The Nitty Gritty (My Lyme Protocol)

From the start, I knew I wanted to do natural treatment for Lyme.  Philosophically, I just believe (and it makes sense to me) in using Natural Medicine.  The whole idea that 'nature' does the healing is, in my mind right on the money.  {Think about a broken arm that gets a cast on it.  That cast isn't doing anything magical - all it's doing is keeping your arm from moving.  What actually does the healing is your body, not the cast, or the pain pills, or anything else.  Our bodies want to be healed and healthy.  They just need some help sometimes.}  I just don't agree with the Allopathic/Western Medicine model of: wait until you need surgery or drugs, then get surgery or drugs.  

Also, historically, I've never felt better than when I started on the Natural Medicine route.  

I usually don't take prescription drugs (and try to avoid over the counter drugs as well), but the fact that my neurological symptoms came on so fast and so strong scared me quite a bit.  I was alarmed and did not want to take any chances with something so serious as Lyme.  I wholeheartedly wanted to use antibiotics.

Here is a helpful article I when it comes to considering whether or not to use antibiotics in the treatment of Lyme. http://restormedicine.com/natural-lyme-disease-treatment/#more-976

I want everyone to know that I personally believe it is very important to seek medical care (my personal preference is naturopathic medical care from a licensed naturopathic physician) for Lyme Disease, or any kind of health complaint.  So what I list below is my own individual plan for my individual body.  It's important to note that every Lyme patient is different, so every Lyme plan will be different.  I used to just research supplements that sounded good and just start taking them, without any medical advice.  I didn't get harmed too much, but just as some supplements can be really helpful, some can be really harmful (or just a waste of money since many supplement company's standards are low - bottom of the barrel low).  Please go see your doctor if you feel something is 'off.'  There is no better investment you can make than an investment in your health.


I also want to share a wonderful article about Naturopathic Approaches To Lyme, written by an LLND.  Even if you are a Lyme 'pro,' there will be something here you didn't know before:  http://restormedicine.com/naturopathic-approaches-to-lyme-disease-treatment/ 

Here's My Lyme Protocol

* Drink lots and lots and lots of water.  I can't stress how important this is.  Lyme dehydrates you and goes after your thirst - it makes you feel not thirsty, because it wants to be in a more dehydrated environment.  I know it sounds so trite, but water is the way to keep your body detoxing.  Also - remember chemistry class?  H2O is needed for all those processes that convert fuel into energy.  Adding just a little bit of 100% juice will also make your water more alkaline, which will help with pain (but don't add too much - it should not taste sweet - or your water will become more acidic), plus gives it a little tint of flavor.  For more on this, go to: http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/water-water-everywhere-so-lets-all-have.html

*  Eat mostly vegetables and fish.  This sounds like Michael Pollan's mantra: 'Eat Food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.'  (For a great read on food and how nutritious or lacking in nutrition it can be, go here:  http://michaelpollan.com/books/in-defense-of-food/)  This is a great way to make your body more alkaline (which will reduce pain - and has been the #1 thing that has reduced pain for me).  The worst thing to eat is: meat, dairy, eggs, sugar, and grains (I know fish is a meat and I just said meat is the worst, but you still MUST have protein, or you'll turn into a crazy person.  And fish is what I've been told is the best protein).  I couldn't find a good enough place to link to alkalinity, but just ask me if you have questions.  For more on this, read on: http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/food-glorious-food.html.  And for more on fish (and concerns about mercury in fish), read on:  http://waterwithlyme.blogspot.com/2012/03/here-fishie-fishie-fishie.html

*Juicing.  Juicing is the best way to get nutrients, hands down.  Plus, you get so many more since it's way easier to get all those veggies in you via juice rather than eating all of them.  I juice something red, orange, and yellow + greens.  So something like strawberries and carrots with lots of spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley and cucumbers.  Certainly organic is the best - both in terms of higher nutrition and for the environment.  Plus I'm uncomfortable eating spinach that's been sprayed with Raid routinely for the entire time it was grown.  I get help from my husband juicing a few mason jars-full every few days and drink 4 oz 2x/day.

*Greens powder.  Even more greens for even more nutrients.  I do 1 Tsp/day of a product called Greens First - it's organic and gluten-free, and tastes relatively good.

