Dear Stephen,
My twenty-one-year-old son, diagnosed with chronic/late lyme since we don’t know when he was infected, has been on resveratrol, cat’s claw, sarsaparilla (4 caps 3xday each) since May. He is also on eleuthero (2 tsp per day), Amoxicillin, Biaxin, and Zoloft (50mg). Recently we have begun to add stephania tincture (from Woodland Essence, 1/4 tsp/day) and cryptolepsis (also from Woodland Essence, 15 drops/day to start) because his tremors are getting worse and there is some thought he may also have babesia. The tremors started with his right hand but now include his right arm and leg and sometimes his whole body in very noticeable shaking. He had been on the Zoloft for years for depression but had gone off of it just before lyme was diagnosed. He went back on it to help him with the symptoms of depression/fatigue/anger, etc. I am wondering if the Zoloft could be exacerbating the tremors/shakes or if there could be a negative interaction between it and any of the herbs. The neurologist describes them as “Parkinsonisms” and a recent MRI was normal. What would you recommend? Should we start something or stop something or increase/decrease dosages? Thanks.


Stephen’s response:
I am sorry to say that one of the side effects of Zoloft is Parkinsonisms, that is, tremors and shaking in the limbs. About one in eight people who take the drug experience this, and the longer they take the drug, the worse the symptoms can be. Long term use can also cause difficulty in stopping the drug. You might try the use of any of the tinctures of pasque flower, motherwort, or coral root (definitely give this one a try).
Stephen

Author

  • Stephen Harrod Buhner

    Stephen Harrod Buhner was an Earth poet and an award-winning author of twenty-four 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.

    Stephen came from a long line of healers including Leroy Burney, Surgeon General of the United States under Eisenhower and Kennedy, and Elizabeth Lusterheide, a midwife and herbalist who worked in rural Indiana in the early nineteenth century. The greatest influence on his work, however, was his great-grandfather C.G. Harrod who primarily used botanical medicines, also in rural Indiana, when he began his work as a physician in 1911.

    Stephen’s work has appeared or been profiled in publications throughout North America and Europe including Common Boundary, Apotheosis, Shaman’s Drum, The New York Times, CNN, and Good Morning America. Stephen lectured yearly throughout the United States on herbal medicine, the sacredness of plants, the intelligence of Nature, and the states of mind necessary for successful habitation of Earth.

    He was a tireless advocate for the reincorporation of the exploratory artist, independent scholar, amateur naturalist, and citizen scientist in American society – especially as a counterweight to the influence of corporate science and technology.

    View all posts

This protocol was incredible. After only a few weeks most of my symptoms were gone. After six months all my symptoms were gone… it has given me my life back.

– Amazon review by Joseph

Please note:

Stephen Buhner is no longer living and this Q + A column on Planet Thrive is closed to new questions. It will be kept on our website so readers can access vital information in the archives, communicate with each other in the comments section, and find herbs, books + lyme adjuncts in our directory. If you want to read more of Stephen’s writings, please see his website at: stephenharrodbuhner.com.



You May Also Like …

Natural solutions for PMS

Natural solutions for PMS

Dear Susun, Is there something natural that would help with severe pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)? I’m completely done with trying antidepressants. But I still suffer and could really use some help.

read more
Adhesions

Adhesions

Dear Susun, Have you ever worked with adhesions? I have them all throughout my abdominal/pelvic area, esophagus, diaphragm, ribs, and lungs.

read more

0 Comments

empowering the environmental illness community