I haven’t posted on this column in quite a long time. I hope to get back to it this winter. I wanted to share that I am finally doing a full-on lyme treatment!! After all these years of not tolerating herbs and supplements! Woo hooo!!! And it feels so good! I did a one hour consult with Stephen Buhner‘s herbalist partner Julie McIntyre. It cost $100 and she provides email contact for the month afterward to help fine-tune things. Here is what I am taking:
3x day I take the following tinctures (see glass cup): 1/4 tsp red root, 15 drops each of cryptolepis, sida acuta and alchornea cordifolia. I am also taking Bidens tincture for 2 weeks and 1-2 drops rhodiola 2x day. I put it all together in one glass of water, with some boiled water to help steam off the alcohol.
3x day I also take 1/4 tsp cat’s claw and 1/4 tsp knotweed in a cup of boiled water. I also add 1/2 tsp raw cacao and this time I threw in some goji berries to make a nice yummy mug of hot cocoa for my lyme treatment. So nice! In the morning I also add in 1/4 tsp of ashwagandha.
This all feels so nourishing to me. I am especially drawn to the color/taste/essence of cat’s claw. I looked it up on Raintree’s database and it says:
Cat’s claw (U. tomentosa) has been used medicinally by the Aguaruna, Asháninka, Cashibo, Conibo, and Shipibo tribes of Peru for at least 2,000 years. The Asháninka use cat’s claw to treat asthma, inflammations of the urinary tract, arthritis, rheumatism, and bone pain; to recover from childbirth; as a kidney cleanser; to cure deep wounds; to control inflammation and gastric ulcers; and for cancer. Indigenous tribes in Piura use cat’s claw to treat tumors, inflammations, rheumatism, and gastric ulcers. Other Peruvian indigenous tribes use cat’s claw to treat diabetes, urinary tract cancer in women, hemorrhages, menstrual irregularity, cirrhosis, fevers, abscesses, gastritis, rheumatism, tumors, and inflammations as well as for internal cleansing and to “normalize the body.”
Cat’s claw has been used in Peru and Europe since the early 1990s as an adjunctive treatment for cancer and AIDS as well as for other diseases that target the immune system. In herbal medicine today, cat’s claw is employed around the world for many different conditions, including immune disorders, gastritis, ulcers, cancer, arthritis, rheumatism, rheumatic disorders, neuralgias, chronic inflammation of all kinds, and such viral diseases as herpes zoster (shingles).”
But the real kicker for me is: “Dr. Brent Davis, D.C. has written several articles on cat’s claw and refers to it as the “opener of the way” for its ability to cleanse the entire intestinal tract and its effectiveness in treating stomach and bowel disorders (such as Crohn’s disease, leaky bowel syndrome, ulcers, gastritis, diverticulitis, and other inflammatory conditions of the bowel, stomach, and intestines).”
I really feel sure that cat’s claw is going to heal my intestinal tract, which has been damaged by Crohn’s disease for the past 30+ years. The first time I drank it, at night in bed I felt my right side opening up and clearing. I thought I was already healed! I expect to be on this program for 12-18 months or longer.
In addition to the lyme herbs, I also take supportive things like royal jelly, nettle and oatstraw infusions, vitamin B complex, etc. plus I am also taking activated charcoal and zeolite powder 2x day in between meals (90 mins before or after meals/supplements) per my mold doctor. This too, feels really healing to me. I feel so much better and my bowel movements are much more regular when I take the binders.
I am just really happy to finally be on a program that feels good and has a lot of potential. I am also doing physical movement – stretching, yoga, pilates, rebounding, dance, walking – more than ever before as the last 8 years I was just sitting on my bum and not moving much at all. Yay!!
The reason I can now tolerate all the herbs and supplements is because I completely overhauled my diet in 2002 and have eaten a very pure restricted diet since then, did a 4 day rotation diet for a bit which really helped, and of course the brain retraining was the last piece for me. Doing EFT with the DNRS™ program really was the last bit of help I needed with that. I also did some shamanic healing sessions that appeared to help me a lot too but no way of knowing for sure if I was healed before the sessions. All I know is I tried alcohol on the 4th day of the sessions and could drink a whole glass of wine, when for the past 14 years just being in a room with an open bottle of alcohol would make my throat paralyze.
Please note that my lyme protocol was customized to my own circumstances, including my lyme and co-infection diagnoses, physical symptom picture, and history. The doses I share above are my starting doses and I will be increasing slightly each week. Each person who does a consultation with the herbalist I am using gets a completely customized program based on their own symptom picture and history. It is important to note that cat’s claw is contraindicated for women who wish to become pregnant or who are pregnant, as it can induce abortion.
I just hope things continue to go well for me in my treatment and that the plants help me to heal my physical body this winter.
This is wonderful news for you and I wish you speedy healing. I’ve been working with Buhner herbs to treat Lyme with steady progress. Where do you purchase the bulk knotweed and cat’s claw?
