Planet Thrive

Please note: Planet Thrive's Healing Lyme Q & A column is now hosted on buhnerhealinglyme.com.
Stephen Harrod Buhner is an Earth poet and the award-winning author of twelve books on nature, indigenous cultures, the environment, and herbal medicine including the acclaimed book Healing Lyme: Natural Healing & Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis & Its Co-infections.

His work has been profiled in The New York Times, CNN, Good Morning America and other media throughout North America and Europe.

Stephen is currently not taking private clients and does not sell any of the herbs he recommends. Please see his book Healing Lyme, his website, and the following resources for additional info:

Buhner herbs sources
healing lyme shop: herbs/books
Healing Lyme support
Buhner Yahoogroup

see also:
Buhner Interview
Healing Lyme CD set
other lyme treatments

Rather than making it a priority to kill the Lyme spirochetes in any form, Stephen's approach is as follows:
1. Support collagen structures so that damage to the body systems ceases;
2. Enhance immune function so that the body can deal with the organism itself;
3. Shut down the inflammatory pathways the spirochetes initiate, especially in the CNS;
4. Treat symptoms;
5. And only then, try and kill the spirochete.

CORE PROTOCOL

1. Japanese Knotweed (Source Naturals Resveratrol with 500mg Polygonum cuspidatum per tablet) - 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily for 8-12 months (Resveratrol)
2. Cat's Claw - 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily for 2-3 months, then 2-3 capsules 3x daily (Uncaria tomentosa)
3. Eleutherococcus - 1/2 to 1 tsp upon rising and at lunch
4. Astragalus - 1,000mg daily (not to be used in chronic lyme)

Stephen is now also recommending Ashwagandha (withania) to help remedy sleep problems at night and brain fog - 1000 mg at night just before bed.

Additional herbs can be added based on your symptoms. Read this article for more on the latest updates to the Healing Lyme protocol.

MAXIMUM DOSAGE DETAILS

Japanese Knotweed capsules (Source Naturals Resveratrol with 500mg Polygonum cuspidatum per tablet)
150 lb adult: 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily
100 lb adult: 10 tablets total daily split into three doses
60 lb child: 5 tablets daily split into three doses, tincture is probably better here
30 lb child: 3 tablets daily split into three doses, but would prefer tincture for child this small

Japanese Knotweed tincture
150 lb adult: 1 teaspoon 3x daily
100 lb adult: 2/3 teaspoon 3x daily
60 lb child: 1/3 teaspoon 3x daily
30 lb child: 1/5 teaspoon 3x daily

Cat's Claw capsule (Raintree brand)
150 lb adult: 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily
100 lb adult: 10 tablets total daily split into three doses
60 lb child: 5 tablets daily split into three doses, tincture is probably better here
30 lb child: 3 tablets daily split into three doses, but would prefer tincture for child this small

Cat's Claw tincture
150 lb adult: 1 teaspoon 3x daily
100 lb adult: 2/3 teaspoon 3x daily
60 lb child: 1/3 teaspoon 3x daily
30 lb child: 1/5 teaspoon 3x daily

Eleutherococcus tincture
150 lb adult: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon upon rising and at lunch
100 lb adult: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon upon rising and at lunch
60 lb child: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon upon rising and at lunch
30 lb child: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon upon rising and at lunch

Astragalus capsule not to be used in chronic lyme - for new tick bites
150 lb adult: 1,000 mg daily
100 lb adult: 1,000 mg daily
60 lb child: 1,000 mg daily
30 lb child: 1,000 mg daily

Astragalus tincture not to be used in chronic lyme - for new tick bites
150 lb adult: 1 teaspoon 3x daily
100 lb adult: 1 teaspoon 3x daily
60 lb child: 1/2 teaspoon 3x daily
30 lb child: 1/3 teaspoon 3x daily

popular topics andrographis | antibiotics | arthritis | astragalus | babesia | bartonella | biofilm | breastfeeding | candida | cat's claw | children | core protocol | cryptolepis | cyst form | diarrhea | dosage info | elevated liver enzymes | emotional symptoms | ehrlichia | eleuthero | fasting | herxing | insomnia | loss of taste | lyme recovery | mycoplasma | neuro lyme | pregnancy | prevention | ramping up | recent tick bite | resveratrol | sensitive to herbs | sexual transmission | smilax | stephania root | teeth | tinctures

The assistance of a qualified health care provider familiar with all dosage outlines, contraindications, and herb/drug interactions outlined in Healing Lyme, and familar with your personal health history and current symptoms is strongly suggested.

Nothing in this column is intended to replace the expertise and care of a qualified health care practitioner. The material is intended for educational purposes only.

CAUTION: About one percent of people (one out of a hundred) using andrographis report allergic reactions. Primarily the reaction shows as a rather severe skin rash; essentially hives. This will resolve if you stop taking the herb, though it might take a week or so. Anti- inflammatories such as cortisone creams are not necessary; it will clear up on its own. Please pay attention to any skin reactions you might have to the herb and discontinue it if you have a reaction. If you are one of the very few that does experience a reaction, you can continue the rest of the herbs in the core protocol, simply deleting Andrographis.

NOTE: Two people have reported rises in liver enzyme levels on the protocol. The cause is unknown. Andrographis, knotweed, and smilax are all herbs used historically for liver problems, all are specific for healing liver disease. That increases in liver enzymes has occurred is odd since the herbs are specific for lowering those levels; they are good liver protector herbs and have been traditionally used for liver disease for millennia. This reaction is very unusual and the only reason I can find for it is personal reactivity to one of the herbs. The best thing to do if you do experience increases in liver enzymes is to stop the protocol and then reintroduce the herbs one at a time to see which one is the problem.

NOTE: A few people have experienced loss of taste on the protocol. The herb responsible for this has not been identified but I think it is probably the knotweed as that plant does cause, sometimes, alterations in taste. It can take up to 3 months to correct itself after the herb has been discontinued.