Dear Stephen,
I haven’t been here in awhile, but wanted to give an update. I’ve been taking cryptolepis for just over a year now. If I stop, babesia symptoms return. I’ve been taking 30 drops once or twice a day. Once a day suffices during the waning lunar phase, but more is needed when lyme flares occur with the waxing phase. It seems like it suppresses the infection, but does not eliminate it since symptoms return if I stop using it altogether. Unlike artemisinin which ravaged my liver (have Hep C), cryptolepsis does not cause any noticeable distress. I know you have said that long term use of cryptolepsis is uncharted territory, but I feel I have no choice but to continue.

Lyme treatment has been more complicated and difficult. I’ve gone through protocols of many of the herbs which helped at first, then were not effective, so I’ve had to keep moving on—samento, cumanda, neem, quina, burbur, carnivora. My current plan is to use teasel root. I’m also contemplating a rainforest herbal blend, but want to go one step at a time as herxing can be overwhelming with my liver issues. Also, I want to know how I react to each thing separately. I continue to take Nutrasilver daily to mitigate the “Morgellon” type skin lesion eruptions…30 drops/2x/day. This also cycles with the moon — eruptions/extrusions occur at new and full moon.

Been on the lyme/co-infection warpath since fall of ’06. It seems like forever—so much endurance and cost needed to keep things from getting out of control. Very wearing, especially the fatigue. I live in Sacramento, CA and we have a new lyme support group that meets once a month in Rancho Cordova. It’s good to come together and share. We need more input from alternative practitioners—many patients have been on long term antibiotics and now have liver issues. It would be great if you or someone like you could be a guest speaker. We had a local LLMD come speak, but he said he would not treat without using antibiotics. I know that is not for me.