In May 2014 I picked out my coffin and was planning my funeral. I had been sick for almost 20 years and was also battling a serious kidney infection on top of the Lyme disease and co-infections. I was given a chronic fatigue/fibro diagnosis many years prior to this. After I was finally diagnosed with Lyme, Bartonella, babesia, Epstein-Barr virus, parasites and a few other co-infections, I traveled to Mexico where I received intensive ozone treatments for a month at a local clinic. I felt better for a brief time but relapsed 2 months later. Since the Lyme was chronic, I decided to hold off on the antibiotics as I was concerned about my gut health. I could always try the antibiotics later on if I was not successful in finding a solution.

I remember feeling very discouraged and completely worn out. I asked God to either take me or heal me. The next day while researching online I found Stephen Buhner’s website. Buhner is an herbalist from New Mexico who had developed a protocol for treating Lyme and co-infections. I immediately ordered the herbs for his original protocol.

***Note – Buhner’s original protocol included eleutherococcus instead of andrographis. As a side note I was already using andrographis as part of my parasite cleansing treatment.

What I did

1. Bowel/ Liver Cleanse- I began with a 30-day herbal bowel and liver cleanse. I mixed equal parts of turmeric, fennel, dandelion and milk thistle. I took a teaspoon mixed with water 3 times per day. I added in some Lugol’s iodine for the 30 days along with digestive enzymes with meals. This is a cleanse developed by Hulda Clark, which I modified. You can read it in more detail here.

2. Parasite Cleanse- I had been battling parasites for over 2 years before beginning Lyme treatment. My parasitic load had been mostly cleared by this time. I did an herbal parasite cleanse for 2 months just to be sure that I was cleared of the roundworms, flukes, tapeworm and rope worms that had been a serious problem. Here is an article regarding parasites and Lyme Disease. My opinion (also shared by some Lyme Literate Medical Doctors) is that anyone with Lyme also has parasites. After the 2 months, I continued to take the antiparasitic herbs for 9 months. I took one dose before bed. Here is my herbal recipe.

3. Buhner’s Core Original Protocol- I slowly worked my way up to the full dosing of the 3 main herbs. I decided to purchase the herbs in bulk form and make my own capsules. The large 00 capsules hold about 700 mg of herb, and that is how I calculated my dosing. I stayed at the dosage below for 8 full months. A few months into the protocol, I got tired of making the capsules and found it much easier to just stir the powdered herbs into some water. I emptied out 3 capsules into a spoon to get a feel for the dosing. I didn’t worry about being a little over or under in my daily measurements.

Protocols and dosing information can be found on Stephen Buhner’s Protocols Page.

My daily dose

Japanese Knotweed- 7000mg per day = 10 capsules

Cat’s Claw – 7000 mg per day = 10 capsules

Eleutherococcus – 4200 mg per day = 6 capsules

Note- I took a 2 week break every 60 days

I began with one herb at a time. Once I got to the full dosage for my weight I started the next herb. By taking them one at a time it is easy to tell if there is any adverse reaction to any of the herbs. It took me about 6 weeks to get up to the full dose of each of the core herbs.

Feeling worse before feeling better

I suffered immensely during the first months of treatment. My body was fighting an active infection while dealing with the heavy burden of toxins released by pathogens as they were dying off. This is not an easy thing to go through. This is known as a Jarisch–Herxheimer Reaction. Commonly referred to as a “herx”. It is the body’s reaction to endotoxins that are released during the death of harmful microorganisms. Also known as a die-off reaction, it can be very intense. It can produce fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, intestinal upset, dizziness, sore throat, ear pain, tooth pain, sweating, emotional upset and many other adverse symptoms. It is short-lasting and resolves once the toxins have been cleared from the body. You can read about my strategies for dealing with die-off here.

Started feeling better at the 5-month mark

I started to improve around the 5-month mark as the pathogenic load decreased. This improvement was the encouragement to keep me moving forward. I was also on the Wahl’s Paleo Diet (see post, Wahls Paleo Diet for Lyme Disease) at this time. I noticed a marked improvement in all symptoms from the first day I started having my Super Healthy Green Smoothies. I will say it again! This was the game-changer for me.

