I am leery of herbal remedies and even supps Because I have so many tree, grass, and food allergies. I assume herbals as well. I had been trying some supplements as well as lemon water. And for the past 6 weeks I have had no good days and my inflammation is way up (sed rate) My PCP suggested I try stopping everything except what I was taking before we started treating, and we are trying solo abx for awhile, just. Zythro. I am beginning to feel a little less achy after a week... but if I was herxing, I may feel better by now anyway...
So part question, part caution... I am still trying to figure out what hurt is good (die off) and what hurt is bad (reaction or inflammation)
And the caution part is, as a newbie, it is so easy to get caught up in other people's protocols....and to even blame everything on Lyme. I had convinced myself that lemon water was better for me even though I am allergic to lemons... I wanted to protect my liver, only to find out at milk thistle is related to rag weed.
I know we all do a ton of reading and stories of success make us want to stop the pain...Right now I am reading Buhners book and so tempted to try teasle root or cats claw...but right now, for me at least less is more.
I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.
Thanks.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- My guess is that if you can eat anything that grows (Broccoli, carrots, garden spices & herbs, - even peppermint is an herb) then there are likely many plant based supplements that would work for you, nourishing your body.
There are dozens of herbs that help support the liver. Maybe more. And, there are probably hundreds of different combinations that can be formulated to serve YOUR body, at various points in time. Most of these are used by the experts.
Some herbs HELP diminish allergies. For me, Stinging Nettle capsules have been a life saver in that regard. Quercetin and CoQ10 also have helped me tremendously at times.
I hate to say this but, really, it's no surprise that you've had no good days in sixth months' time. That really is just the way almost any treatment goes, whether just Rx, just herbal or a blend.
Tick-borne infections and the havoc they create ARE a rough ride, and treatment may not work for even a few years for some.
Still, I hope you are able to appreciate & enjoy some things during this time. Hope you have some time each day that is a little easier.
And, I hope you can find some level of success so that you know you are on the right path. That part can be very hard for all of us.
But, as I can see how you want some assurances that what you choose will work in the long run . . . and won't trigger allergies or make you feel any worse TODAY . . .
The key is finding an expert to help you maximize your efforts. Herbal medicine really IS a science, actually. And an art. You need someone with great skills and solid experience.
For individual assessment, and to save you time and money in the long run,
it would be best to consult with an expert who has years of formal training and a degree in herbal medicine - AND one who also is ILADS-educated and lyme literate.
Other links here offer a look at the basics (and safety cross-check methods) of herbs & some other support methods (vitamins, fish oil, etc.).
RIFE frequency is also an option. RIFE links included here, too. -
[ 10-22-2011, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by jenniferk32 (Member # 30718) on :
I read Buhner's book too and was on cat's claw, andrographis and Japanese Knotwood. I read on his site that he has now found that Andrographis does not help as significantly as the other two.
After some experimentation I am now per my doctor's recommendation on Samento (a very high quality Cat's claw extract) and Banderol, both by Nutramedix. I also take the Japanese Knotwood, a form of Resveratrol.
I feel fantastic on all of this, way better than I ever did on traditional antibiotics. Although I have started back on Doryx after a long time without a tetracycline because I was vomiting all the time with Doxycycline. Doryx wasn't covered by my insurance then but now it is.
Oh and also, I have been told that a lot of people with chronic Lyme have MTHFR mutations that do a whole lot of bad things to your body, including limiting your ability to detoxify, which of course makes it hard to beat Lyme. It also exacerbates a lot of the psychiatric problems because it messes with Serotonin and Dopamine as well as sex hormones.
So there's a double whammy with the Lyme in your brain plus the MTHFR problems. I tested positive for both mutations, which together creates a problem much more serious than if you just have one, which is actually quite common and doesn't really cause too many problems.
Fortunately the treatment is really easy, I just take Methylfolate, a bioactive form of folate. The mutation makes it difficult to synthesize and utilize folic acid, which causes all of the problems. So regular folic acid won't work.
Anyway, my point is that between the herbs and the Methylfolate I feel like I'm making amazing progress. Especially since I added the Methylfolate 2 weeks ago. I'm really hopeful that I'm going to beat this thing.
So if I were you I wouldn't entirely write off the herbals so soon. Banderol and Samento are very well researched. They break down cysts, kill the spirochetes, and they easily penetrate the blood-brain barrier.
Hope that helps.
Posted by lost11 (Member # 34607) on :
From what I have read, the basic supplements per Dr. B.s protocol are really all the body needs. I tend to agree with that.
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
But what if your allergic to them? Do you just work through it?
Jennifer, I was amazed at how quickly I felt better on simple milk thistle and Alpha Lipoic Acid. In two hours after taking my first dose I felt great. More energy and a bit less pain. But over the 6 weeks of taking it... I began to feel worse. I remembered that delayed allergens often make you feel great at first, which is why wheat and other carbs are often addictive. Again, confused at what pain is die offend what is allergy or reaction to something.
I am still going it somewhat alone. Just had my first appt with LLMD a few weeks ago... Will see her again in November and am hoping that is when she will give me a plan. The first appt was more about testing and review.
But one thing I know about myself forever is that I have allergies that cause inflammation and pain. My Lyme tests are more nebulous so far only band 41.
I guess I am just confused again.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
I wouldn't take anything I was allergic to.
I think I'd check out Dr. Burrascano's protocol (16th edition). It's on this website, or you can google it (free).