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Heavy side effects Banderol

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Posted 5/3/2023 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

I took Banderol for a couple of weeks to get rid of a parasite.
Unfortunately, I got a lot of side effects. I have a headache on the left side of me head, dizziness, brainfog and fever. The dizziness is freaking me out.
I stopped taking Banderol 1,5 weeks ago but I still have the side effects.
Now, I am very worried about it and I'm afraid that the Banderol effect something in my body.
Has anyone ever experienced this? And how long can the side effects last? I am worried that it will be last forever and I am very anxious about it.

I hope someone can give me advice/reassurance

(PS. I took 3 x 15 drops a day)
Posted 5/3/2023 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
Banderol is otoba bark. In the Nutramedix protocol it is paired with samento which is cat's claw. A doctor like Marty Ross sometimes recommends taking these two herbs together. I must say that any time I have taken cat's claw it has whooped my butt. I took otoba bark and cat's claw together as an experiment about 6ish weeks back and it destroyed me. It caused insane herx/flares. I stopped taking it. When I add it back in I will go really really slow.

I'm not saying your reaction was necessarily a herx, however, I will say herxes are common with these herbs. Are you taking anything else? If the side effects, whether a herx or not, are too uncomfortable then I would stop my antimicrobial efforts until I started feeling better. Sometimes it can feel like these herx type symptoms are going to last forever, but they do let up eventually. Until you start treating again and then they are right back lol. Look into detox methods such as salt baths, sauna, binders, lots of water, low inflammatory fibrous diet, etc.

I think you might have started with too high of a dosage. Marty Ross recommends starting otoba bark and cat's claw at 5 drops 2x a day and only increasing after not herxing at whatever specific dose you are on.
Posted 5/3/2023 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! @Lymie24

Thank you for your respons!
You said that you stopped taking otoba bo and cat's claw because it caused herx/flares. How long did the symptoms of the herx last?
I've been dealing with the symptoms for like 1,5 weeks and that is the reason that I'm feeling a bit anxious (bcs I'm afraid something is affected by the Banderol).

I will continue detoxing my body. Thanks for the advice!! smile

Post Edited (Jennyyy) : 5/3/2023 8:47:20 AM (GMT-8)

Posted 5/3/2023 5:51 PM (GMT 0)

Jennyyy said...
Hi! @Lymie24

Thank you for your respons!
You said that you stopped taking otoba bo and cat's claw because it caused herx/flares. How long did the symptoms of the herx last?
I've been dealing with the symptoms for like 1,5 weeks and that is the reason that I'm feeling a bit anxious (bcs I'm afraid something is affected by the Banderol).

I will continue detoxing my body. Thanks for the advice!! smile

You're welcome!

Yo be honest, I'm not quite sure how long that particular herx lasted. I do remember it was intense. Unfortunately, I have been ill for a long time and I couldn't possibly recall every herx or flare-up I've had. A week and half herx is not out of the realm of possibility. Make sure you are taking care of your mental as well as to not ruminate on your symptoms. Mental anxiety can cause or exacerbate physical symptoms.

Are you new to Lyme and/or chronic illness? I have found differentiating between a herx, flare, or normal disease symptoms is not easy. I tend to think of a herx as something that causes a dramatic worsening of symptoms in a quick manner. Many times it will be caused by something such as a new med, herb, exercise, etc. In my experience, once chronic illness has set in, there is always some symptom expressing itself. I have found that symptoms, whether from disease expression or herx, only really start to improve when an individual has found a treatment or intervention that works.
Posted 5/3/2023 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
I do have a gut desease. I do not have Lyme but Banderol and Cumanda (the two herbs I took) were also for parasites, which I had.

You are right that I also need to pay close attention to my mental health. I noticed that the physical symptoms became worse when I was anxious. I've never experienced side effects of a "medicine" this bad before.

You don't think that Banderol (or other herbs) can cause permanent damage?
Posted 5/3/2023 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry for my 10000 questions lol 😅😂
Posted 5/3/2023 6:50 PM (GMT 0)

Jennyyy said...
I do have a gut desease. I do not have Lyme but Banderol and Cumanda (the two herbs I took) were also for parasites, which I had.

You are right that I also need to pay close attention to my mental health. I noticed that the physical symptoms became worse when I was anxious. I've never experienced side effects of a "medicine" this bad before.

You don't think that Banderol (or other herbs) can cause permanent damage?

Ahhhh interesting. I don't know if parasite die off causes a herx reaction or not.

The herbalist Stephen Buhner, who is big in the Lyme world, doesn't say anything about permanent effects of cat's claw. He describes them as very safe herbs that have been used for decades across the world and for a millennia in South America.

