Dear Stephen,
I ordered your book Healing Lyme. In between I have a question regarding my lyme. I have had lyme for 1 year and 4 months now. One of my symptoms is that I get an numb sensation that is sometimes bad, other times not so noticeable, in my face – especially my cheeks and mouth area, jaw and neck – akin to the feeling of having had anesthesia from the dentist. It scares me and is unpleasant and I would like to know what this is, and what to do about this? Sometimes I also experience a similar sensation in my head, like brain freeze or something, along with fatigue, brain fog, blanking out, muddling up words, etc. Any help would be appreciated.
I ordered your book Healing Lyme. In between I have a question regarding my lyme. I have had lyme for 1 year and 4 months now. One of my symptoms is that I get an numb sensation that is sometimes bad, other times not so noticeable, in my face – especially my cheeks and mouth area, jaw and neck – akin to the feeling of having had anesthesia from the dentist. It scares me and is unpleasant and I would like to know what this is, and what to do about this? Sometimes I also experience a similar sensation in my head, like brain freeze or something, along with fatigue, brain fog, blanking out, muddling up words, etc. Any help would be appreciated.
Stephen’s response:
I have had that problem myself in the past. It took a long time but I found that in my case it was a combination of two things. The first was a recurring sinus infection that, oddly enough, presents sometimes as that kind of numbness. The second thing was an upper molar on the left side where a root canal had occurred. The problem there was that the root of that tooth is very close to a nerve that runs through the face. When the dentist performed the root canal on that tooth, he overfilled the root. The mercury amalgam broke through the tip of the root and the broken part of the tip and the amalgam were too close to the nerve which, over time, began causing an inflammation in the nerve. Once I had the tooth pulled (which I hated to do) the problem began to recede. I treated the sinus infection as well and have not had that problem in some time. Given that you have lyme, the problem may also be related to either lyme or coinfection bacteria affecting the nerves in the face. Knotweed root can help slow that down considerably.
I have had that problem myself in the past. It took a long time but I found that in my case it was a combination of two things. The first was a recurring sinus infection that, oddly enough, presents sometimes as that kind of numbness. The second thing was an upper molar on the left side where a root canal had occurred. The problem there was that the root of that tooth is very close to a nerve that runs through the face. When the dentist performed the root canal on that tooth, he overfilled the root. The mercury amalgam broke through the tip of the root and the broken part of the tip and the amalgam were too close to the nerve which, over time, began causing an inflammation in the nerve. Once I had the tooth pulled (which I hated to do) the problem began to recede. I treated the sinus infection as well and have not had that problem in some time. Given that you have lyme, the problem may also be related to either lyme or coinfection bacteria affecting the nerves in the face. Knotweed root can help slow that down considerably.
Stephen
I have experienced the exactly same numbness over my cheeks, neck, head, lips. It came along while on 10 months of antibiotics for lyme disease. I was then taking knotweed in high doses and other herbs from Healing Lyme for about a month, then changed my protocol to kill candida. My numbness drastically improved after another 4 weeks. I still get it, but its much better. In my opinion, candida causes very similar problems as lyme and combination of these two makes it very difficult to differentiate the origin of the problem.
Vee, I have almost identical symptoms. Just wondering what your Candida protocol was.
Hi all,
This is the first time I find Lyme patients mentionning a very similar problem to mine! Feels very reassuring.
My problem is that I feel CONSTANT numbness but of varied intensity throughout the day on my RIGHT side of the face, especially the upper part including the eye, the cheek, the forehead. I know it gets really worse when I get tired and when I get stressed and also when spending too long on the computer (maybe the position is akward for lyme body!) but sometimes it also gets extremely numb and very uneasy for no reason.
I have started Buhner’s Cats’ claw protocol for 2 months and have started feeling better. I will introduce the other herbs soon once I receive them.
I was also wondering which Candida Protocol did you follow Vee please? And how are you doing today?
