Hi Gary,
I'm also starting the Cowden condensed protocol, possibly this week if all goes well with the delivery which is due.
I've already been on samento for a few years now, with a 4 month break after I went on antiobiotics, due to their unfortunate effects on me last winter. I used to be only on the maintenance dose of samento (i.e. 5 drops 3x day) but have now been on 15 drops 2x day without any problems for the past 8 months or so. I think samento helped my circulation and cardiac problems (I have no pains now) together with fish oils etc.
I'm hoping to build up slowly on the protocol, as I have chemical sensitivities, and have very little energy, having been bedbound for almost 4 years, with the first 3 being able to get up once a day to get to the bathroom. Even though I'm unable to stand or sit up at the moment, I am able to read some, and use a netbook, which was totally impossible for me until very recently. I do take a lot of supplements, one of which is l-methionine, together with b6 and b12 lozenges to help the detox mechanism. I also have parsley and organic unpasteurised cider vinegar on my salads twice a day, which helps make your blood more alkaline, and keeps your gut clean, which I'm sure lyme doesn't like. I think all this helps.
I also have chlamydia pneumoniae infection, which has a similar effect in creating the mitochondrial and detox dyfunctions I have. This is an airborne bacteria which infects through the lungs, and another stealth organism. (www.cpnhelp.org) I believe I've had this one for years, possibly my whole life (I'm 44 now.) My private doc found borrelia like spirochettes in my blood in 2008, having already tested for them the previous year and missed them. I can also see these little buggers in my eyes when looking at a light source, or if the light catches my eye from the side I can see many. I was bitten by several tics in 2004, which were not removed for at least 48 hours due to a camping trip, and only noticed them still in my body afte returning home and getting a better look at my body. Although I removed them, I hadn't heard of lyme disease so didn't do anything about it. I had no rash or other symptoms, either, (possibly I wouldn't have noticed as they were the same as the then moderate m.e. I already had, which were mainly neurological and energy problems,) but my condition gradually worstened over the intervening 20 months until I finally collapsed for the last time in february 2006 and got an official M.E. diagnosis from my g.p.
I'm not sure how this protocol will effect me because of cpn and possibly other coinfections, whether it will tax me more or less because of them, but my theory is that, if I can kill the lyme, then I will be in with a chance of regaining enough energy to regain some measure of independence back. I've never had a normal life anyway, or normal energy levels, so I'm not expecting miracles, but I'm hoping for a 50% overall energy result, enough to come out of the social care system and back to the existence I once had. I've been disappointed before, when I was certain the weldon combined antibiotic protocol (for cpn, but kills lyme, too) made me so ill that I had to spend 10 weeks in hospital. So I'm trying not to just assume this will work this time, but am treading very carefully. I'm just going to be aware of and trust my body as much as I can.
I'm aiming to keep posting what my experiences are, so long as I'm able, so hopefully this will help someone such as yourself if you're going on it.
Bye for now. Best wishes and good luck.
Mutopian. :-)