In addition, the Nutramedix protocol has been used for well over a decade. That includes the use of otoba bark. I haven't heard of any issues regarding these herbs. Are you under a provider's care? I would reach out to them.
Posted 4/3/2024 4:36 AM (GMT 0)

user1182 said...
I had the same reaction to Banderol. Did you ever get better? I took a few drops two days in a row over two months ago and I have not recovered. My brain is a wreck. I have never had a reaction to anything I have taken - and I have taken a lot over the years - and I do not know what to do. My doctor thought for sure I had Bartonella but all the testing is negative. I did have Lyme years ago, but I was treated right away and there are no indications that my body is struggling with it (I do blood tests and see specialists regularly). I don't know how to explain what happened. I was seemingly fine before I took the Banderol and only tried it because my body suggested it was struggling with a low level, chronic bacterial infection. In retrospect and after researching it, I'm not really sure why my doctor recommended it.

Hello, user1182
Welcome to the forum.
Feel free to start a new thread and tell us a bit about yourself.
Posted 4/3/2024 6:29 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, okay... What symptoms do you still have?
It's been a year since I had a strong reaction and still are not recovered from it...
I followed a traject for brain injuries and a lot of other therapies.

What are your symptoms right now?

User1182 said...

Posted 4/3/2024 6:50 AM (GMT 0)
And I don't know where you come from? And which doctor the Banderol recommended it to you?
Otherwhise we can have contact by email and I can share my experiences?
I know what kind of hell it is.. I was, and still am, so insecure about if the symptoms ever will be gone.
I hope you will recover very soon. But let me know if I can do anything.
Still am shocked that you have the same experience..
Posted 4/3/2024 12:17 PM (GMT 0)
The symptoms I still suffer from is tinnitus, overstimulated brain, dizziness and hyperacusis. Doctors think that it was an infection/intoxication through Banderol
Posted 4/3/2024 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for sharing. Before I respond, I do have one more question. Did the symptoms start immediately after you took the Banderol? And what was the first symptom that you've experienced?
Posted 4/3/2024 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
I am from the Netherlands, so excuse me for my English haha.
The doctors can't find anything on the MRI scan but it is most likely that the Banderol caused a lot of toxins which came in the brain. I don't know why and how..
My life is turned upside down through all of this and it is extremely sad. I hope that we will fully recover from this.
I did a lot of therapies the last couple of months. I also did therapy to retrain my brain which helped me a little bit for the overstimulation.
Posted 4/4/2024 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hey just throwing this out there but is it possible your banderol could’ve been contaminated with a heavy metal like lead? I don’t know how common that is, but chelation could be useful in that case. My current doctor grows and packages all the herbs herself to prevent any impurities, which is why I say this.
Posted 4/4/2024 7:45 PM (GMT 0)

Walkthelyme said...
Hey just throwing this out there but is it possible your banderol could’ve been contaminated with a heavy metal like lead? I don’t know how common that is, but chelation could be useful in that case. My current doctor grows and packages all the herbs herself to prevent any impurities, which is why I say this.

For me, it's been a year ago that my symptoms started. If it was an intoxication through heavy Metals, does that mean that I now have traumatic brain injury? And how long will metals last in blood/body?
Posted 4/5/2024 1:37 AM (GMT 0)

Jennyyy said...


For me, it's been a year ago that my symptoms started. If it was an intoxication through heavy Metals, does that mean that I now have traumatic brain injury? And how long will metals last in blood/body?

im not sure about that. Just wondering, how did you diagnose the initial parasite you were trying to get rid of?
Posted 4/5/2024 10:09 AM (GMT 0)
@jenny, I'm from Belgium ;-)

I readed all your experiences jenny and user1182...
How sad that your reactions continue after the banderol and not temporarily like most herx reactions;;; I also experienced banderol as very strong and often not suitable for me (I use my pendulum and it often rejected banderol after a while, I couldn't handle it very well either).

Due to serious brain symptoms, I have noticed the most improvement after using EDTA capsules a number of times; they really did something to my brain in terms of heavy metals... It cleared my brain. Be very careful with edta and start slowly, I also use binders later in the day if i use EDTA.
I also immediately thought of heavy metals and chelation because your complaints are permanent.
Posted 4/5/2024 10:46 AM (GMT 0)

Annie23 said...
@jenny, I'm from Belgium ;-)

I readed all your experiences jenny and user1182...
How sad that your reactions continue after the banderol and not temporarily like most herx reactions;;; I also experienced banderol as very strong and often not suitable for me (I use my pendulum and it often rejected banderol after a while, I couldn't handle it very well either).

Due to serious brain symptoms, I have noticed the most improvement after using EDTA capsules a number of times; they really did something to my brain in terms of heavy metals... It cleared my brain. Be very careful with edta and start slowly, I also use binders later in the day if i use EDTA.
I also immediately thought of heavy metals and chelation because your complaints are permanent.

You mean, when it were heavy metals one year ago in the Banderol, it will be permanent brain injury?
Posted 4/5/2024 2:49 PM (GMT 0)

user1182 said...
I only have a little bit of time right now, but let's work together to recover. Is there a way to message and exchange emails? I'm happy to share in public too; I am certain we are not the only ones experiencing this.