I have Candida, Borrelia, Chlamydia, Mucor Racemosus and Aspergillus Niger :(
My numbness happered very suddenly after a MASSIVE headache I suddenly felt like a shooting rocket going down from the top of my head to my feet leaving my whole right side entirely numb. This was 2 years and a half ago already!
Any one experienced something similar?
Yes, when I was first bitten by the tick, after 6 weeks (and the Dr. not allowing for the diagnosis that I suspected) I got really bad vertigo for two weeks, and as that was resolving my right eye started to feel droopy and the right side of my face/head went numb-I took Chinese herbs for it at the two month mark, before I took the one month antibiotics, which helped but not resolved, here 10 months later still struggling. In my case the numbness resolved but my eyes still bothered, eyebrow twitch sometimes. I kept saying to the Dr. “my face is numb” but no response. Best wishes.
Having the same face numbness around my mouth/jaw, eyes & forehead and slight headache for the past several days (along with pins & needles throughout my body & weak arms (wake up with them numb many mornings). I’m on day 21 of the protocol. My doctor also has me on antibiotics along with a very similar herb protocol as Stephen Buhner’s. I’m only taking 1/3 t of Knotweed 2 times a day though. Wondering if it would be ok to up it to 3 times a day? Anyone find something that helped or how long this lasts?
If anyone has an answer on what can cure this, please email me
Can I ask you what was the Chinese Herbs you take?
I have numbness in my feet they feel like they are asleep.What herbs or protocol can I take for numbness?
Coco Lyme – Thank you for your post. I am dealing with something similar to what you described. I’m still sorting out what is going on. I have some positive, some equivocal, some negative Lyme tests. I had a tick bite with no reaction for months. Then after a period of intense exertion and stress, I developed a very similar condition to your face pain — very intense shooting pain. It can last for days on end. It is also on the right side of my face.
I have shooting pain from my right corner of my mouth straight up the right side of my face and nose, behind my right eye and into the forehead — and once and a while to the crown of my head. I can have this headache at the same time as part of my face feels numb. I lose some mobility in one of my eyebrows often also.
I have had these headaches 15 days out of each month during nearly all months for well over two years. They are accompanied by severe brain fog and exhaustion. Considering I work in IT in a technical role, this has seriously impacted my work life.
I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, then CFS, ME and EBV — and probably ten other things. I tried an anti-viral drug that did nothing but make me feel worse. None of the diagnoses seemed right. I asked for an antibiotic but the doctor I saw was against prescribing them.
Then I got strep throat four times last year, along with the headaches, numbness (and very loud ear ringing). I began antibiotics (Augmentin) and things immediately improved maybe 40 percent. The ear ringing grew worse, however.
I ended up taking Augmentin four times, the last time for two months under the supervision of a Lyme dr.– It slowly stopped working. Then I switched to part-time Doxy.
All these anti-biotics allowed me to go back to work but I am nowhere near healthy. I have no immune system to speak of and basically feel like I have a chronic cold and sinus infection all the time, plus the intermittent headaches.
I used to be an avid mountain-climber, only three years ago. Now I am not very exercise tolerant. I still try though because I find sweating helps me.
I recently started the Cats Claw. I am going to work on the herbal protocols to see if this will improve things. One of my worst neuro symptoms now is loud ear ringing that seems to come and go.
Wish you all the best in healing from this insanity.
Did anyone find out any diagnoses?
I am having this same numbness on the left side of my face (jaw, cheek, eye, forehead) along with a headache. I did not have these symptoms until AFTER I started on the herbs. So I’m thinking perhaps it is a side affect of one of them.
The only 3 I’m on at the moment are Japanese knotweed and the 2 cat’s claws (Tomentosa and Rhynchophylla).
I wish I knew, because it’s a bit scary.
Sandy – dealing with the same and I’m scared. Going to take a week off from the protocol and start back slowly.