Topic: Buhner success story: from Ellen, yahoo forum
hardynaka
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8099
posted
Story of Ellen, who 'cured' herself mainly with B's protocol. She didn't have a hard core lyme like most of us though. Probably no neuro-lyme as she explained later.
She's from Buhner's yahoo forum.
She also killed babesia with Buhner's artemisinin protocol, together with boneset. She's the only person so far that I know that had success with this babesia protocol... At least, so far.
Selma ---------- Here is my story [Ellen's story]- the short version. If you have any question feel free to ask.
I was diagnosed in May of 06, with advanced Lyme. Don't know how long I had had it, just know it wasn't a new case.
I started a course of antibiotics, because I didn't know anything about Lyme then. All I "knew" was - a 30-day course of antibiotics will "cure" it.
Then I found Buhner's book. I started his protocol the middle of May, and stayed on the maximum as he advises for 2 months. Meanwhile I finished the abx the end of May, and I don't think it did anything for me. [except give me thrush].
At the end of 2 months I felt well enough to stop the herbs to see how I'd feel. After a couple of weeks the pain in my leg started coming back. This time I went on a course of Esberitox which is a super-charged form of Echinacae. Not sure how long. Maybe 1 month. Then I felt well again, so I stopped.
Now, for the past about 3 months, I only take co-Q 10, magnesium and Vit C, and SAM-e - all of them once a day.
I went from barely able to walk to the bathroom, to walking with a cane to - now- I walk an hour a day! I feel very blessed. I no longer have that awful fatigue which seems to be a hallmark of Lyme. I have as much energy as ever. I don't have sweats anymore, or headache. So one day, I started describing myself as post-Lyme. ~ about coinfections. While I wasn't tested or diagnosed with babesia, I diagnosed myself with it, due to drenching dreadful night sweats. I followed B's rec for that - artemisinin and boneset tea, and in a week, they were gone, never to return.
-----------
I did diagnose myself with babesia, due to terrible night sweats, the likes of which I had never had in my worst days of menopause - drenched sheets, etc. Took artemisinin for 40 days per Buhner, and used boneset tea. The tea only for 1 week or 2. And the sweats went away.
Let me see...I was diagnosed on May 1st, and started the 30 day abx immediately. Prior- I had had a pain in my left leg for about 3 weeks. I had ignored, thinking it was a pulled muscle. No other symptoms. I remember on the day I ended up in the emergency room, I had gone to a flower show. A lot of walking! That night I had the most unbearable cramp in my calf, the kind I occasionally get at night, it lasts about 1 minute or less. But this was did not go away. So went to emergency room, they searched for blood clot, gave me pain medication (ummm...nice). They had no clue about what caused the cramp.
Came home, went to own doctor, who diagnosed me with muscle damage. He was surprised, he said that it would be very unusual to have so much damage without having an any injury which caused it. He gave me steroids (!) Obviously a no-no for Lyme.
In the midst of this, a friend suggested I get tested for Lyme. I don't know what made her think of it, I certainly didn't, cuz the symptom I had was a very rare manifestation of Lyme.
If you google "Lyme Myositis", which is the diagnosis my doctor made, you can find very little.
So I got tested, and I tested positive. Then started the abx. So I guess I started abx about a month after the pain in my leg started.
Oh the other symptom I had was my leg swelled up like an elephant leg. Man it was gross. I couldn't get a shoe on. I used tumeric for that. Made a paste and put it on my leg for 1 hour and the next day the swelling started going down.
The iGm, iGg, - the different antibodies on the test indicated that I had a long-term infection. But previous to the leg pain I had not been sick at all. Which seems strange to me, but this is a strange disease.
------------- I did the artemisinin capsules as he recommends: 100 mg, 3x daily, for 30-40 days. (I did 40 days.)
Boneset tea he recommends 2-4 cups daily, but I drnak 1-2 cups daily, and it seemed to work. He tells you in the book how to brew it.