*Phytogesic balm.  I goop it on the front my neck (if you tilt your head up, you'll feel 2 valleys on either side of your adam's apple from your clavicle up to your jaw - that's where I goop it on) and my hairline on the back of my neck.  This helps with opening the venous circulation from my brain and helps with 'Lyme Brain.'  I use Wise Woman Herbals brand Phytogesic Sports Balm, applying it 1x/day at bedtime.  

*Essential oil home spray.  I have a mold problem in my house and getting it eradicated isn't really an option right now.  Since mold is a neurotoxin (and so is Lyme), I have a recipe for disaster.  For now, in addition to a couple of dehumidifiers going in the basement and a hepa filter running 24/7 in the bedroom, I make this spray.  I use a 4 oz. glass sprayer bottle and fill it with filtered water and 20 drops total of antimicrobial essential oils (like Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, or Tea Tree) and spray at least a few times a day.  If I forget, I can really tell - my nose gets runny and I sneeze like crazy.  I also try to eat as much garlic as possible, to help with the mold exposure. 

*Lumbrokinase.  This is an enzyme derived from earth worms (ewww) and it acts as a biofilm-breaker-upper.  The Lyme bacteria are very skilled at hiding in this protective force field called biofilm - and when they're hiding, they can't really be touched by antibiotics or any thing else. Jerks.  I take 1 capsule 1x/day.

*Cryptolepis.  This is an herb in the form of a tincture (an herb that has been soaked in alcohol to extract all it's helpful medicinal qualities, then the herb is removed and what's left is the healing alkaloids in alcohol).  It has a good history as an anti-malarial and is another tool I'm using to eradicate the Lyme bacteria as well as the Babesia and Bartonella coinfections I have.  This one is VERY powerful and I consider it as a 'poison' class herb and it really needs to be used with respect.   I do 2 drops 2x/day.  

*Viressence.  This is another tincture combo that is an anti-viral.  I might also have chronic Epstein Barr Virus, so that's what this is for.  2 dropperfulls 2x/day.

*Lipohealth.  This is a powder and I can't quite remember why I take it.  I think it has something to do with either breaking the biofilm or maybe binding the bacteria or something.  But I remember it's good to take.  :)  1/2 scoop 2x/day.

*Artemesinin.  This one is another anti-malarial that's targeting the Babesia infection I have.  It tastes terrible, even the capsule tastes terrible.  1 cap per day, 4 days on, 3 days off.

*Spleen glandular.  My poor spleen has been in pain recently, and needs some help.  It isn't able to keep up with processing everything.  This one is temporary until my spleen gets back on its feet, then I'll discontinue it probably.

*Bentonite Green Clay.  This is essential for binding the dead bacteria so that it can be detoxed/flushed out properly.  1 tsp in water, 1x/day.  

*Gall Bladder Tincture.  Another herbal tincture formula to help my gall bladder move and squirt out the stuff to help me digest food.  It's been sluggish and even more since the Lyme. It tastes so bitter and yucky.  But that's ok.  :)  15 drops on my tongue 2x/day in the afternoon.

*Ultra Flora DF.  This is a great probiotic and way essential.  The antibiotics kill ALL the bacteria - the bad AND the good.  So I need to replenish the good.  1 capsule 2x/day, 4 hours away from antibiotics.

*Lyme and Coinfection Nosode.  A homeopathic that helps teach my body how to deal with the bacteria.  Think of it like a vaccine - it teaches your body how to deal with the disease, except with a homeopathic you're not actually getting injected with a little bit of the disease, like you are with vaccines.  7 drops under tongue 4x/day, 10 minutes away from anything by mouth.  I'm currently on a 2 week break from this one so we can see what my 'normal' state is.

*Minocycline and Ceftin.  These are my current prescription antibiotics, but we'll switch up soon to Omnicef with 'pulses' of Cipro because I have hit a plateau.  1 of each, 2x/day.

*As needed for pain: Rhus Tox LM1 (a homeopathic preparation in liquid form), Epsom salt baths (which also help with detoxification and the heat is so nice - the heat actually increases activity of your natural killer cells and decreases activity of the Lyme bacteria - Win/Win), and Advil.

Wowie, that was quite the extensive list, and it typically changes a little bit every 3-4 weeks.  There are 2 things that help me get all this in at the correct dosage and correct time: 1) my awesome husband who keeps track and calls me or brings me what I need and 2) the Pill Reminder function on my cell phone.  It is a Lifesaver!

If you ever have questions, I'll do my best to answer them.  You can leave a comment or shoot me an email at waterwithlyme@gmail.com