Why treat if treatment makes you feel worse?

And a good reminder for those that are just tired of it all. I know that thought still crosses my mind from time to time. Thanks, Pmm!! Good article to share!

Yes, on days that seem unbearable, it's a reminder that the bad is actually good😊

Thanks that was a good article. Sometimes I worry about the treatment process too. I have to remind myself that I am way better than I was in September.

I have to stay with my treatment goals and detoxing and never give up. I can and will make it through these bad episodes and keep killing off the bacteria.

All good things take time and I'm wishing the best for all of us. Sincerely, Jo

What a great article from several directions! I learned a few things.

Thank you for posting it pmm!

Can we dive a bit deeper into this question?

At what point do we live in "harmony" with Borrelia and co?

What I mean is, the likelihood of complete eradication every single cell of these bacteria are low (if not impossible), however we can get well enough and over come most of it to feel like "our old self".

I've been down this road. Felt pretty much completely recovered. Stop taking my herbs and felt great for multiple months.

Then I started on some herbs for another issue but some of them overlap with lyme. 2-3 weeks into it I herxed for a week. Fever, chills, temp fluctuations, headache, headfog, mild slurring of words, eye pressure, the classic lyme stiff neck, funny feeling in the soles of my feet, etc. Like the old days of lyme.

It's obvious I "stirred" things back up.

So at what point of recovery does one say "okay I feel great, I stopped taking herbs for multiple months and still feel great, it's probably still in my body, BUT I'm living in harmony with it, I probably shouldn't stir it back up"?

julymorning said...
decarte3, I know I have seen people post here in that regard, but some of us wouldn't exactly take the pov of living "in harmony" with it. I think most of us know the opportunistic nature of this bacteria and know from experience that it doesn't take much of a slip up to come crashing down again.

I would call it more of a stand off while the bacteria wait for a more opportune time. And hopefully on our part we keep protecting ourselves, just in case.

If complete eradication is a low likelihood, then what other choice do we (I) have? Perhaps I and others have reached the lowest level of bacterial load and highest level of immune health we can possibly get.

Isn't that really the goal?

dacarte3 said...


So at what point of recovery does one say "okay I feel great, I stopped taking herbs for multiple months and still feel great, it's probably still in my body, BUT I'm living in harmony with it, I probably shouldn't stir it back up"?

If you're symptom free and 'feel great' for several weeks (4-8) you stop treatment.
If you're not in remission...then symptoms will come back...and you can hit them again.

I know someone seeing a LLMD and was in remission...and was taking abx only 3 days a month...(had weaned to that)...symptoms started coming back...so now is back treating for a couple of months and will wean again once symptom free.

dacarte3 said...

julymorning said...
decarte3, I know I have seen people post here in that regard, but some of us wouldn't exactly take the pov of living "in harmony" with it. I think most of us know the opportunistic nature of this bacteria and know from experience that it doesn't take much of a slip up to come crashing down again.

I would call it more of a stand off while the bacteria wait for a more opportune time. And hopefully on our part we keep protecting ourselves, just in case.

If complete eradication is a low likelihood, then what other choice do we (I) have? Perhaps I and others have reached the lowest level of bacterial load and highest level of immune health we can possibly get.

Isn't that really the goal?

What, living in harmony? I don't know. The word harmony has symbiotic undertones and that negates the opportunistic nature, IMO. Harmony indicates trust and peace, in my mind, as far as it already being inside of me.

Also, my body has evidence of continued damage throughout my assumed "remissions".

Eh, maybe I'm just looking at it from the chronic, decades of non treatment, angle.


I wouldn't want to comment on that "why some, and not others" possibility.

AND, on those other people, the full evidence cannot be reported as long as they are still alive.
If they make it to a full life, and then pass free of any symptoms that could be a relapse, that would be awesome!

Post Edited (julymorning) : 2/22/2017 9:57:32 PM (GMT-7)

Girlie said...

julymorning said...
But mulling it over, I have a question.

If inflammation is the response of the body's immune system to destroy the invading organism, isn't taking an herb that eases inflammations, like Japanese Knotweed, counter productive?

We have been told that inflammation = pain, which made sense to me. When I take JK, I've had less pain, therefor less inflammation. So is that not a good thing since the immune system can't fully do it's job?

"These unpleasant symptoms of inflammation are essential to getting over the flu."

No, I think the inflammation is also from the toxins that are overloading our symptoms. Toxins = dead bugs.
Quelling the inflammation is a good thing...it won't bring the dead bugs back to life...

Detoxing just calms down the inflammation...the cytokine cascade....

Infection from anything can cause inflammation and pain. I've had cuts and burns, etc. get infected. Even before I had Lyme.

Are there any other diseases that could have a herx reaction from treatment?

Is Syphilis treated with the same herbal protocol as Lyme?