relatives), and acupuncture.
I am definitely not cured and have many serious, permanent damage problems from Lyme, but because of the things listed above, I am functioning on a day to day basis better than some folks who take ABX, and I take nothing for pain now, after having been in awful pain early in the illness. However, I feel I am slowly but surely losing the war, and don't expect to be around five years from now.