with Stephen Harrod Buhner, master herbalist
I had lyme undiagnosed for almost 6 years until a year ago. Before starting your herbal protocol, I did antibiotics for almost a year. I had many effects from the meds, both good and bad. One particularly disturbing effect was an emotionally out of control feeling (despair, hopelessness, crying for hours) and I would decrease or stop antibiotics letting this feeling pass. I have now been on your herbal protocol for about 5 months and occasionally have a much milder version of this side effect. After all the odd neurological occurances with lyme, this didn’t alarm me much, I simply decreased or stopped meds/herbs for a while. My acupuncturist feels strongly that herbs taken correctly should not have such a negative effect. I have found that whatever dosage guidelines I’m following—herbs, supplements, prescription drugs—I require less than the average person. Through trial and error, I’ve become very aware of my individual needs. Any thoughts on if I could be taking the herbs incorrectly or perhaps in too high of a dose? Thank you.
Stephen’s response:
The protocol should be adjusted for each person’s ecology, the book offers a general guideline. The kinds of feelings you describe are normal for all people at some time. They are more common during times of illness, especially chronic illnesses such as Lyme.
The redirection of energy levels to fighting the infection produces, normally, such feelings. Just getting really overtired from working very hard for a week or so can cause such a response. Further, there are emotional components to Lyme infection that are rarely dealt with by anyone. The various parts of the body do hurt, they do get tired, they do feel helpless and sometimes hopeless, and they do cry.
The long road back to health involves grieving and working with the subtle alterations in emotion and feeling that occurs while traveling it. A chronic disease such as Lyme demands an increase in self awareness, that is part of its function in a life well lived. It sounds like you are responding well to that challenge.
posted on January 8, 2007 | 538 views | tags: Borrelia burgdorferi, emotional symptoms, Healing Lyme, lyme antibiotics, lyme disease, managing emotions, relationships
Andrographis
400 mg tablets: Nature's Way
<400 mg tablets: Paradise Herbs
400 mg tablets: Planetary Formulas Full Spectrum
Japanese Knotweed (Resveratrol)
Green Dragon Botanicals
100 mg tablets: Paradise Herbs
bulk, wildcrafted: Woodland Essence
bulk and Source Naturals 500 mg tablets: 1st Chinese Herbs [Editor's note: As of September 2011, we have received reports that some people have had bad reactions to Source Naturals brand Resveratrol but have done fine with Paradise herbs. Sometimes the brand makes all the difference.]
Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)
500 mg capsules: Raintree
bulk, sustainably harvested: Raintree
Cryptolepis
tincture: Woodland Essence
Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng)
Herb Pharm tincture - alcohol-based
Herb Pharm tincture - glycerite (alcohol-free)
250 mg capsules: Nature's Way
Stephania Root
Caution: New research has shown stephania
unsafe for use in pregnancy.
1st Chinese Herbs
Woodland Essence
ARTICLES BY STEPHEN BUHNER
The Use of Apis and Bi-Edta in the Treatment of Lyme Disease
Some Arguments against the Standardization of Herbalists
Gaian Voices Interview with Stephen Harrod Buhner
Depth Diagnosis in the Practice of Sacred Plant Medicine
The Lost Language of Plants
The Health Benefits of Water Fasting
Herbelegy
The Fall of Gruit and the Rise of Brewer's Droop
Paradise Lost: Of Healing, the Sacred, and Beer
The Yeast of the Ancients
BOOKS BY STEPHEN BUHNER
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