i am herxing my butt off with this cryptolepsis, and i am pulsing it, and on my days off i notice i feel better. anyone else using it? i got it from infuserve. i didnt know an herb could be so powerful. never had this kind of experience. has anyone tried sida acuta with it, and if so where did you get it?
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Hi KB,
I used crypto alone for 2 months.
I got mine from Woodland Essence.
Then one time I ordered CSA, which is a blend of crypto, sida and alchorna (sp?), also from Woodland Essence.
And I herx my face off with that blend.
I love it, but I have to remind myself to go slow.
Posted by coffee71 (Member # 17467) on :
Three months ago I restarted treatment for Babesia, and therapy was heavy duty (combo 2 meds and 2 herbals- crypto one of two)
I started with crypto first-without taking meds and A-barb- for two weeks and I saw great improvements on crypto itself after some bad herxing.
At the end of the fourth week I woke up with such horrific headache that was equal to herx when I was on IV rifampin.
I ordered crypto from Infuserve and was able to take it 2 times a day instead of 3 as it was prescribed.
Seen great improvement on crypto, never took prescribed abx and I have ordered one more round of crypto which I will probably start after my appointment with LLMD.
Posted by MannaMe (Member # 33330) on :
Hubby started cryptolepis at 1 drop twice a day = herxed badly and stopped for two weeks.
Recently restarted again at a lower amount - pulsing every other day. Going much better this round.
Posted by rowingmom (Member # 41213) on :
We are using CSA as well (only 1/3 of the tincture is cryptolepis). Huge improvement in clarity for several days, but then the herxing hit. Clarity is still there (after 2 months), but emotional rollercoaster, Oh My! We are decreasing again.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
I am so jealous of all you people who herx. I also bumped this herb out rapidly & nadda. I was on it for almost a year in the hope that long term usage would take symptoms away.
I was on 1 teaspoon+ 3x a day.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Lymedin 2010- ouch that would put me in a coma from head pain!
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
Really? It is amazing that we all have such differences in response to ABX and/or herbs.
One warning about crypto is that you really need to take it with a lot of water & then wash it down with water. Long term, I have found that it irritated the lining of my throat & esophagus.
Posted by Rivendell (Member # 19922) on :
Cryptolepsis needs to have soft water to be absorbed well in the body. (Per Buhner's revised version of Herbal Antibiotics.)
If you have hard water, then he says to add vinegar or lemon juice in the water with your crypto.
Maybe that is why some people improve when taking it, and some don't.
Posted by Rivendell (Member # 19922) on :
Lymedin, I have such problems with acid reflux and that really messes up using so many herbs and antibiotics.
Thanks for letting me know about the throat and esophagus irritaion.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
How many drops are you supposed to work up to?
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Per Buhner the standard dose is 1 teaspoon (which is about 5 droppers full -- one dropper is equal to 30 drops) 3 times per day. Hubby had dramatic improvements with this herb when he first took it 4 or 5 years ago. He never really herxed -- just felt better and better the higher the dose.
He actually took 1 tablespoon instead of 1 teaspoon 3 times daily. But he was only on that dose for about 2 weeks and then had to drastically reduce the dose as there was a shortage of the herb which is imported from Africa. He was unable to reorder for almost 6 months and then could not tolerate it the 2nd time around.
But at the higher dose his daily seizure like episodes went away for the first time in 8 years. They stayed away for about 2 weeks after he got to lower dose on the herb. He was not on any babs meds at the time -- except for maybe Bactrim and very low dose zith which he had been on both for a year or so at that time I think.
In 2012 hubby took more crypto and sida acuta and the combo formula all at different times for a couple of months in total. Adding those to his extremely aggressive babs meds was helpful.
Bea Seibert
Posted by rowingmom (Member # 41213) on :
Found this in the protocols section of Buhner's site:
Stephen generally recommends the use of a Sida acuta, Alchornea cordifolia, and Cryptolepis sanguinolenta blend for the treatment of babesia these days: 1/4-1/2 tsp 3x daily.
We have found the CSA combination tincture from WoodLandEssence to be very effective but you need to start slowly. We overdid it at 1/4 tsp 2x daily and have now decreased to 10 drops 2x daily.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
FYI, I happen to take my Crypto with really clean filtered water. I use a Reverse Osmosis (RO) 5 stage filter.
If you fill a 5 gallon bucket of tap water vs the RO water, you would be shocked. I recommend one to all Lymies. The stuff that gets trapped in my filters is disgusting. Full of rust & dirt.
They sell them on Ebay for real cheap.
Posted by mlg (Member # 35383) on :
I've had big improvements on crypto and no herxes.
Posted by Rivendell (Member # 19922) on :
Lymedin,
Do you think the throat and esophagus irritation was due to the Crypto or to the alcohol in the tincture?
How much water did you add to it?
Alcoholic tinctures give me this symptom, so I'm trying to avoid them.
But it sure is hard to find some of Buhner's herbs in any other form.
Woodland Essence does sell a glycerite of Crypto, but not of Sida unfortunately.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
I think it is due to the abrasive & harsh nature of crypto & not the alcohol.
I had taken other alcohol based tincture & never got the same throat and esophagus irritation issues. Granted, I've never taken this massive amount with any other herb.
My doc decreased my ABX load for a month & then the next month had me on only 1 ABX & some new herbs. I really declined badly. Now that I started crypto again, guess what?
I am getting a herx & it is maybe helping me get back at least to a better sickly/miserable self again. I am also getting a lot of vibrations, movement, twitches, & odd ball scattered body occurrences.
Maybe it was helping me control babs all along & I did not even know it, because it was doing such a fine job.
If my brain remembers it, I will post back with continued usage of crypto.