--------------- Keep in mind, I was never tested for babesia. Actually, again, in this situation I was lucky. At this time I knew nothing about Lyme and I had never heard of "co-infections". I would never have connected the dreadful and sudden-onset night sweats to the Lyme, if I hadn't mentioned them at a Lyme support group meeting. The minute I said "night sweats", heads swung around, and people said 'Babesia'. I had to go research that, and then I followed B's advice.
Perhaps another factor is that I have over the years built my immune system using Esberitox (Echinacae-base immune support).
------- I feel completely rid of Lyme and I ascribe that to Buhner's protocol.
True, I have some residual knee issues, but I believe these are due to damage left by the Lyme.
True I took 30 days of abx, but I don't feel that contributed to anything except mouth thrush. ----------
Posts: 1086 | From Switzerland | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Sorry, how long was she on the herbs for?
Posts: 170 | From Vancouver | Registered: Apr 2006
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
Jon: It says in the post about 3 months on. Now 3 months off. This is a very short time, and would not be enough for most people. She evidently did not have Lyme very long.
luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
Rather than thinking she did not have lyme very long, perhaps her immune system did a better job of dealing with the lyme. After all, her doctor diagnosed her with longterm lyme. A good immune system would respond faster to the treatment.
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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hardynaka
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8099
posted
I guess Luvs is right. It seems Ellen's infection was long term but her immune system was not too bad, as she didn't have neuro symptoms.
I got neurolyme symptoms in September and I was infected on 30 June 2005. That makes less than 3 months to have bugs in my brain! I had so stiff neck in the middle of September, that the accupuncturist couldn't stick a needle in it (it kept jumping off). She was a doctor, and it was her who 'discovered' my stiff neck problem.
I 'collapsed' around October. Mostly due to neurolyme. Only 4 months after infection! Then continued spiralling down. My babesia symptoms were very bad already in October too.
My symptoms were much stronger than Ellen's even after short term infection and it took me 13 months on Buhner's protocol plus dr. K's cleansing protocol to feel borrelia was under control. And I'm still fighting bart (I think)!
I don't believe I would have survived years like I keep hearing, without treatment.
So this infection is not ONLY about 'time', in my opinion. I may be an exception, as Ellen looks to be another too, but I dont' believe on the following logic:
short term infection = lighter infection load = lighter symptoms;
long term infection = stronger symptoms = stronger bacterial load.
The logic doesn't work for my case, I could never fit into the "lyme stages" (1st, 2nd, 3rd levels...).
I guess Ellen didn't fit either, as she didn't seem to have gotten neuro lyme after long term infection... And she got relief in a short term treatment.
My small daughter also got sick immediately after a tick bite (one day after, let's say). She started needing to nap everyday for about 3 months, suddenly. She got intestinal problems from day 2, never to stop until she healed. Since she got better, she doesn't nap anymore again.
The story of Scott (betterhealthguy) looks also similar (he fell sick immediately after going for a walk in the woods).
Of course, coinfections could play a role, Ellen might have only gotten babesia while I got one more (bartonella), Scott many, my daughter many too, but I think Luvs seems to give a good point (on the important role of our immune systems...).
Guys, I'm going to take a rest from lyme forums from now on. I'll come to read it sometimes and drop about once a week to post. My life is a mess, I need to do so many things, time is short, I spend more than 2 hours a day in lyme forums... It's too much!
I hate to be going like this, exactly when I get 'better', but I guess I already told everthing that has helped me so far. I don't have much to add anymore.
I'm not cured yet (I guess I still get some chills here and there), so I'll certainly drop to look for info and post with less frequency!
Lymenet has been my second 'home' for so many months... Since I fell sick in 2005. I hate to leave like this, but I'm starting a part time job next week, I have my daughter to care for (I need to teach her some German before her entering school), my garden is in full spring, my vegetable garden looks like Bagdad, hubby complaining I surf until too late, well...
My PM is always ON as well as my email.
Sending you guys my best healing wishes!
Selma
Posts: 1086 | From Switzerland | Registered: Oct 2005
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