Struggling with Buhner Protocol

I'm struggling with the herbs and really would like to hear others' experiences. I seem to be very sensitive and often have the opposite response to the herbs than expected.

1). Japanese Knotweed
Buhner says this should greatly reduce inflammation and give relief from symptoms. It increases my inflammation and symptoms every time I increase the dosage. I started 3 months ago and now I'm only up to 5/8 tsp plus a teensy smidgeon more. I'm using the powder.

2)Cat's Claw
I had trouble with tiny doses of both tincture and powder forms, so I put this one aside.

2) Cordyceps
Started 2 days ago. 1st day 2 capsules 2x. 2nd day 2 capsules 3x. Today 1 capsule 2x. It's definitely increasing both joint and brain inflammation and makes me feel tired. Herx ???

My sensitivity to knotweed is especially disconcerting. It's the primary herb for Lyme.

I just don't understand what this means. Does this mean I'm incurable? I keep thinking that the whole chronic Lyme stuff is really an autoimmune syndrome. If it is, does that mean I can't get well?

I'm so sorry to hear your struggling WBF, I'm no help with herbs (these anyway) but hopefully someone will be along later who can offer more help.

Hang in there!

VCL

Of course you're curable, we all have some weird sensitivities to things.

I can't take cat's claw, it feels like it immediatly increases my inflammation, even at really small doses. I tried for so long but it never worked so i ditched it.

Just tried red sage and it made me go berserk. Within 2 days i couldn't tolerate any of my *other* herbs, and it started sending me back into psychosis. 3 days of it and i thought i was being chased by monsters and was waking up in the middle of fields at night.

I have seen others here who couldn't handle knotweed either and they did fine. I would work through things that you can tolerate and add in as many as those to start. Maybe talking to an herbalist would help, too?

WalkinbyFaith. Please do not feel disconcerted because somehow an herb *failed*.

Everyone's constitution is different. Everyone's needs are different. Not all herbs are created equal and some sources can be problematic.

There are a million different factors which go into a formula and a million different factors that are going on inside of you - finding a match that succeeds is a HARD thing. If it were easy, we'd all been cured years ago.

You need to start doing some muscle testing or some other mode of testing the remedies - you - your constitution and finding the common ground. If there is a problem with the remedy (sourced herb or something in the preparation) you need to ID that and make sure it doesn't pop up in another preparation because that is a waste of your time, energy and funds.

Bottom line, muscle test everything.

I know it is very distressing when you find the well-recognized paths are closed to you. I had the same experience a few years ago. I had had a CFS diagnosis for 19 years so I knew I was sensitive to a lot of things and couldn't do prescription medications.
I had been detoxing and I had had my mercury fillings replaced.
The Buhner protocol has only a grain alcohol base so I knew from experience I needed something else as I was allergic to it. I started a few Cowden tinctures but they made me very ill with really weird symptoms and they are supposed to be non-allergenic. I tried then to buy the powdered forms of the Buhner protocol and everyone of them except for a few detox herbs made me sicker. It wasn't a herx each one triggered of some kind of headache, pain or neurological symptom.
I did a bioresonance test and found my main issue was parasites, so I started the Dr Hulda Clarke remedy - no allergy to that, and lots of work I had to stay on it for a year pulsing the remedy. It didn't seem to alter my allergies much. The bioresonance practitioner wanted to treat me for the lyme but I live too far out of town and I was too sick to travel that far.
I started to look as what I could do. That wouldn't trigger an allergic response and settled on rifing and ozone therapy. I got a Spooky 2( 2 generators) - it was a bit of a learning curve. The lyme frequencies didn't work for me. I am in Australia so I assume it is because the bugs may be a variant of the Bb you have in america. A medical intuitive gave me some numbers and I was on my way with big herxes. After about 3 months I felt terrific. I kept up maintenance because I noticed when I stopped they came back. So I don't believe rifing for me is enough. Other people may have a different story.
I asked my Dr about doing nano silver IVs and I started taking it orally. Together the IVs and the oral silver killed a lot. I have stopped it, the veins in my arm couldn't take any more. I am definitely in remission because the last test showed only E.coli as an issue. I have purchased an ozone machine(trulyheal) and will do saunas for maintenance. The ozone helps you detox and it kills lyme. After herxing so much I am sure there is still plenty of detoxing to do.
From my research there is still alternatives for you - look for Drs that do Nano silver IVs, and ozone, h202 is another. Try rifing at home or betterstill go to a good bioresonance practitioner there machines are more intuitive and pick up everything. But your success there will depend on their skills, some of them have very little training. If you are rifing at home you need to know what bugs you have and what frequencies you need.......... it is a bit more of a challenge. You can try essential oils on the skin, (bypassing the digestive system) - it didn't do much for me for my main symptoms but it helped with the others.
I still have allergies to cats claw and andrographis, and the core protocolsherbs but my other allergies are gone and I had heaps more before. I think it is because most of the bugs are gone.
Hang in there you will find your way you just have to keep on trying - doors will open.

Hi WalkingbyFaith,

I too am on the Buhner Protocol and had some herx-like reactions in the beginning, but they mostly seem to have since subsided. Maybe you just need to give it time? I mixed in some additional ingredients to the protocol as well. They are as follows:

Twice daily, about 12 hours apart, I take a dose of:
- Andrographis (800mg Pill Form)
- Grapefruit Seed Extract (600mg Pill Form)
- Cat's Claw (1000mg Pill Form)
- Organic Pure Cordyceps (525mg Pill Form)
- Skullcap (425mg Pill Form)
- Red Sage (550mg Pill Form)

After this, I wait approximately 45 minutes for all of the pills to start digesting, and then take an oral liquid dose of:
- Japanese Knotweed Extract Tincture (30-40 drops)
- Organic Liquid Stevia (10-15 drops)
- Protein Essentials Hydrolyzed Collagen (1 Heaping Scoop in water)

about 5-6 hours after these two initial doses, I take a refrigerated probiotic with acidophilus.

Then, after an additional 5-6 hours, for a total of about 12 hours after my first initial round of doses, I take the 2nd round. Again, taking the pill form ingredients about 45 minutes before taking the Japanese knotweed and stevia. They only thing I omit from my 2nd round of doses is the hydrolyzed collagen - I only take that in the am.

I have been on this protocol for about a month, and have definitely noticed good overall results. I still herx from time to time, mostly after taking the probiotic, but I am going to stick with it for at least another month. For anyone familiar with the protocol, does it seem like I'm doing this right? Any suggestions about what I might change? Much appreciation!

Joyous - I got the TrulyHeal O3 Bundle.
I have had it for about 2 months now - it is going OK

For what it's worth, since I upped my Buhner core herbs (powder) my stomach has been a wreck and herxing like crazy. I attribute some of this to the Knotweed which I just backed off from 1 tsp to 1/2 tsp.

Like others have mentioned, I have read knotweed can be hard for people.

Buhner even states the protocol should be modified individually.

Also also agree with others about starting slow. It's not something I tend to do and should.

Jason

goshawk said...

For cats claw I also had reactions and could not take capsules but slowly took it by tincture . After 10 months I still can only tolerate small dose of about 6 drops 3X day.

I wonder about this. Do you think that after so long it's still just a sensitivity thing? Or maybe it's just not the right herb for you.