Comments on Cowden

I am doing Cowden now. I have been on it for 29 days, and am at the point of adding Samento to Cumanda and Enula. I find the Samento is producing what I think is a herx: intensified symptoms and insomnia. I started the Cowden at the same time I started on Ceftin, and I am better: able to go back to work, though for the last several days I have not felt as well (hoping it's a herx.) So...probably too early to tell. I know Lyme doctors do incorporate it into their treatments: it is supposed to be good when combined with abx and for maintenance. We'll see.

When I was taking Zhang's herbs, a couple of times I forgot to order on time and I used Cowdens cumanda and samento while waiting for my orders from Zhang to arrive. I took more than the recommended amount and they did not work for me. Both times I got sick again and then when I got zhang's I continued to decline using both of them. It was not a herx as I never got better and after three months finally realized it and started abx again. I think whatever strain I have became resistant to the herbs. I used herbs after doing abx several months and getting to the point of feeling nearly well but having bad side effects from the drugs. The herbs worked for about 5 months each time and then I went backwards. Maybe the key is to rotate them frequently and start off using them with abx. I think I was sticking to just one thing, one abx (doxy, ketek or levaquin) and one basic herbal protocol. I am just too foggy brained to figure out a good treatment plan and too poor to pay a doctor right now. The herbs need to be taken in much higher amounts than what is recommended and it is very expensive. I was paying between 5 and 6 hundred dollars a month for them.

As mentioned, I am at about a month on Cowden and I think it helps (also doing Ceftin.) Tried Zhang and did not get any improvement from it. The Cowden costs about $450 a month (estimate) so it is pricey. There are several people on the Lymenet site who have had good results with Cowden, and Dr H in NY regularly uses them.

I am much more respectful of a company that allocates free trials to people who cannot afford to pay. But even if you are not dirt poor, it is hard to spend that much money every month on something you are not sure will work. I think I will try andrographis next. I have been using TOA free cat's claw - not samento but one in capsules. I get almost a months' supply for about $60. I have not had the rerun of lyme symptoms YET that I had with bart. I take 1500 mg of that plus 1000 mg of grapefruit seed extract.