I've been on Dr. Zhang chinese herb protocol for 2 months, cir p, coptis and HH2. I still feel more tired, more join pain.
Dr. Zhang says patients feel benefits 6-8 weeks in.
How soon did you feel benefits (even if you weren't on Zhang herbs)
P.S. I think I've had Lyme at least 6 years (tests had positive bands but not absolutely positive)
Posted by little_olive (Member # 28063) on :
From what I know, improvement occurs within a few months because anything before that is usually severe herxing and everything is just.. worse. It can be quicker with IV abx.
I had untreated Lyme for three years, and I think three-four months is about how long it took for me to really see improvements, but I was on both herbs and Rx abx.
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
thanks little_olive.
Anyone else?
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
Everyone is different! could be a two month for you, but it could also be years for others.
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
How do you know though if something is going to work or not?
I don't want to take something for 2 years and then realize, wow, this just wasn't for me. Now I've let the lyme get worse inside me for 2 years.
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
You'll never know, that's why we go to LLMD's.
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
unfortunaly, most llmd's use antibiotics. I can't. I have too many issues with that. (Yes, I've taken diflucan, probiotics, etc.)
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
6-8 weeks is a hopeful guess (and marketing strategy). Your response will depend on your length of infection, co-infection status, pathogen strains, immune function, detox pathways, stress levels, diet...
I take both antibiotics and herbs. Before the abx and herbs, an ND treated me with herbs and homeopathy. No change in symptoms, so I quit the program.
Once on antibiotics, I began herxing. That's how I KNEW the program was working.
Some symptoms improved in the first few months, but most did not. I have been treating for 2.5 years, and am much improved, but still have many symptoms.
You must know when you are herxing. And you must know when symptoms are improving (not just cycling).
If you are herxing, keep going. Maybe change herbs or dosages, but keep going.
If you are improving, keep going. Some don't herx much, but they do improve.
If you feel nothing, or are just getting worse, re-evaluate. Do you need higher dosages? A different program? (Buehner, Cowden?)
With 6 years of infection, you may not feel much improvement in 2 months, but I think 2 months on any program is enough time to evaluate its effectiveness.
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
boxermom, thanks!
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
if you don't herx that much, how do you know if what you're using is working, or if it's time to move on! I do use anti-herx chinese herbs.
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
My first antibiotics, I had a herx and then felt better by the 3rd month of 3 months, but then relapsed 2 days after stopping them.
After I started 2 antibiotics from the LLMD, I felt worse for the first 2-3 months. It wasn't until the 4th or 5th month that I started to notice some improvement. My symptoms were not terrible to start with, so the improvement was subtle, but I could see a little more each month although the symptoms would still come and go and flare up more some days than others.
The past month, after over a year of Lyme treatments, I have hardly noticed any symptoms, and I once had 3 days a few months ago with lots of energy and no symptoms at all. Be patient, and you will get there.
I don't have any obvious coinfections, so your improvement will be different if you do. Of course now I have cancer to contend with, so I don't know how that will affect my Lyme, but so far so good.
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
lightatheend
Thanks for your thoughts. I only have rikettsia, so maybe that's why I don't herx so much.
Posted by lctheobald (Member # 18093) on :
bump
Posted by feelbetter (Member # 21957) on :
are you also taking abx together or just the herb?