Help starting the Buhner Protocol please

Hey

I have a few questions regarding the Buhner Protocol ( sorry I am dyslexic and find the protocol book rather confusing to understand ) I haven’t got the money to spend loads but I want to fix my Lyme. ( main symptoms are anxiety, dizziness, brain fog, arm weakness, leg weakness, headaches and back pain )
1 how many hours in between do I take these 3 herbs on the core protocol or do I take them together?
Japanese Knotweed
Cat's Claw
Andrographis
2 how much do I take of each to start with?
3 what other supplements can I take with these that will help?

Thank you so much!

Post Edited (michelina1) : 6/4/2023 2:45:27 PM (GMT-8)

as above

yes, take them all together 15mins before food

but as above - start one at a time to understand how your body reacts

start at 25% or less of the target full dose and work your way up gradually
( typically everyone finds their own pace - but typically step one up every few days or each week )

buhner suggests taking them 3 or 4 times per day in divided doses

he moved away from Andrographis in his later books on the topic - its original inclusion was based on some literature sources suggesting it was helpful for syphilis - but that didn't turn out to correspond to lyme treatment clinically - and a small % of people have adverse reactions to it - so it was removed from the protocol.

he added
salvia militorhiza root and Uticaria Rhynchophyla in later protocols instead

i will post my protocol below which is based on buhner's "healing Lyme - 2nd edition" book - with updated protocols - so you can get an idea of total doses
(i am 190lbs so these are slightly higher than the average for a 150lb person)

% numbers are the alcohol content of the tincture
numbers to the right are dose in millilitres (there are around 40 drops per millilitre) - all taken 4x per day
Lyme herbs: (as per Buhner's 2nd edition of "Healing Lyme")
• Knotweed Root 1:5 70% - 6
• Chinese Skullcap root 1:4 50% - 2
• Uncaria Rhynchophylla Hooks & stem 1:4 60% - 4
• Cordyceps Mycelium 1:4 50% - 3
• Salvia Miltiorrhiza root 1:4 60% - 3.8
• Uncaria Tormentosa root bark 1:4 60% - 3
• Kudzu root - 50% - 3
• Licorice root – 50% - 0.5

the book is a tremendously well researched work - by far the best out there in terms of herbal approaches to treating Lyme - and well worth wading through if you can manage it - or even have someone read the selected bits to you on dosing etc

Just in case you missed it, I wanted to add a reminder that Andrographis can cause hives in some people. If you get hives or any kind of rash after starting, I would immediately stop the andrographis.

Like Garzie said, Buhner later stated that he did not feel andrographis was that effective for Lyme, so it’s not essential.

I would recommend starting with the Japanese knotweed, then add cat’s claw. Between the two of those, cat’s claw seems to be the most herx provoking for many. For me, it caused increased joint pain.

I would highly recommend adding Chinese skullcap, as well. Buhner also recommends Red sage (also called Danshen, Salvia miltiorhiza). I would add each separately and gage your response to each. I did very well with skullcap, but had issues with danshen.

When starting herbs, you can do a taste test with each individual herb and take note of your body’s response to each. That can clue you in to which herbs you need more of or respond well to and which ones you might have a hard time with. Put a drop or two of the herb on your tongue, and pay attention to how your body feels after initially tasting the herb - positive (ex - feel your body release tension or sighs of relief), neutral (no noticeable response), negative (ex - feel your body tense up, or your face grimace). Some herbs taste bad. You’re not looking for how you like the taste, but rather your body’s initial response to the absorption of the herb on your tongue. Hope this makes sense.

You can repeat the taste tests periodically during treatment (maybe every 3-4 months), as your needs and responses can change during treatment. Some herbs you might have trouble with initially may be fine for you later on and vice versa.

If you have or suspect you may have bartonella, you will need to add houttuynia and possibly sida acuta.

If we didn’t answer your questions enough, don’t hesitate to ask again.😊

Thank you walking by faith!
This is super helpful! I’m super nervous to start this but I’d really like to give it a go as I haven’t got the money right now for private doctors etc.
Iv red up about skullcap and heard it’s actually really great for anxiety?! Think that’s definitely one I’d like to try. When I get so anxious I feel like I’m about to pass out it’s so horrid. Also heard about sida acuta too for the babs so thank you for mentioning that also.
At the minute I take lemon balm and Ashwagandha for anxiety.

Do you have Buhner’s Healing Lyme 2nd edition book?