Coming off antibiotics/ fears and concerns

I am about ready to come off antibiotics. I am scared about what is going to happen with the lyme when I stop the antibiotcs.

My doctor said I can stop any time from now to 2 weeks from now, and just be on herbals.

The thing is, my body is starting to feel really worn down from 6 months+ of antibiotics. I am supposed to have another liver function test but I haven't done it yet- I did one a couple of months ago and it was good, and the doctor said to do one but I haven't yet- so I am also nervous about the state of my liver after all this.

Today I just feel so so run down. And for the past few days. I feel like it may be from being on so much meds for so long.

But I am so scared about coming off the antibiotics because of the fear of the horrible lyme might return.

Feels like it is a 50/50 chance or something!

I mean I guess there are plenty of people who do adequate treatment who get off the meds and get on with their healthy lives and do well. I hope I am one of those people!

I just read on here and other places online of people who did so much treatment then a few months off antibiotics things come back. That would just be devastating.

Before a year ago I was so healthy.

Now I am flooded with really harsh antibiotics, and I still have so much fear about the lyme.

People on here are always asking for success stories and the responses to those are not too many, so that is discouraging. I know members say the cured people just leave the site- but I don't know. I wish I knew more success stories.

Can some people give me some encouragement? I am kind of ready to stop the antibiotcs as soon as tomorrow but I am so frightened of if it comes back.

Thanks

 

I would maybe switch to herbs for the transition. How long were you infected for before starting antibiotics?

We have found Buhner's protocols to be better for our infections than antibiotics ever were.

Don't be afraid. It may take some messing around to find the proper dosages for your level of bacterial load, but when you get to a point where you have multiple herbs on board and aren't herxing, improvement is impressive.

Don't feel you need to get to recommended dosages of anything in Buhner's protocols. His associate Julie McIntyre says that low doses over long periods work just as well. And with multiple antimicrobial herbs you don't have to worry about bacterial/viral resistance.

Using herbs becomes second nature, and we're not going to quit using them any time soon.

Kate - I think the herbal route is a good idea.

Buhner's herbs: Japanese Knotweed, Cat's Claw, Eleutheros for lyme.

For Bart - sida acuta, hawthorne, and houyttina - okay I've spelled the last one wrong.
There are some others for bart, as well.

If you go on the website, he has the updated protocols on the home page...and recommended brands to use. You can also purchase books - that are very reasonably priced.

I'd be interested in knowing what brand of herbs Rowingmom used - I could try and do a search to find out, I guess.

If you know a fair amount herbs you will really appreciate Buhner's books:

Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections: Complementary and Holistic Treatments for Bartonella and Mycoplasma

Herbal Antibiotics, 2nd Edition: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-resistant Bacteria

Herbal Antivirals: Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections

And his new one that should be on the shelves by next spring:

Natural Treatments for Lyme Coinfections: Anaplasma, Babesia, and Ehrlichia

His protocols are listed on the left side of his homepage:

http://buhnerhealinglyme.com/


CORE PROTOCOL


• Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) (Source Naturals Resveratrol with 500mg Polygonum cuspidatum per tablet) - 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily for 8-12 months;
• Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) (Raintree) - 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily for 2-3 months, then 2-3 capsules 3x daily;
• Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) (HerbPharm tincture) - 1/2 to 1 tsp upon rising and at lunch;
• Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) - 1,000mg daily (not to be used in chronic lyme)

Stephen is now also recommending Ashwagandha (withania) to help remedy sleep problems at night and brain fog - 1000 mg at night just before bed.

To purchase herbs, see: herb source listing



CO-INFECTIONS PROTOCOL


BABESIA
• Sida acuta/ Cryptolepis/ Alchornea cordifolia blend: ¼-1/2 tsp 3x daily. You could as well do ¼ tsp of each of these three tinctures 3x daily. (Woodland Essence) see also: babesia

BARTONELLA
Research is ongoing, this is the most up to date protocol:
• Sida acuta tincture (from Woodland Essence or [email protected]) ¼ tsp 3x day for 30 days
• Hawthorn tincture, same
• Japanese knotweed, (tincture, same dose (from same sources as Sida acuta, above), or capsules from Green Dragon Botanicals 2 capsules 3x daily)
• EGCG 400mg +- daily
• Houttuynia (Yu Xing Cao – 1st Chinese Herbs, powder – use “LYME” code at checkout for 10% off) 1 tbl daily
• L-arginine 5000 mg daily in divided doses
• Milk Thistle seed, standardized, 1200 mg daily
All for 30 days.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have active herpes, chicken pox, or shingles DO NOT USE L-arginine. see also: bartonella

EHRLICHIA
see: ehrlichia

Frankly, your doctor likely doesn't know much about Buhner's herbs. Most of them manage to purchase/sell the Cowden, ByronWhite and BeyondBalance tinctures, but don't know enough about herbs to do much more than recommend one line or the other.

If you hope to recover using Buhner's protocols, you need to realize that you will likely have to help yourself and not depend on anyone else to do your healing work. You will need to take responsibility, and that means educating yourself on whichever protocol you think necessary.

You need to understand which herbs are used for inflammation, which herbs are used for immune support, which herbs are antimicrobial, and which bacteria each antimicrobial herb addresses. If you don't understand these concepts, you will have trouble recognizing herx reactions etc.

If you can't be bothered to look up the protocol on the website, well.....

We use WoodLandEssence tinctures:
Japanese knotweed, red root, sida acuta, bidens, CSA (cryptolepis/alchornea/sida)

1stChineseHerbs powdered herbs:
Houttuynia, cordyceps, Japanese knotweed

OrangeNaturals organic tinctures (these are Canadian):
Hawthorne, milk thistle, turmeric, ginger

Each of Buhner's books has a complete description of how to prepare herbs and where best to source them.

Does your doctor not believe in the majority standard of llmd's at treating 2 months after no symptoms present? Although, I have wondered about that because what if we are symptomatic with candida issues from prolonged antibiotics (which overlap with some lyme & co symptoms). So I guess the question would be to yourself, are any of the symptoms *clearly* lyme symptoms that you can identify?



-Courtney

I don't know if I still have symptoms or just feel run down from lots of medicines. My ears sometimes hurt in various ways, either hurt or get clogged.

I feel tired pretty easily.

still a little jumpy and easily overwhelmed.

I have been feeling similarly to this for about a month.

Yesterday I took my meds without eating enough first and felt so sick- I was like I have to stop this stuff already!

At the most I am doing 2 more weeks.

My doctor said a month after I get to 85% and I saw him two weeks ago. But two weeks prior to that I felt about the same.

So I am not sure.

Basically I am just scared that once I really stop, what will happen? Such a traumatic year for me with this illness. I just want to be confident in my good heath and confident that I have successfully treated this and managed to get it in full remission, so I can get on with a healthy life. but I am so nervous about it all.

@Chapelle and KBirch,

If you trust your doctors...keep trusting them. I thought I was relapsing or still had it for months because I would still have issues pop up and then they would go away and just as fast something else would pop up <- apparently this is a sign of 'healing.'

It is a really scary time but the fear will go away as your health regains. It will take a lot of time though.