Please help, possible neuro herx, I’ve not had one before

I recently started the Buhner protocol with a Buhner recommended herbalist for Lyme, Babs, Bart. I’m used to taking a herb mix with many of the Buhner herbs in but I don’t think the doses were very strong.

She sent me her own Jap knot capsules which are 450mg, Chinese Skullcap 350mg and told me to start with one per day, and I added in a presumed equivalent of Sida, Crypto and Gou teng tinctures that were in my previous mix as she wants me on those anyway.

The first day I took the Jap knot and skullcap capsules I felt as though I was drugged on magic mushrooms or something.. then spent the rest of the day hysterically crying after it wore off. The day after wasn’t too bad, however, yesterday I began to experience anxiety and panic which got worse as the day went on after taking x3 tinctures. I began obsessing about suicide and still am because the feeling is just so unbearable. I can’t think straight to do anything, I feel drugged, no appetite, neuro buzzing, ears hissing, off balance. Like the worst hangover on earth.

This morning I only took the jap knotweed capsule as I’m afraid to not take anything due to the infection causing eye and brain problems and I could feel it spreading badly beforehand. I immediately felt worse afterwards.

I presume this is a herx? Please help, how do I come down from this feeling, should I stop herbs completely and start again, or perhaps go back onto old mix for a few days? I can’t leave the house but I do have chlorella and zeolite, shall I keep drinking those?

The herbalist is very strict and I can’t speak to her without an appointment, plus I don’t feel capable of holding a conversation at all.

Some of us are just really sensitive to treatment. Can you break apart the capsules? If so, maybe half the dosages and stick with the jk and skullcap til you can speak w the herbalist?

Thank you both. Buhner recommendeds her so I think she is a well respected herbalist. She’s strict because she’s treated people for years and said she has to set boundaries now as she was sucking in everyone’s pain. I think the problem is probably me not being able to handle the doses/die off.

Yes I could break them apart, thank you. I may try that tomorrow.

This sounds like a monstrous herx, or possibly a bad side effect or allergic reaction to one of the herbs. Sida and cryptolepsis are especially likely to cause strong side effects and herxes, from what I've read. I would start all of these herbs on much lower doses, one at a time, and definitely do not take any more until you are back to baseline. Binders sound like a good idea.

Making you feel suicidal is a serious side effect. That's literally life-threatening, every bit as good a reason to stop (or at least drastically reduce dosages) as if they were giving you blood clots or a heart attack. Even anxiety and panic are not just harmless things to push through; they are extremely bad for your nervous system, immune system, and inflammation.

Which of these herbs have you not taken before? I'm wondering if you could be allergic to one or more of them, too.

What was she setting boundaries about? Did she make you feel like you can't ask questions or get in touch when things aren't going well? People in healing professions do have to set boundaries, sure, but she also needs to be there for her clients! She might be a good herbalist, but she might be a bad care provider. You are not overreacting by finding these side effects intolerable.

I’ve had Jap Knot, Chinese Skull and Crypto before but in a mix which was a much smaller dose. I took to that really well, but the problem was I wasn’t increasing on it or adding more so my coinfections started to get out of control.

The panic and suicidal feelings subsided as the day went on, and now I feel exactly as I did when I had my first huge herx in week 3 of Doxy, so I’m guessing that’s what it is. At least now I know that if panic starts to pop up a herx could be on the horizon. My Lyme and co is mostly neuro so I guess neuro herxes is what I have to contend with.

Some things definitely make me feel drugged, I suppose anything that crosses the blood brain barrier could have this effect.

She said she does believe I’ll begin to feel better. I’ll probably do as you say and start again at lower doses. Thanks for your reply Sarieli.

Oh, she told me to up my dose of Gou Teng to 20 drops as it’s supposed to be great for Neuro, and is sending me Motherwort and a lemon thingymajig for panic 🤷‍♀️
It’s a nightmare all this, first herbalist didn’t have me on nearly enough, and this one is trying to finish me off with too much.

Thank you WalkingbyFaith I appreciate your concern. The herx seems to have subsided somewhat for now. I split the Jap knot in half today and reduced all of the antimicrobials. Chinese Skullcap can wait for another day, that’s the one that has me feeling drugged in pill form.