Thanks Becky! I bought the Cat’s Claw wildcrafted powdered bark from Pacific Botanicals (http://www.pacificbotanicals.com/store/product.php?productid=86&cat=&page=2), and the knotweed from Green Dragon Botanicals (http://greendragonbotanicals.com/products/medicines/japanese-knotweed.html). Each capsule is about 1/4 tsp of material, and I just empty it into my “lyme hot cocoa.”
Wonderful Julie. Thanks for sharing. I’m going to order some loose herbs to save moolah and learn to encapsulate them myself:)
Personally, dealing with lyme has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever experienced. But somehow I find myself feeling deep gratitude to these little buggies:they have made me open my heart, empty my brain and because of them I now live aligned with who I truly am. I live from my heart, not my head, and I owe this to Lyme Borrelia.
I deeply wish you countless blessings as you heal from lyme.
Wonderful news to hear, Julie!! To think just a week or more ago you were asking about the EHC clinic. Sounds so exciting to be getting answers for treating your Lyme
in such a personalized & customized way.
Was wondering who your mold doc is? Gray in AZ? I too benefit from charcoal but may need the Zeolite powder too-Is it an MLM product or can you get it at Needs or other shops. I once used the drops but reacted. Also, you said “healed by the DNR system”-does that mean you are NOT chemically sensitive anymore??
I had diverticular surgery & wondered if I shouldn’t try the cat’s claw again; it was mainly thru colonics then. Herbs aren’t always tolerable 4 me due to possible molds. But, willing to give it another try. Don’t have Lyme luckily, according to the Igenix lab. Did show positive antibodies a few X for HHV6, but never really followed up. Also had Klebsiella & the parasite Blastocystis Hominis (very hard to eliminate). Maybe the cat’s claw can help w them. Your post got me rethinking these so I thank you:)) Best of luck w your new protocol. (I know, this is a long comment- am at a Mcdonalds in freezing MN w/o shelter & trying to stay awake).
I join you in your hope that things continue to go well for you in your treatment and that the plants will help you to heal your physical body this winter. May you heal and heal others. Blessings!
Hi Dearest Julie,I almost missed this,as I am in my cave healing.
I am so happy to see you doing treatment. I am doing almost all you are doing,and more.
Great to have you along on this healing journey
Healing Blessing sweetie. Thinking of you and have you in my thoughts and prayers.
BIG gentle,warm healing hugs. Love you J
PS I do come on line every day quickly to vote for you. Blessings to you winning. You deserve it.
Hi Julie,
Did you need to provide or any lab tests in hand before your consult with Julie McIntyre?
liberty
Hi Liberty,
No I did not. She outlines what is necessary in the link I provided above. I will repost all this info here:
From http://www.gaianstudies.org/herbal_consult.html
What I need in advance of a consult is:
• A list of all symptoms; physical, emotional and spiritual, no matter how unrelated or insignificant they may seem.
• A list of all medications, supplements and herbs you are currently taking.
• Any allergies or sensitivities
• Any diagnosis you may have been given
• I like to have a full body, clothed, front-facing, head to toe, photograph as well.
Please read all of the information in the link provided before scheduling a session. Blessings, Julie
Thank you for your support and friendship, Joyce. I love you!! xx Julie
Thank you so much Lisbeth! Blessings to you!! x Julie
Hi Holly,
Thanks so much! I asked about the EHC clinic on the PT forum not for myself but to try to stimulate discussion for another member who was inquiring about it. Yes my doc is Dr. Gray in Benson. He recommended Zeoforce. Not an MLM to my knowledge. I got it from iHerb. I am not healed of MCS but I have come a long way and can now wear more clothes and use some blankets. Still very reactive to things but at least I am warmer this winter. You can read my story here…it’s not a complete recovery, but a beginning of deep healing: http://limbicretraining.com/contributors/my-recovery-from-severe-fabric-sensitivity%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/. Blessings to you! x Julie
Thank you Becky for sharing about how lyme has opened your heart. Me, too. I have powdered herbs and I just use them in hot water like tea. However, it does get a bit gritty, which I can’t stand so I think encapsulating is a good idea. ;-) Best of luck with your treatment! xx Julie
Want to mention that after drinking the hot cocoa 3x day for several days, I got tired of that real fast! LOL. Now I just drink the herbs in water, using half a mug of water instead of a whole mug. Just get it down quickly is my motto now! Ha! Hot cocoa is nice once in a while as a treat but it was getting to be too much for me.
Wonderful news! I tried to get tested for lyme many months ago now but we dont have it here in Oz & nobody would draw blood for me to send it off to the U.S. SO a virus panel has shown I’ve had almost every virus possible including chlymadia pneumonia, some of these can be chronic. I just went for the antibiotics they use here to treat both lyme and cpn. Some minor changes in the sensitivities but I still can’t go near people. But a change in the pain, down from 30 mg morphine to 20mg. And down from 3 antibiotics per day to 1. I’m still homeless. some of these herbs are contradictory to addisons disease but Ill check them. I did have tests showing a lot else so I’m taking supplements all day for these: renal ammonia loading, xylene poisoning, no atp production, cant metabolise carbs, gut bacterial overgrowth, phase 1 liver too high, phase 2 too low so there is a lot of other heavy metal toxicity. Having a home seems far away if ever. I was hoping for a change for 2013