The Protocols
CORE PROTOCOL FOR LYME DISEASE
LYME DISEASE PREVENTION | NEW TICK BITES
BABESIA | BARTONELLA | MYCOPLASMA | CANDIDA
Since the publication of Healing Lyme, Stephen Buhner has updated the core protocol slightly based on feedback from the field. Below is the most up-to-date protocol for the core herbs to treat lyme disease. He expects to publish an updated version of Healing Lyme in Spring 2015.
The most current protocols for babesia, bartonella, and mycoplasma are below. Inner Traditions will be publishing his upcoming book on mycoplasma and bartonella in May 2013. An Herbal Antivirals book will be published in August 2013. After that, he will be working on a Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia book.
All of Stephen Buhner’s latest books can be purchased through the bookstore.
CORE PROTOCOL FOR LYME DISEASE
Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) (Green Dragon Botanicals) – 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily for 8-12 months;
Cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) (Green Dragon Botanicals) – 1-4 tablets 3-4x daily for 2-3 months, then 2-3 capsules 3x daily [for additional sources see: cat's claw alternatives];
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) (HerbPharm tincture) – 1/2 to 1 tsp upon rising and at lunch;
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) – 1,000mg daily (not to be used in chronic lyme)
Stephen is now also recommending Ashwagandha (withania) to help remedy sleep problems at night and brain fog – 1000 mg at night just before bed.
The primary herb for prevention is astragalus. Stephen recommends a minimum of 1,000 mg daily if you live in a lyme endemic area. This will keep the immune markers high that need to be high to prevent infection or, if you are infected, to keep the disease symptoms as minimal as possible.
For new tick bites, Stephen typically recommends taking astragalus – 3,000 mg daily for 30 days, 1,000 mg daily thereafter, indefinitely. See also: recent tick bites.
Stephen generally recommends the use of a Sida acuta, Alchornea cordifolia, and Cryptolepis sanguinolenta blend for the treatment of babesia these days: ¼-1/2 tsp 3x daily. You could as well do ¼ tsp of each of these three tinctures 3x daily. These three tinctures can be purchased from woodlandessence.com. You can also use just one of those herbs; his first choice is Sida acuta, second is Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. Stephen no longer recommends artemisinin or artemisia for babesia infections. It can work, but whatever you are treating, Sida acuta will work better, especially for babesia or bartonella.
See also: babesia.
Research is ongoing, this is the most up to date protocol:
Sida acuta tincture (from Woodland Essence or julie@gaianstudies.org) ¼ tsp 3x day for 30 days
Hawthorn tincture, same
Japanese knotweed, (tincture, same dose (from same sources as Sida acuta, above), or capsules from Green Dragon Botanicals 2 capsules 3x daily)
EGCG 400mg +- daily
Houttuynia (Yu Xing Cao – 1st Chinese Herbs, powder – use “LYME” code at checkout for 10% off) 1 tbl daily
L-arginine 5000 mg daily in divided doses
Milk Thistle seed, standardized, 1200 mg daily
All for 30 days.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have active herpes, chicken pox, or shingles DO NOT USE L-arginine.
See also: bartonella
Serrapeptase: 1 capsule daily on empty stomach – this will help break the mycoplasma cell walls open and make them more vulnerable to the herbs;
Raintree Nutrition Myco formula – this is a great combination formula for mycoplasma and reports I have heard show it is pretty effective for most people;
Cryptolepis as a systemic antibiotic. 1 tsp 3x daily (woodlandessence.com);
Gluten-free diet: Mycoplasma actually likes gluten so you should avoid it, and white sugar as well and also nuts and seeds and any oils that come from them;
Bee pollen to help replace the amino acids that the mycoplasma are consuming – 1 TBS daily in the a.m.;
To help adrenals and energy Stephen recommends the muscle tone formula from Woodland Essence which is composed of pine pollen, aralia, and American ginseng tinctures – 1 dropperful 3x daily;
If your energy is really low the use of eleutherococcus tincture (HerbPharm brand only) is essential. 1 tsp a.m. and noonish;
A general multi-vitamin supplement plus extra C, D, E, CoQ-10, beta-carotene, quercetin, folic acid, bioflavoids and biotin are necessary and helpful when recovering from a mycoplasmal infection.
See also: bacterial co-infections.
Stephen suggests reading his book on fasting, The Fasting Path (see bookstore), as fasting has shown some of the best results with tough to treat candida. He has also had success with a tincture combination: desert willow and chapparo amargosa – equal parts of the tinctures blended together. 1/2 tsp 3x daily for 30 days or so. You can get these from Bear Creek Herbs (505-388-5035) in Silver City, NM.
See also: fungal co-infections.
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