I have many people, from around the country, contacting me asking me what I did to overcome Lyme. I have tried more remedies, advice and suggestions than I can count but after 7 years of battling the Lyme I can look back and pin point what remedies made the biggest difference and it's those remedies I share with whomever may come across my blog in this post.
But first off, aside from trying a myriad of remedies (some of which, never really did anything), there's one thing I realize I did perfectly.
I never gave up.
I fought and fought and fought the Lyme to the end. I was determined to live a full life. I was determined to raise my four precious children. I was determined to win the fight - to win my silent battle against the persistent army of evil critters that raged inside my deteriorating body.
Oh, the path is arduous, fairly expensive and seemingly endless but there is an end to this madness and your life can be restored.
(Note: I never used prescription antibiotics - for chronic lyme patients one would need to be on antibiotics for 6-18 months. Seeing as how our digestive system makes up 80% of our immune system (which is exactly what we're trying to restore here) and long term antibiotics are destructive to the digestive system - it isn't exactly the best path to take.
Will it take a shorter amount of time for the natural remedies to heal the body than prescription antibiotics? No. But, in the end, they build our bodies and they restore our body with the ability it was designed to do from the get go - the ability to heal itself and be whole once again.
Here's the protocol I came up with for myself (visual can be found at the end of the post):
1. Cavitation Check:
This is huge and shouldn't be missed. Find a holistic dentist that knows what "cavitations" are (and knows how to treat them) and find out if this is what is pounding down your immune system. This was a biggie for me and has been for other lyme patients. I went to Dr. Wall in Bountiful Utah. He's by far one of the best dentists in the U.S.
If this problem exists - you'll always fall back down to ill health. In fact one Lymie whose testimonial I saw on a video said that everything turned around for him after getting the cavitations fixed and having a few vitamin C IV's after that.
2. West Clinic
If you're situation is rather dire - get yourselves to the West Clinic in Pocatello Idaho as soon as you can.
In the beginning, hit the Lyme hard with IV treatments - go for a week at a time every other week or once a month (or whatever they're recommending for your situation).
3. At-Home Treatments - (here we go...)
In between IV treatments treat yourself at home. The lyme is constantly trying to take over so we have to constantly fight back. But fighting back isn't the only thing we need to do. There are three efforts we need to make:
1. Fight / kill the lyme bacteria and all other infections (diagnosed, realized or not) that come with it.
2. Heal the "path of destruction" the lyme has caused in the body.
3. Detox.
Here's what I recommend based on what helped me the most.
Circulating "Antibiotcs":
Lypo C: I took Livon Labs Lypospheric vitamin C in between IV visits. If you can't afford IV treatments, use at least 1-3 packets of the lypo C every day. Hit your body hard with it for a week by taking 10 or more packets a day then switch it out with one of the other remedies below.
Purchase Lypo C from Natural Healthy Concepts (free shipping, great service). One treatment of IV vitamin C can pump 50 grams of vitamin C into one's body - that's about 25 packets of lypo C in one day. I have found that using 2-5 every few hours works best (instead of taking all 10 or so at once).
Essential Oils: Without a doubt, essential oils need to be used. They're incredibly powerful and were the main "antibiotics" for my protocol. Super powerful. Super effective. I used the oils, in capsules, every day for months. I do recommend circulating these with other natural forms of antibiotics as well (I've listed them below) but take these as needed for what you feel your body needs. I took 3 drops of oregano, thyme, clove, cassia and melissa oils, three times a day (or more sometimes). I'd highly recommend using Doterra oils - they are the best I've found out there.
Here's a video of Dr. Hill explaining in detail why these oils work for the Lyme.
ASAP Colloidal Silver: The bacteria need to be "tricked" quite often seeing as how they can adapt and grow "immune" to the remedies they are being pounded with. Taking high doses of ASAP colloidal silver for a week at a time every 5-6 weeks or so will hit the lyme every time.
GSE: Grapefruit Seed Extract is known, in the health world, as one of the best natural antibiotics out there. I would take 10-15 drops 3-5 times a day, in a capsule. This would be rotated as I felt was needed - I usually took it 1 week at a time, every six weeks or so as a rotated it with other remedies.
Aged Garlic Gelcaps: Garlic is another well known natural antibiotic in the health food world. I took up to 8 of these pills at a time 3-5 times a day.
Lugol's Iodine: Iodine was one of the first antibiotics man developed and it was less destructive to the body than the antibiotics we have today. It's one to consider turning to and using. I used up to 8 drops a few times a day. Do your own research on this one. It's one we should be careful with. There are a handful of books out there about iodine and how it can be safely used as an antibiotic. Here are a couple of articles I liked: The Guide to Supplementing with Iodine & Iodine Remdies: Secrets from the Sea.
