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Posted 3/29/2014 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
I was clinically diagnosed with lyme disease a few years ago. I went on antibiotics for a while with no progress made. I haven't pursued any form of treatment since.

Now I would like to start looking into some natural/herbal options to ease some of the symptoms. The most pronounced symptoms I have are joint pain, depression and mood swings, and most recently a tiring, persistent ache in the muscles of my neck and shoulders. I also just recently started having severe migraines with aura.

I do not want anything that would interact with a birth control pill (such as St. John's Wort). I guess I'm looking for suggestions on what non-antibiotic treatments and/or exercise worked for you for similar symptoms? I currently work out on an elliptical for 30 minutes a day and do some stretching. My diet is admittedly horrible and I know I need to cut out sugars as much as possible (but I have a tendency to binge eat due to depression and boredom, so that will be an extremely difficult habit to break). I'm also open to other health tips and techniques, including meditation.

I would like to pursue medical treatment but I cannot afford an llmd at this time, as I know most do not accept insurance. Any and all alternative treatments are welcome; I'm very open-minded. I am especially interested in hearing from anyone who is/was not taking antibiotics while using other successful treatments. Thank you!
Posted 3/29/2014 10:37 AM (GMT 0)
From what I've been reading, Pilates would help with the muscle fatigue and pain, and with the migraines IF they're posture-related. I'm going to start Pilates soon.

If you're having joint pain, I would suggest swimming or stretching in the water so that you can exercise without adding extra strain on your joints. Gentle swimming has been very therapeutic for me.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is good for depression; it has helped me.

Remedial massage helps me a lot with migraines and pain.

Mood swings... Ah... If anyone has any tips for that, I'm all ears!
Posted 3/29/2014 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
I would highly recommend contacting an herbal school near you or finding an herbalist.

They will know what will/will not interact with birth control which is why I suggest that. Most herbs used in lyme treatment are contradicted in pregnancy so they should be okay with birth control.

I would suggest looking into Buhners, Cowden and Zhangs protocols for lyme. There are a lot of options, lots of members on this site have various experiences with these so ask if you have any questions.

~beth
Posted 3/29/2014 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
Easing into the Synergy Protocol (I have had chronic Lyme since 1995--symptoms have lessened over time but acute bouts of the unique Lyme fatigue still occur). Encouraged by WWJD20 reports of success. Has anyone else experienced a similar recovery on the Synergy Protocol? Is there a separate forum for this protocol somewhere? I checked the link to the website, but there does not appear to be a forum available there.

Thanks, and good health to all
Posted 3/29/2014 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi WestCannon,

There are a few people on the forum using this protocol that do appear to be having success with it. The member that created the protocol has been banned from our site multiple times for posting inappropriately. His protocol appears to be safe and is really a mish mash of multiple, popular lyme protocols like Buhners.

However, I would still recommend having an alternative practitioner review it to make sure it is safe for your own use. I had an herbalist look at it whose opinion was that it was overkill. BUT if it works for some people...then it works, right?

~beth
Posted 3/30/2014 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
There are so many different natural protocols out there. You need to do research so you can make an informed decision.

I would suggest finding an LLMD or LLND who can help you decide.

You can find an herbalist as well, or go for one of the big-name protocols like Cowden or Buhner.

I would also see what all the protocols share in common, so you're not going out on a limb doing something that isn't really known to work. For example, most herbal protocols use Cat's Claws, many use Houttuynia, and so on.

Margaret
Posted 3/30/2014 4:44 AM (GMT 0)
Beth,

Thanks for the prompt response about the Synergy Protocol. I guess overkill is better than underkill, but I also believe sometimes discreet herbal selection and interaction is more effective than the overkill approach. Anyway, I'll take your advice and have it reviewed. In the meantime, is there a general consensus among the posters here as to the most effective protocol: Cowden, Buhner Zhaing?

Thanks
Posted 3/30/2014 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
But.... while that approach may work for some, hitting everything all at once can be very dangerous for other people. It can start a cytokine storm, which if not promptly addressed can be life threatening - and it may surprise some how often that actually occurs. That's why I and many others say to take your time. No need to kill yourself trying to kill the infections.

I didn't have a cytokine storm, but did have a "back up" of toxins that nearly killed me, which is why I had to do so much detoxing before I could start treating any of my tick-borne infections, even though I had chosen to use natural means the 2nd go round. Each of us requires something at least slightly different based on which infections, what deficiencies, and what strengths each has. Whatever protocol someone chooses to use, it has to be flexible or it's only good for a select few people.
Posted 3/30/2014 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
There's the Jernigan protocol too. A member, "Heather's Dad", took his daughter to the Hansa Center and she pulled through her infection. He has a home protocol too. I may give some of it a try. I'm still reading his book now and there's a lot to digest!
Posted 3/31/2014 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
I would like to point out that when WWJD says the author, the author is not a doctor, nor scientist nor someone that works in the health field.

My apprehensions arose when this person cited conclusions from a scientific article that were 100% the opposite of what the article said...

My herbalist is licensed and also has a degree in nutrition so she does have some experience and background that validate her opinions saying it is overkill.

@West,

Buhner appears to be the most gentle and widely used protocol, and can be used easily in conjunction with other protocols (antibiotics)

-Cowden and Zhang seem to be a bit more potent...but it also appears that most people usually don't just use Cowden or Zhang either. Everyone has a custom tailored treatment.

What I like about Buhners is that he tells you what supplements you should put in too, so I think that is a good place to start.

And yes, many have healed with Jernigans too. I did some of it but I never really followed it that closely and then I started working with an ND that customized my treatment. You can search on the forum in the top left "Lyme Cowden" etc and see what comes up. Lots of old thread on the topic.
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