Bartonella herb

We've actually been seeing asymptomatic infections more and more. The problem is there is no way to know what one will make an impact for you. For me, Houttuynia knocked me on my rear, even at half doses - for others it didn't do a thing, but A-bart knocked them down pretty hard.

Why not give them a try for at least 2 - 4 weeks. You should know if it's going to do anything by then and you will have covered your bases.

thanks for the link mister mike, i was going to email you! my older daughter is still testing positive for lyme so i decided to go with buhner and doxy together, but i got confused bc i heard that he changed the protocol. which brand of japanese knotweed do you guys go with?? i gotta order that asap, i just dont know which brand to trust. thanks!

Chapelle, Choosing a good source and delivery method for various herbal preparations is difficult. Since herbals are not regulated by the FDA it is hard to determine which ones to choose. That has been one of the more challenging questions I have had to face.

Japanese knotweed in capsule form was hard on the stomach. Getting it up to a dose of 3-4 capsules 4 times a day as recommended by Buhner was not going to happen. The tincture was easier to add with the other herbal tinctures that I would mix together. I debated this as well since I did not know if they would interact with one another. As I have said before it is largely a trial and error approach. Add one at a time and see what happens. The concentrated Japanese knotweed granules from Active Herb are more potent than the tinctures. One gram of granules is equal to 5 grams of whole herb according to the manufacturer.

The effect on the GI system is something to watch. Both Japanese knotweed and Cat's Claw can be very hard on the stomach for some. I found that they can cause moderate gastritis with nausea and pain. GERD symptoms will be more pronounced while sleeping. As a result it may be necessary to avoid taking these in the evening. Zantac is helpful for managing the GERD at night and probably better than taking a PPI such as Lanosoprazole or Omeprazole. The reason being that a PPI lasts for 24 hours whereas Zantac is a 12 hour med. This could be important if stomach acid is somehow necessary for activation of Cat's Claw as mentioned by some.

As a pharmacist this should be easier for you to manage with your daughter. The doses of the herbs really do matter. Effective doses can get close to or exceed the threshold for side-effects. Thus my comparison of herbal protocols being similar to chemotherapy. The problem is that without knowing what the active ingredients are in each herb it is not possible to standardize the doses. This may be why some people have good success with a particular regimen while others do not. The best advice under these circumstances is to try several different sources and types of preparation and see what happens.

Kott

kott - wow, thanks for that info. my daughter does have GI issues, that is actually one of the only physical symptoms she has - besides headaches and extreme thirst. all of the rest is cognitive, which is why I want to try JKW since it crosses the BBB, so they say. I am a bit nervous about trying it, but she had taken AL complex when she was intitially sick, and that is potent stuff. we will start off slow and see what happens.

thanks kott - no she is isnt treating at the moment, so it isnt related to any medicinals. she treated 2 years ago and i want to give her a second round of treatment, going to start as soon as I get the knotweed delivered. her GI symptoms are probably due to food sensitivities so we have already begun the paleo diet.

she has GERD on and off - and i noticed she had reflux issues only when she ate certain foods, so we did the food sensitivity test and it all made sense. She is better already, i just hope the knotweed doesn't stir things up too much. her pediatric LLMD said that JKW works wonders for some and does nothing for others. we will see!!!