I was taking OLE prior to going to the Hansa Center but I was still not improving. It didn't help me at all. It can be helpful to some people but OLE alone isn't going to cut it with late stage neurolyme and babesia. Dr. Jernigan tested my body with BRS and found out I was allergic to OLE and it was actually doing me more harm than good. Often times something that we think is good (and often times is) isn't what our body needs or wants. That's why it's important to be tested to find out what your body needs/wants.
If you are going to go on a herbal protocol, it's best to not try to just pick and chose one herb based on what someone else says works for them. As you probably know, there are three basic herbal protocols available for lyme patients. One is the Buhner protocol. He's written a book titled "Healing Lyme"
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1744840&r=rThe other herbal protocol is the Zhang protcol
www.sinomedresearch.org/. He's written a book titled "Lyme Disease and Modern Chinese Medicine"
www.amazon.com/Lyme-Disease-Modern-Chinese-Medicine/dp/0967721318Then there's the Condensed Cowden protocol
www.bionatus.com/nutramedix/pages/lymepage.htmlEach of these protocols are different, but there are similarities in that many of the same herbs are used. When I was researching back in November and December of 2009 these three herbal protocols, I had pretty much narrowed it down to the Condensed Cowden protocol because it was the most simple and most organized protocol to follow (in my opinion). Plus they offer phone support if you have questions.
In my research, I did not find a lot of people who claimed to get totally well on any of these herbal protocols. I noticed that many people were having the same complaints (side effects, awful herxes, etc) with herbs as they were having with abx. Yes, there were some good testimonies from some of the people on these various protocols, but nothing that really stood out to me. The Cowden protocol seemed to have the most positive reports of all of the herbal protocols.
Thankfully, Deejuvu, from Healing Well forum, told me about
the Hansa Center and the Jernigan protocol. This was right before I getting ready to sign up for the Cowden protocol. Well, you already know the rest of the story about
how I greatly improved from near death to where I am now. The amazing thing about
the Jernigan protocol is I didn't suffer with herxes like I did with abx and I also didn't experience the horrible side effects I had with abx.
The point I'm trying to make is not to discourage you from taking herbs, or to try to persuade you to go on the Jernigan protocol, that's something you have to decide for yourself. However, one thing that I strongly advise against, and that's to try "this" herb or "that" herb and if that doesn't work try another herb. Many people have tried this and almost none of them have succeeded.
Trying to follow someone else's protocol, or trying a combination of a few herbs that someone on a forum said worked for them, might not necessarily work so good for you. In fact, it could make things worse for you if you take the wrong herbs (or herbal combination), because some herbs, just like abx, interact with each other and can cause you to have a bad reaction to them.
The timing of taking herbs and supplements and toxin removal is important too, and that's why I would encourage you to get on a specific herbal protocol that gives you clear instructions and guidelines on how much herbs to take, when to take them, when to take supplements, and when to take detoxifiers, etc. It's complicated (and potentially dangerous) and it's not something for amateurs like us to try to do on our own.
Had I continued to take OLE, which is known to be a great natural abx for most people, I would have done my body harm because I didn't have a clue I was allergic to it until Dr. Jernigan tested me for it. That's why BRS testing, or at the very least, muscle testing is important before you decide to take anything, including herbs. Many times we think herbs are just harmless plants, but that's not always the case.
Case in point, Razzle who's a member of this forum posted this recently:
I started Buhner's protocol in Spring of 2008 by taking first Andrographis, then adding in the Cat's Claw a few weeks later, and then a few weeks after that (mid-June),
I added the Japanese Knotweed. One week later (end of June), I lost my ability to swallow and it has been a very slow road to recover the ability to eat/drink again. I still cannot swallow liquids, and am maintained on IV nutrition and IV hydration (though we are weaning down the IV nutrition slowly). The LLND's & LLMD's locally all agree the Japanese Knotweed had something to do with my loss of swallowing (I also have had problems with motility throughout the rest of my digestive system for a long time - believed to be related to Lyme Disease - but the swallowing issue was a new issue as of 2008), but whether the swallowing issue was due to a herx, a Lyme flare, or something else they cannot say for sure. All I know is, I won't be taking Japanese Knotweed anytime soon, and if I ever do again, it will be much smaller dose.
I guess the point of all of this is to strongly suggest that you have guidance with these herbal protocols, and that you proceed with caution. I know Zhang offers phone support, Buhner has online support, and there may be other support options for the other herbal protocols as well that I am not familiar with.
Take care,
-Razzle
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Anyway, I felt this was important to share with you because I know how desperately you want to get better, but you really do need to do it with the help and guidance of a professional, whether it be a LLMD, LLND or a someone who knows how to administer herbs. Treating yourself solo is not good and you could very well make things much worse for you than they already are. Please consider getting on a program with professional support and guidance regardless which protocol you chose.
I admit, I'm biased towards the Jernigan protocol, but how could I not be? In December I was planning my funeral, today I'm planning my future and living life with joy, happiness, energy, and most of all, I have hope that I didn't have before. Again, whether you chose one of the herbal protocols, or the Jernigan protocol, whatever you do, don't do it by yourself. Get treated by a professional who knows what they're doing. That's your only real hope of getting better.
I'm praying for you!
Gary
Post Edited (GWB) : 3/13/2010 8:23:55 PM (GMT-7)