Babesia treatment at the 6-month mark

Babesia are malaria-like protozoans that parasitize and reproduce in the red blood cells. Chronic symptoms that I had included air hunger (never feeling I was getting enough air), persistent cough, fatigue, fevers, headache, imbalance, chills, sweats and anemia. I decided to try Buhner’s recommended herbs for babesia. I had been coughing for 4 months straight. I would develop this cough almost every year, and it would last for months on end. I knew it was time to treat the babesia. I wrote a more in-depth post about it here – Two Herbs For Babesia Success.

Babesia Herbs

Sida Acuta- 1/4 tsp (40 drops) 3 x per day

Cryptolepis- 1/4 tsp (40 drops) 3 x per day

I took these for 5 weeks straight. I decided to stop, as I was developing a yeast problem and my stools had become very small and infrequent. I felt that my gut flora had been adversely affected. After researching, I discovered that the cryptolepis can upset the ecological balance in the gut. I stopped the treatment, and babesia symptoms have not returned.

Bartonella

The Bartonella cleared after doing the above herbal treatments. I never had to do anything else. I did use a fair amount of milk thistle, Japanese knotweed and sida acuta throughout my treatment. Possibly this was enough to eliminate the Bartonella for good. This is Stephen Buhner’s Bartonella Protocol.

Additional Supplements – Fish oil, kelp, desiccated liver pills, whole food multivitamin/mineral, adrenal glandular, cordyceps and digestive enzymes with all meals. I also took copper and magnesium as suggested on my hair tissue mineral analysis.

Complete Lyme and co-infection remission since treatment.

Since completing the above protocol, November 2014, I have had a reduction of symptoms by about 95%. Red blood count and ferritin levels are within the normal ranges. Anemia, after a lifetime battle, is much improved. The persistent coughing, feeling cold all the time, headaches, migraines, body aches, tooth pain, ear pain, chills, sweats, dizziness, weakness and extreme fatigue are gone now. I have zero pain in my body which is a miracle in itself. The only lingering issues are cognitive. These too are greatly improving as the years go by. I am in the rebuilding phase and honestly feel like I get stronger with each passing year. I continue with a Paleo Diet and love this way of eating. Here is an article that explains in detail everything else that I did to completely recover my health.

I highly recommend Buhner’s Protocol to anyone who has Lyme and its co-infections. It is a very inexpensive way to treat these debilitating conditions. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it really isn’t that complicated once you get going. The key with herbs though is taking enough of a dosage for a sufficient period of time. I have always been drawn to plants, real food, nature, sunshine, fresh air and natural remedies, so for me, this was the easy choice. I am back to extensive backpacking travel, snorkeling, swimming, hiking and all of the things I love to do. It is a miracle to be well after so many years of sickness.

My Maintenance Protocol

1/ Wahls Paleo- Roughly 33% carbs, 33% protein, 33% fat

2/ 30-day parasite cleanse every 6 months

3/ Sleep a minimum of 7 hours per night

4/ Digestive supports, whole food multivitamin/mineral, cod liver oil, kelp, magnesium, desiccated liver capsules, currently manganese as indicated on the latest hair test.

5/ Daily exercise – a minimum of 1 hour

6/ Water- clean filtered- 2 liters per day

7/ Low-stress lifestyle

8/ Plenty of sunshine for vitamin d

Comment from Stephen Buhner.

“Hi Brenda, I thought your article pretty much a perfect one for people with Lyme, etc. (So glad my work helped you). Nearly all people with the Lyme group of infections needs to moderate the protocol for their specific situation; you really took charge of your life and situation and empowered yourself to wellness. a wonderful, thoughtful story. All the best, Stephen.”

Blessings and Best of Health!

Brenda♥

If you are interested in booking a consult, please go to this page for nutritional therapy and hair analysis.

Resources

Stephen Harrod Buhner, Healing Lyme. Natural Healing and Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis and Its Coinfections. Raven Press, 2005. (Watch for the second edition in the coming months)

Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics. Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria. Storey Publishing, 1999.

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