Dosage for Source Naturals Japanese knotweed

by | Mar 18, 2013 | Columns, dosage info, Healing Lyme, Herbs, japanese knotweed, The Basics | 27 comments

Dear Stephen,
I have a question about dosages of the lyme protocol. In the book, you recommend Japanese knotweed. I got the Source Naturals brand. The book says it should contain 500mg of the Polygonum cuspidatum, but the bottle says 200mg. I asked the sales person and he said it’s the only kind he had. So if the dosage is 1-4 caps 3-4x day, should I take double the dose since it’s not 500mg? Also, sorry if this is a dumb question, but when the dosage states 1-4 caps 3-4 x daily, can that be 4 caps at breakfast, 4 mid–day, 4 lunch, 4 dinner, so I can take up to 16 caps total in one day? Or is it supposed to be 1-4 caps divided 3-4 x day, so max of 4 caps? I’m just confused about the dosages. Thanks.


Stephen’s response:
I no longer recommend Source Naturals for this. When I wrote the book they were the only source I could find for knotweed root. Source Naturals now makes a number of different kinds of resveratrol capsules and tablets with different dosages and contents. What I now suggest is the use of greendragonbotanicals.com knotweed root, same dosage as in the book. OR you can buy knotweed root powder and take 1 tablespoon 3x daily in liquid. As to the dose, yes, at the highest dose that would be 16 capsules per day. NOT everyone needs to go that high, many use less, a few use more. That is just suggested as a range. You can use what you bought until it is gone, same dose as described, 3-4 capsules 3-4x daily, starting slow and working up, when that is gone, switch to Green Dragon brand.
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.



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27 Comments

  1. Alicia

    Green Dragon’s bottle of LB Core Protocol say they base their formula on your book. Do you recommend this formula? Thanks so much – and thanks for all your books.

    From their website:

    Three capsules contain:

    Japanese Knotweed root – 500 mg. (Polygonum cuspidatum) – wildharvested – NE United States
    Cat’s Claw vine bark – 500 mg. (Uncaria tomentosa) – wildharvested – Peru
    Andrographis herb – 430 mg. (Andrographis paniculata) – organic – India
    Sarsaparilla root – 110 mg. (Smilax glabra) – wildharvested – Jamaica
    Dandelion herb – 110 mg. (Taraxacum officinale) – organic – NE United States

    Other ingredients: cellulose (vegetarian capsules), water

  2. Jennifer

    How long do I need to take this?

  3. peggy99

    The green dragon botanical website shipping costs to canada are out of this world.

    Does anyone else have a source of polygonum cuspidatum?

  4. Steve

    Judy’s Herbs has the protocol in Canada in powder form.

  5. Greg

    Yes, that’s the one.

  6. kris West

    I have a question about Artemisinin as part of a Lyme protocol. My daughter has been taking Artemisinin SOD Multi-Functional Formula by Researched Nutritionals. The supplement contains Artemisinin 250 mg, and Pro SOD Complex 550 mg Curcuwin Turmeric extract, Quercetin, Decaf Green Tea 95% extract, Black Walnut Hull. She takes 4/day. She has been taking this dosage for two months, and is under the care of a practitioner. What are your thoughts on this dosage? Thank you, Kris

  7. Shari

    Why are we preparing japanese knotweed from the fresh herb when it grows as a noxious weed in some places. Instead of spraying knotweed we should be using it.

  8. karen

    GOOD AFTERNOON, I have been trying to put my adult son on the Japanese knot weed. we started with one tablet, it was to much. we tried half a capsule, and it was too much, I tried again, giving him less than half a capsule, and it is still to much. suggestions?

  9. sheila

    I have been giving it to my adult son, a lot of it…curious what he was experiencing that was so bad to stop?

  10. Abbey

    Each individual is unique and what works for one person may not work for another. For example, in Chinese medicine, herbs are prescribed based on the patient’s presentation, and many people would not be given this herb.

    Aside from what the polygonum is doing to treat Lyme, it is also doing other things in the body at the same time. My suspicion is that his reaction is due to these other things and has nothing to do with the Lyme. From a more Western point of view, polygonum is high in resveratrol. Resveratrol enhances the activity of a detoxification enzyme called CYP1A1. In people with certain genetic variations of this enzyme, taking resveratrol will cause them to feel toxic and ill.

    There’s no way for me to know for sure what’s going on, but I think it’s important to respect the body and what it’s telling you. Yes, there are Herxheimer reactions when treating Lyme, but don’t assume that Lyme die off is the cause of every adverse reaction. And personally, even when I’m sure that what I’m having is a Herxheimer reaction, I view it as a sign that I’ve overloaded my body and I need to back off and detox.

  11. Abbey

    And after rereading your comment above, it’s possible you are simply giving him too high a dose.

  12. Abbey

    LOL, I reread the reply to your comment. I see you have already tried lowering the dose.

  13. Sherry Gordon

    Sept, 2018 – am just reading Healing Lyme and ordering the core protocol herbs. For the Eleuthero ginseng, Herb Pharm is mentioned as the best source for the strong Russian product. Is this still so, or can I order from Green Dragon Botanicals?

  14. mattie

    Finally bought an ounce of loose, Japanese Knotweed powder after contracting Lyme over a year ago. I add black pepper to the Amla, Ashwagandha & Moringa, I’m currently taking. Also taking Hawthorn capsules, 3x a day. Stopped taking Turmeric/Black Pepper when starting the Hawthorn. The Hawthorn’s been a God send. Wondering if black pepper(or cayenne) is a good addition to the knotweed? Also mixing Hawthorn with Turmeric. Is it really unsafe as some say? I miss my Turmeric/BlackPepper/CoconutOil tea!

  15. Chris

    Quote “What I now suggest is the use of greendragonbotanicals.com knotweed root, same dosage as in the book”…

    So to be clear, is it 1 or 2 ‘500mg’ tablets of GDB’s Japanese Knotwood per day? (Page 214 2nd ed. “Healing Lyme”) Thanks!

  16. patty demanincor

    i have 35 lb dog with lyme. lame hind legs. my sister is pushing this for me to try as she is not responding to the doxycycline. Can someone please give me an estimated dose for her. Desperate. contemplating putting her down.

  17. Patty

    clarify: the knotweed

  18. healing lyme admin

    Hi Patty,
    I’m not sure of the dosage as Stephen hasn’t given that info out in previous Q + As and no longer answers questions here. I can tell you that he has said his protocol works well for dogs. He has also said, regarding children: “Normally dosages for children are the child’s weight (in pounds) divided by 150.” So I might start with that. For example: If the dog weighs 50 pounds, the dose would be 1/3 of what is recommended for adults. The adult dosage is 1 tsp-1 TBS of the powder 3x day. So start with 1/3 of a teaspoon and see how your dog does, then work up from there slowly. That said, I just did a quick Google search and found this article: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/natural-treatment-for-lyme-disease-in-dogs/ which says to start with 3 TBS 2x a day. Quite a difference. So you might start with a lower dose and work up more quickly to that amount as long as your dog seems to tolerate it well. Hope this helps!

  19. nancy martin-silber

    I see dosage for Green Dragon caps. I have the liquid tincture, Was bitten twice – 2 or 3 days ago. What is correct dosage for liquid Core? Thank you.

  20. Melissa Pierce

    Can you pulse the lb core protocol?

  21. Alisa

    Hi Melissa,
    If you are interested in learning about the full protocol please invest in the full book. Mr Buhner is amazingly generous with his wisdom but there is no substitute for reading his original text

  22. li

    Hi, Are there any contraindications fo using Knotweed with a person with Graves thyroid ?

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