Herx from houttyunia?

I''m into my second month back on Buhner's protocol for bartonella.

LLMD said people usually feel better after a month and I did. I debated about going off of it all for the two weeks as recommended and did as per LLMD. And back on the houttyunia for a few days now.

The pressure/headache in lower skull, stiff neck, heart pounding and anxiety are awful. Feel I should check into insane assylum and can't talk about it to anyone because it makes me sound like a crazy person. Live alone and no one understands.

I started back on the houttyunia at only half the dose I was taking before.

Why would I be worse this time?

I'm pretty sure this is bart because I have 4 red streaks on my abdomen and chest which I haven't had in months. But I have been going through a very difficult time emotionally anyway.

Maybe this is due to adrenals?

I so want some to take some clonazepam, but have weaned myself off and been off since June and don't want to start. My PCP and LLMD would not approve, although LLMD gave it to me originally. LLMD gave me passion flower and motherwort which does nothing.

 

The stuff from 1stchineseherbs is a reputable brand and if you are going to be taking it, its $20 for 1 lb vs. $45 for maxnature brand. But both should be stored in the fridge as powders oxidize rapidly! :)

Ah I retract my statement above. I believe the maxnature brand is standardized but it is hard to tell on the site. If it is standardized it is concentrated herb but it usually states that.

I'm using Nutramedix which my LLMD sold me ToddPaul. It's a tincture.

Wondering if most LLMDs are in the business of selling?

I'll try taking even less than I was Traveler.

So exhausted today. Anxiety is a little less, but people are telling me I don't look good. Not sleeping well even with ambien and am getting circles under eyes. Since we can't get well if we don't get good sleep, I'm feeling doomed.

LLMD told me to take motherwort and Chinese skullcap for better sleep, but it doesn't work.

Korissa,
Have you had your adrenals checked with a 24 hour saliva test? It's the only one that can detect low functioning adrenals - the others will only show issues just before the adrenals stop working completely.

What all do you do for sleep? Have you tried magnesium, valerian, or melatonin yet? Many of us have to use different things to help us sleep.

I really don't understand why your doc has you taking Motherwort and Chinese Skullcap for sleep???? Motherwort helps to regulate female hormones (I'm on it for menopause) and Chinese Skullcap sure doesn't have anything to do with sleeping other than it's a great antioxidant and I used it in a formula when I was dealing with a psoriasis flare. www.gaiaherbs.com/products/ingredient/235/Chinese-Skullcap

I'm glad you are going to reduce the amount of Houttuynia that you are taking. Stay on the lowered dose for a week or so - see how you feel. If things stabilize for you, then you can try raising your dose - very slowly.

Please keep us posted on how you are doing though!!

Not Trav but figured I'd chime in. The cordyceps unlikely but the rhodiola can definitely be too stimulating. It calms some people but others it can create more anxiety due to stimulating an increase in norepinephrine as well as dopamine.

Skullcap is supposed to be relaxing but it's very mild. The best relaxant is phenibut but it's very addictive so it's not recommended you use it more than twice a week otherwise it can have nasty withdrawals. I sell it here in my store but always caution my customers not to use it too often. Some of my customers swear by valerian but I've always found it to be weak. Melatonin didn't work when I tried it but some people say you have to take a lot for it to really kick in. I have one customer that takes 9 at night of the 3mg. which is unheard of.

What works for me for sleep is doxylamine succinate which you can get OTC in a pharmacy. I break it in half otherwise I find I wake up too groggy and am tired all morning. I only take sparingly but I don't have a chronic sleep issue. Hope this helps.

Thanks for chiming in Toddpaul - I'm always interested to find out what others are taking to help them sleep. It's been one of my last issues, I'm sure partly due to adrenals that are still healing (I hope!).

Korissa, I would still suggest that you try using the natural stuff first to see if you can't stay away from the benzo's - I'm still weaning off of a benzo, and it's been over a year of weaning so far!

I'm not against using the more potent stuff when one has to, but why get started using something that changes the way the brain works if you don't have to?

Each of us will need a different amount or combination to help us get the rest that we so desperately need. I use 10 mgs of melatonin, 1500 mgs of valerian, 100 mgs of HTP plus the 100 mgs of Trazodone that I'm weaning off of still. I also use Bigelow's Sweet Dreams tea every night to help with relaxation and a cue to my body that it's time for sleep.

I'm not a doctor, but the way things were explained to me by my doc is that we had to support the things that weren't working so well so that my body could turn all of it's energies towards battling the bacteria and other things that were attacking it. So, in my humble opinion, yes, start using the Isocort. It's plant based, so you aren't getting any adrenaline boosting substances and it will allow your body to put the energy that it's using to support the low functioning adrenals towards healing instead.

And you aren't being self-obsessed! You are trying to figure out what's going on and in order to do that, you need to talk about what's going on in your body! The beauty of a forum like this is that others like Toddpaul can chime in so that you can get a better picture of what others are doing and can figure out what might work for you! So keep asking questions when something doesn't seem to be right or working for you.

Unfortunately, many doctors just don't seem to understand that it takes the whole body functioning well to have good health. They learn the body and it's issues in parts and pieces and never make the transition to understanding that it's a whole, not just parts and pieces stuck together. This is why I like Holistic medicine, that's the whole point of it being called Holistic medicine - it looks at the body as a whole that must function as a whole. Every part is important.

Do you have an experienced Herbalist near you? They can be invaluable while healing!! I don't know where you are located, but you can look for herbal schools too - they sometimes will treat patients for less cost due to them being students.

Korissa,
You've got to find out what works for you, I only offer suggestions, and - it's not like I didn't start out using Western Medicine. It just didn't work for me.

So if the natural meds aren't doing it for you - either find a new herbalist that knows what they are doing or use a different form of healing. I'm NOT against others using Western Medicine - I just won't unless I need emergency medical intervention - broken bones, heart attacks & such.

Korissa said:When anxiety is off the map and wearing you down so that you can't tolerate noise and being with people what do you do?
LOL!! HIDE!!

I've been very blessed in that I have not had to work and have a very understanding hubby. When I really couldn't tolerate others, I would just tell him that I wasn't in the mood for being around people and he even left me alone!! LOL! Then I started on natural things for anxiety and other "nervous conditions" and although it took some time, I eventually healed enough to not have to deal with it any more.

Even with only minimal help from the docs, you can support what you know you need supported! If it takes a prescription, then you need a doc's help, but many things can be supported with natural products that can usually be found in health food stores - just be sure to do your research and know what you want before you walk in. Remember, in most stores, the employees are there to sell something!