posted in <<Healing Lyme with Herbs > THRIVE! EXPERTS
Healing Lyme
Autoimmune disease with lyme
with Stephen Harrod Buhner, master herbalist
HERB SOURCES RECOMMENDED BY STEPHEN BUHNER
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
with Stephen Harrod Buhner, master herbalist
Dear Stephen,
About 15 years ago I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that didn’t fit neatly into any pre-existing category (not exactly rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma or mixed connective tissue disease or lupus—but having some characteristics of each). My main symptoms are fatigue, chronic diarrhea, and joint pain/enlargement/deterioration/inflammation, mainly in my hands. Also clubbing of several of my fingers, and calcinosis; calcium seems to have leached out of my bones and deposited into my soft tissue. About five years ago I tested positive for Lyme by IGeneX labs. I have been loath to do antibiotics and so have been taking care of myself with good nutrition and regular acupuncture. But it’s not enough. I read your book, Healing Lyme, about two years ago and was very excited to get started. But just two days on resveratrol caused a major gut blow out. So I dropped the project for awhile. I’m working with a new rheumatologist now, one who actually treats Lyme. But she’s not convinced that I have an active Lyme infection because on my latest IGeneX labs my IGM 41 band is indeterminate; whole blood and serum, both genomic and plasmid, all negative for burgdorferi; Western blot IGG negative also. So my question is this: if I were to do your core Lyme protocol—and I don’t have an active Lyme infection, just autoimmune disease (whatever that really means)—could any of the herbs be harmful? If not, what would you recommend for me to start with, as someone whose main complaint is arthritis and a very dicey gut? ( I just did one week of andrographis, and decided to stop because even that loosened my stool a bit, whereas the literature says it tends to constipate.) I was thinking of starting with Stephania root, and that seemed to cover a number of my issues. And I’m hoping that a tincture might be easier on my guts than pills that take more work to digest. What you think? Thank you so very much for all your good work.
About 15 years ago I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that didn’t fit neatly into any pre-existing category (not exactly rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma or mixed connective tissue disease or lupus—but having some characteristics of each). My main symptoms are fatigue, chronic diarrhea, and joint pain/enlargement/deterioration/inflammation, mainly in my hands. Also clubbing of several of my fingers, and calcinosis; calcium seems to have leached out of my bones and deposited into my soft tissue. About five years ago I tested positive for Lyme by IGeneX labs. I have been loath to do antibiotics and so have been taking care of myself with good nutrition and regular acupuncture. But it’s not enough. I read your book, Healing Lyme, about two years ago and was very excited to get started. But just two days on resveratrol caused a major gut blow out. So I dropped the project for awhile. I’m working with a new rheumatologist now, one who actually treats Lyme. But she’s not convinced that I have an active Lyme infection because on my latest IGeneX labs my IGM 41 band is indeterminate; whole blood and serum, both genomic and plasmid, all negative for burgdorferi; Western blot IGG negative also. So my question is this: if I were to do your core Lyme protocol—and I don’t have an active Lyme infection, just autoimmune disease (whatever that really means)—could any of the herbs be harmful? If not, what would you recommend for me to start with, as someone whose main complaint is arthritis and a very dicey gut? ( I just did one week of andrographis, and decided to stop because even that loosened my stool a bit, whereas the literature says it tends to constipate.) I was thinking of starting with Stephania root, and that seemed to cover a number of my issues. And I’m hoping that a tincture might be easier on my guts than pills that take more work to digest. What you think? Thank you so very much for all your good work.
Stephen’s response:
The herbs won’t be harmful however given your symptoms I would begin with teasel root tincture for the arthritis, you could also consider the other herbs I mention for arthritis in the lyme book; they will be very helpful. As to the gut problem, you might consider the use of freshly juiced cabbage and plantain leaves (combined with carrot and beet and celery). This will often help GI tract problems if used daily each morning for a month or so.
Stephen
posted on January 12, 2011 | 2,235 views | tags: autoimmune disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, Healing Lyme, Lyme & Co-Infections, lyme disease, Stephen Harrod Buhner, teasel root
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
Melisa
January 12, 2011 at 9:36 am
I have started drinking Kefir as well…not the store bought kind but, fermenting organic milk in Kefir grains, and I find that this helps a lot with my stomach…I have irritable bowel syndrome and Lyme disease.