My symptoms started immediately after I took the Banderol. There is no question that it is to blame. Within the first hour or two, possibly sooner, I felt awful and have not fully recovered. I initially questioned whether it was something else - an illness perhaps, though I know my body pretty well and it felt clear that it was not an illness - which is why I took it the second time. I felt like I did not have energy to move or communicate and like my brain was in a giant cloud. My doctor suggested I stop for a week and start again slowly and I said no way. I have never experienced anything like this and would never risk doing more damage.

It is a funny twist that you live in the Netherlands because we are planning to move there. We lived there for six weeks this summer (Haarlem) and I lived in Den Haag years ago when I worked at the ICTY. My husband unfortunately got a job in Copenhagen before Amsterdam so our plan is to move to Denmark first and then the Netherlands in a couple years. Of course, I am questioning how I can possibly move our family to Europe right now given the way I feel.

How has the Dutch healthcare system been for you? Are there any supplements that you struggle to get? Have you tried different methods of detoxing?

I am so happy I found you, though I am sorry you are suffering. You have motivated me to find a solution.


How are you feeling right now? And can you possibly wright down a timeline when and what kind of symptoms started?
Posted 4/5/2024 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
@ jenny I don't know whether banderol contains heavy metals. The supplement seems controlled and safe to me because Nutramedix is expensive and a good brand.
But I also thought about chelation just like another member suggested. It might be a build up of toxins in your brain?? I don't know it, but i'm just thinking.

Chelation via EDTA capsules has helped me enormously.
I had extreme headaches/brain pressure, dementia symptoms and so on. Not because of banderol specifically, but banderol did make it worse as it was the most intense herb for me. I think I got to 15 drops twice a day. After a long break I used banderol one more time, but not for long and fewer drops. When I used banderol, an overload of toxins was released, I felt differently than with the other herbs that worked softer on me and not so extreme. I couldn't sleep because of banderol and so on. It was too much.

I started using EDTA (on my own initiative) because I was at my wits' end. After using EDTA 3 or 4 times, suddenly the next day I no longer had the headache symptoms I had been having for almost 2 years. The doctor allows me now to use EDTA a maximum of every 10 days, but not more frequently. It's been a while since I used it. Now I still have some complaints in terms of headaches, overstimulation, etc., but not the same headaches as before.

I hope you find a solution to reduce your complaints.
Posted 4/5/2024 5:26 PM (GMT 0)

Annie23 said...
@ jenny I don't know whether banderol contains heavy metals. The supplement seems controlled and safe to me because Nutramedix is expensive and a good brand.
But I also thought about chelation just like another member suggested. It might be a build up of toxins in your brain?? I don't know it, but i'm just thinking.

Chelation via EDTA capsules has helped me enormously.
I had extreme headaches/brain pressure, dementia symptoms and so on. Not because of banderol specifically, but banderol did make it worse as it was the most intense herb for me. I think I got to 15 drops twice a day. After a long break I used banderol one more time, but not for long and fewer drops. When I used banderol, an overload of toxins was released, I felt differently than with the other herbs that worked softer on me and not so extreme. I couldn't sleep because of banderol and so on. It was too much.

I started using EDTA (on my own initiative) because I was at my wits' end. After using EDTA 3 or 4 times, suddenly the next day I no longer had the headache symptoms I had been having for almost 2 years. The doctor allows me now to use EDTA a maximum of every 10 days, but not more frequently. It's been a while since I used it. Now I still have some complaints in terms of headaches, overstimulation, etc., but not the same headaches as before.

I hope you find a solution to reduce your complaints.

Do you think that, if it were toxins in my brain, that it would be permanent injury (because I have the symptoms now for almost a year) or would it be reversible? What do you think?
Posted 4/5/2024 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
I’m just chiming in here to say everyone has toxins in their body and brain, there are toxins in our environment, the air we breathe, the good we eat, the water we drink.

So it could be that some extra exposure to heavy metals tipped your body over the edge. There are things you can do to detoxify heavy metals out of the body. They are not permanently stuck in your body.

Have you been to have a brain MRI since those symptoms began?

Heavy metal toxicity isn’t the same thing as having a traumatic brain injury. A TBI is caused by external force.

Post Edited (emma blonde voyage) : 4/5/2024 1:16:45 PM (GMT-8)

Posted 4/6/2024 7:26 AM (GMT 0)

emma blonde voyage said...
I’m just chiming in here to say everyone has toxins in their body and brain, there are toxins in our environment, the air we breathe, the good we eat, the water we drink.

So it could be that some extra exposure to heavy metals tipped your body over the edge. There are things you can do to detoxify heavy metals out of the body. They are not permanently stuck in your body.

Have you been to have a brain MRI since those symptoms began?

Heavy metal toxicity isn’t the same thing as having a traumatic brain injury. A TBI is caused by external force.

Luckily, my mri was good.
You also have non traumatic brain injury through infections and intoxications.
Posted 4/13/2024 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi!

So nice to hear that you are feeling better!
Does your doctor think that it was an extreme reaction, like a allergic reaction?
Posted 4/18/2024 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Your doctor thinks that all the symptoms will be gone? And what did the doctor exactly said to you what the Banderol did to your brain?
I really hope that the Banderol don't caused a permanent injury..
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