posted
Does anybody have any info on cats claw? I know its a pretty good herb that helps with microbial stuff , but is it safe? and is it ok to take with abx? I am taking ceftin 500 mgs x 2 a day
Posts: 15 | From Tulsa | Registered: Oct 2007
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
up for help
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Steven Buhner has cat's claw in his core protocol of herbs, which he says is safe to use along with antibiotics. I believe tbe highest Buhner dose is 4 500mg capsules 4 times a day, which he says to work up to gradually. That's a lot of cat's claw!
I am taking 4 500mg capsules 3 times a day along with the other herbs in hthe Buhner core protocol, 400mg doxy and 2g IV rocephin. I think the cat's claw is safe. I added rocephin very recently, but have not had any problems from the cat's claw and the doxy along with a ton of other herbs added to that.
I don't take the herbs and antibiotics at the same time, but try to take them away from eachother.
posted
I took Cat's Claw along with many, many other herbs on Buhner's protocols for over 20 months. I no longer take Cat's Claw, but I do take many other herbs yet.
I am still alive to talk about it. AND I feel many times better than I did before I started taking Cat's Claw and other herbs.
I was up to 93 herb capsules a day. I now take about 30 capsules a day now after 23 months total. Some I will probably never quit; others I will.
I think there are other more important herbs on Buhner's protocal than the Cat's Claw however. But it can help.
johnnyb
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7645
posted
My LLMD says that the more research she does, the more she feels that Cat's Claw may be the MOST important thing you can take for lyme.
I take mine 3x / day on an empty stomach with bromelain.
- JB
Posts: 1197 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jul 2005
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
Interesting Johnny.
Buhner leans towards Resveratrol. I lean more towards Devil's Claw, with Sarsaparrilla second and Stephania Root third. PLUS Red Root as very important to keep your lymph system cleansed.
posted
Does Buhner recommend TOA free cats claw called samento? As far as I understand, regular cat's claw will not help for lyme, it has to be the TOA free form. Thats what I take and it causes horrendous herxes...there is not a doubt in my mind that it's killing lyme.
Noelle
Posts: 16 | From PA | Registered: Oct 2007
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hardynaka
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posted
Buhner recommends whole cats claw. For me, I prefer whole cats claw. It tested good about 95% of the time, the rest of the time I substituted for the TOA free Samento drops, but I prefer whole herb, no doubt.
Cats claw is the most constant herb that tested for me during lyme infection/ reinfection. Even Jap knotweed didn't test that long. I only dropped cats claw this week.
I added astragalus instead, due to muscle tests. That's the only Buhner herbs I'm on now.
After months on cats claw, I don't feel the immediate help it does to me. But I kept on it as it kept on testing good and good for long. In the beginning, I felt herxing-improvement pattern, but in the middle and end phase of treatment, I can't say I felt any 'direct' improvement from it. Only my tests kept pushing me to continue.
I was on it since about November-December 2005 without pause, until this week !!! Almost for 2 years then!!
I'm symptom-free for whole 2 months, entering my 3rd month now. I don't know if I can call this cure, but I start to believe strongly I'm in remission, which is more than good enough for me.
I vote for cats claw then!! I was never on more than level 2 of Buhner, 80% of the time, I was on level 1 or even less.
Selma
Posts: 1086 | From Switzerland | Registered: Oct 2005
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
I totally agree with Selma, that you do NOT need TOA free Cat's Claw. As a matter of fact you miss MANY of the good affects of Cat's Claw if you do not take the whole herb. This is the case with most herbs.
I quit Cat's Claw a few weeks ago; don't remember when exactly. I may or may not have written it down. Haven't notice a difference one way or the other, but it was one of the herbs that I never did notice any real difference. Some herbs give me a great boost in feeling good. Like Devil's Claw for instance.
I experimented with stopping and restarting that a few times, and every time, my vision deteriorated on quitting and got super good right away after re-starting it again.
I find also that the less I am at this computer, the better my vision is.
PS: What ever made a person FEEL they HAVE to herx for something to actually be working? I prefer to NEVER EVER Herx. That is not fun. IF you take the herbs properly, WITH plenty of Red Root tincture, Milk Thistle, and Sarsaparilla, you should have little or NO herxes, even thought the herbs are doing their job.
posted
Be careful mixing with certain ABX. In doing some research this weekend, I found a website that's a subscription website that specifically says that Cat's Claw and Devil's Claw can specifically mute some of the effectiveness of drugs like clarithromycin. Do not assume that all herbs are safe with ABX. I know that Buhner states that they are, but be careful.
I don't have any proprietary interest in the site. I, like you, am trying to figure this whole thing out one day at a time.
BT
Posts: 299 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Jul 2007
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hardynaka
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Member # 8099
posted
Hey Jim, don't quit cat's claw, keep it in low dosages.
I kept improving slowly but steadily and I believe cats claw is in great part responsible for that (as well as chlorella, in my case).
The only bad part in many of Buhner's herbs for me (I was not on abx 98% of the time, so no worry for interaction in my case), is that they made me feel chilly.
Cats claw is one of the herbs that caused me that FOR SURE, even on 2 capsules a day.
I just tested a friend with lyme and Samento came negative for her now, but whole herb came positive. She 'tested' for Samento before many times though. Now her body says strongly 'no' to Samento and 'yes' to whole herb. She's treating her very light lyme (only arthritis is her symptom) with only the mix cats claw + Pc-Noni.
Her children with chronic lyme got rid of lyme (they only have borrelia though), with Samento and Noni tinctures. Different people, different infections, different protocols!
Selma
Posts: 1086 | From Switzerland | Registered: Oct 2005
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lymeinhell
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Member # 4622
posted
I was started on TOA free Cat's Claw 3 1/2 yrs ago and VERY SLOWLY weaned off abx.
On the 10th of this November, I will be celebrating my 3rd year without antibiotics. For me, 'nuff said.
Just my 2 cents...
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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Not ignoring you on that PM from a few days ago, just that it was long and I am so busy right now trying to get things done like digging trenches, etc., before the ground freezes, that I can only do short things on the net right now.
I quit Cat's Claw maybe two or three months ago, and haven't noticed any difference one way or the other.
It is the DEVIL's Claw that I do NOT want to quit. I have tried that a couple of times, and when I did quit, my vision would get bad again, right away, and came back in a day or two when I started it again.
I NEED my vision. Even though I have retired from full time photography, I still like to dable in it once in awhile. AND I appreciate beautiful things to SEE!
I still take about 30 pills and two tinctures a day, plus vitamin A and E. And also vitamin C in the form of C-Salts.
quote:Originally posted by EyeBob: Be careful mixing with certain ABX. In doing some research this weekend, I found a website that's a subscription website that specifically says that Cat's Claw and Devil's Claw can specifically mute some of the effectiveness of drugs like clarithromycin. Do not assume that all herbs are safe with ABX. I know that Buhner states that they are, but be careful.
I don't have any proprietary interest in the site. I, like you, am trying to figure this whole thing out one day at a time.
BT
I went to that site just now and they want you to spend $10 a month just to get some info. WHY? When there is so much out there for free, or near free. And since they CHARGE, I am wondering ABOUT their agenda?
I don't take that abx you are talking about, and probably never will, so I don't have any worries anyway. I would MUCH rather take Devils Claw than ANY abx at this time anyway.
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