Doctor wars, with severe knee issues

by | Jun 11, 2012 | Columns, Healing Lyme, muscle/skeletal/joint, Symptoms | 2 comments

Dear Stephen,
I’ve had weird symptoms for over 20 years but in the past four months things have gotten worse – shingles in the eye, uveitis, allergic reaction to the medications for them, steroids for the allergy and then a very swollen knee that pops in and out. Doctor #1 says I have a severe meniscus tear and am recovering from shingles. Doctor #2 says I have chronic lyme. There are no doctors in my area that know much about lyme and I’m caught in the middle. Do I need to have a doctor to oversee herbal treatment or can I go it alone and trust my own intuition? And if I can go it alone, how do I determine if I need help. For instance, how long should I go with severe knee issues – popping out and not being able to bear weight on the leg? Thank you for any advice that you can give me. I feel very alone down here in the south where ‘there is no lyme’!
Stephen’s response:
Many people do treat themselves, and quite well, without supervision. As with anything, just pay close attention to how you respond. In other words, “do I feel better or worse?”. With the majority of herbal medicines you should begin to feel better fairly quickly, that is, within 30 days, if they are working. For the knee, I would begin with glucosamine, 1500-3000 mg daily in two or three divided doses. If it is going to work you should see improvement within two weeks. That kind of damage in the knee also means you have to begin using the leg differently. I have used an elastic knee brace to help support it as I work on it and that does help. As to the herbs, begin with knotweed and cat’s claw (as per the book) and Sida acuta tincture (Woodland Essence). Shingles is challenging sometimes, you might begin with lemon balm tincture internally, ¼ tsp 3x daily, you can use eye drops made of a strong tea of lemon balm as well, just 1-3 drops at first to see how it works for you, then maybe 1-3 drops 3-6x daily. Fresh bidens pilosa juice can help as well, same dosage (hard to find). Hope this helps.
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

2 Comments

  1. AB

    Can Astragalus this over stimulate the immune system and cause immune issues such as Uveitis?

    My partner has been taking it, as per Stephen’s recommendations to avoid a possible infection from me.

    She has recently developed a worrying case of Uveitis, which is currently being treated topically. She has stopped the Astragalus.

    Any thoughts?

  2. healing lyme admin

    Hi Andrew,
    I’m sorry but the Q & A is no longer open to new questions. You can try emailing Stephen at [email protected]. I had some thoughts – so are you saying she does not have Lyme at this time? I searched our archives and found that uveitis is a common symptom of Lyme. Here is a past Q & A about it: https://buhnerhealinglyme.com/symptoms/lyme-uveitis/. Here is a past Q & A that talks about astragalus and how it can active the immune system: https://buhnerhealinglyme.com/herbs/astragalus-contraindicated/. Is it possible she does have Lyme and that is what is causing the issue, possibly exacerbated by the astragalus? Best, Julie

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

empowering the environmental illness community