Herbs: There are herbal remedies out there such as Cat's Claw/ Samento or Japanese Knotweed but I never really had much success with them or felt like they were kicking the problem. Others have had success with them though so I thought I'd list them anyway.
Anti-Inflammatory:
Turmeric Supplement / Curcumin: I took a turmeric capsule whenever body pains were coming on and it helped to alleviate those.
MSM: Reduces inflammation - used this off and on as well.
Detoxing:
Elderberry Supplement / Tea: As a chronic "Lymie" our immune system has been taxed for so long that after years of dealing with this underlying infection and then being hit with one or more big stressors in our life - our immune system gives and within a matter of months or maybe a year we're left wondering what on earth is happening to our body.
Our immune system has run kaput and can't keep the Lyme at bay. It's in need of help and elderberry, unlike echinacea, can be taken on a continual basis and increases the body's production of cytokines which helps the immune system respond to disease and infection.
Ginger Tea: Drinking ginger tea not only helps to eliminate toxins but heals the digestive system as well. It's a wonderful remedy to turn to and drink every day. Make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for up to a couple weeks.
Sauna: Without a doubt, saunas are a must. Raising your body temperature not only kills off pathogens but it triggers the immune system to work as well. I purchased a portable sauna for $130 off of amazon and used it 3-5 times a week for up to 30 minutes. I always felt better the next day after doing a sauna.
Bentonite Clay: Every once in a while, when I felt I needed it, I began drinking liquid clay, on a daily basis, separate from my remedies, to help cleanse ... well, everything. I had some really amazing cleansing reactions from doing this. I have an article about bentonite clay here. In short, it pulls positively charged pathogens/toxins from your body, cleanses your blood, re-mineralizes and alkalizes one's body.
"Liquid Clay" directions: mix 1 part powdered bentonite clay to 9 parts water. Keep mixture in fridge. Pour 3 ounces mixed into glass of water 2-3 times a day, before a meal. Take a fiber supplement with it if it backs you up.
Baths: Alternate between bentonite clay baths and magnesium baths.
Bentonite clay bath directions: Mix one cup of powdered bentonite clay with 4-5 cups of water in blender. Blend. Pour into bath tub filled with warm water. Stay in tub for no longer than 30 minutes.
Magnesium baths: Pour 1-2 cups of epsom salt into bath tub filled with warm water. Stay in tub for 30 minutes.
Zeolite: Never used this but have read too many good things about it to not mention it here. Wish I knew about this while I was herxing.
Exercise: Exercising not only helps oxygenate the cells but it helps get the lymph system going and the blood circulating - which are all important steps to the healing process with Lyme. Understandably, you probably won't have very much energy ... at all. But get light exercise in when you can even if it's for 30 seconds, 10 times a day.
Liver Detox:
Herbal Liver Detox Supplement: One reason why we're so sick is because our liver's are extremely taxed and "congested". We need to support the liver by helping to support it and cleanse it. There are plenty of herbal liver cleanse remedies out there.
Lemon Essential Oil: A few drops of lemon essential oil dropped into your drinking water a few times a day is a great way to help support and cleanse the liver on a daily basis.
Andreas Moritz's Liver Cleanse: This cleanse is not for the faint of heart ... or faint of body. It's a toughy but I had some amazing results with it. Andreas' book explains how to do this cleanse and why it's important - it's up to you though whether you choose to do such a cleanse. An herbal remedy cleanse along with the lemon essential oil may be all that you need.
Healing the Digestive System:
Probiotics: Taking probiotics, on a daily basis, is a must. Liquid form, from the health food store is best. Don't worry so much about which ones your taking just take! and take every day.
Aloe Very Juice: Drinking 4-8 ounces of aloe vera juice is incredibly healthy to the body and the overall immune system and it's always so refreshing. I loved having this around.
Other:
Diet: No sugar or gluten for a while. Sugar feeds the bacteria. Only good fats: Extra virigin olive oil, plenty of coconut oil, and grapeseed oil. Our cells need good fats to "breathe". Not too many starchy foods. Lots of veggies. Aside from the soy foods, Dr. Weil's chart is a good anti-inflammatory diet.
Other Important supplements:
Selenium
Magnesium
D3
B's
A good, sugar free, supplement containing all minerals and vitamins one's body needs.
Doing a juice fast once a day every week. Kale, carrots, green apple, bit of fresh ginger, celery and collard. It requires a lot of energy for the body to digest food - especially when the body is already in a weakened state. Have one day in the week where you give your body a break from food and flood it with nothing but life-supporting nutrients.
