Completely Lost On Protocol Choice and Need Advice Please!

Awww, Saphirebaby!! I'm still around -and you can email me still or come visit me on the new forum! I'm not "completely gone"! And, I leave this forum in very capable hands. As you said, there are many experienced people here, including Girlie!

You've presented with a tough problem though. Which protocol is right for you is not an easy thing for others to decide - but maybe we can be of help to help you decide? Let's take a look at what you did and the results and some possible reasons. You decide if it's right or not.

The Buhner's protocol was likely effective for you, and that's why you were having troubles. But, not everyone needs every herb in his protocol. It may be that one or more herbs you were trying to get back up on wasn't right for you, or you experienced a pretty bad herx due to trying to go back up to full doses right away.

Once you stopped the treatments, the bacteria saw it's chance to start 'building' again, so when you restarted everything at the same dose, it was just too much too fast.

So, when you went on to Cowden's, it was easier to tolerate - which is nice! But my understanding is that Cowden's mainly works for Lyme (same as the Chronic Tonic - but it doesn't mean either is ineffective), even though they do have some herbs in them for the other infections, for most people it doesn't seem to be the right combination of herbs to treat other infections.

It's really quite common that as we treat one infection, say Lyme (for the sake of the explanation), and as the bacterial loads from Lyme are lowered, we feel the symptoms of the other infections more. This is because the other infections, say Bartonella, become the 'top' infection - the one with the most 'active' bacteria.

Can you stay on Cowden for Lyme and incorporate other herbal protocols for the other infections? If you can afford to do that, it may be a good way for you to go at this point.

So, if you choose to stay on the Cowden, the houttuynia addition may be enough to lower the amount of foot pain you are experiencing, so it's another option you can try.

Also, I have discovered, at least for me, that when my foot pain gets 'over the top', I can use an Essential oil blend called 'Thieves oil' and it will take that foot pain away. I'm not sure if the foot pain is from Lyme or Bart, but it did work for me.

Now, wormwood is known by other names too - in the chronic tonic it's called sweet annie, but it's real name that many of us now recognize is artemesia annua, which is used to treat Babesia, which can cause some serious air hunger, so you may have had a serious herx when you tried to use it. Some people can be so very sensitive to some of these herbs that they must start at less than one drop. That's what I had to do this time to start on Japanese knotweed - and that was 6 months ago, and I'm still not up to the full dose!

Also, do you know if you have the gene mutations that make it harder for us to detox(MTHFR)? What does your detox routine look like? Is it possible that you aren't doing enough to help your body detox? I know I'm guilty of that too from time to time.

I'm sure that others will be along to also add their thoughts, and then you can start trying to see what you might should do.

Again, thank you for your very kind words.

Thanks so much for the responses. I admire you so much Traveler for pursuing your education. That's crossed my mind a time or two. I feel like to get anywhere in my health in a positive direction I have to do it myself. To be honest, I've had different health issues for years and have always been probably a little hypochondriac especially since both my parents died of cancer. So there's that fear. But I have, for years, read all sorts of health things and if there's one thing I've always been able to remember, it's health information. Unfortunately, I have family members who think I'm the "go to" for health information because I've been obsessed with it forever. I've always said I should have been a doctor :-/

I've read success stories with Cowden and Buhner as well. I'm kind of up in the air with both. I can definitely continue with Cowden. If I add in the Houttuynia, can I take it at the same time as the other Cowden herbs or do you think I should separate it and should I add in Japanese Knotweed?

So, can the foot pain be from Lyme or is that just a Bart symptom? Right now, that's my only symptom. Of course, that's likely to change at any moment I know.

I do have the milk thistle I can use. I was using Activated Charcoal but the information that came with Cowden said to only use that if it's absolutely necessary. There's a lot of detox herbs built into this protocol.

Oh my gosh, I'm sorry for all of these questions that I know in the end I have to figure out. I have all of these herbs, Cowden and Buhner, and I'm just looking at them and feeling lost.

In my opinion, your nervousness is normal. We all get worried when what to do is questionable especially with these infections. Most of us are alone which makes it even harder. With that said Houttuynia is broad spectrum killer and is strong. I am using it now along with Isatis another broad spectrum killer and they hit hard and should be respected. I do not think starting Houtty will reverse any progress made but it will feel like it as you treat new and many times worse symptoms come out. Especially with Bart. It tends to be the dominant infection and usually the hardest to beat. Ive beat babs down and Bart is rearing its ugly head and is hammering me physically since Ive starting treating. One other thing I have learned, not to sure how true it is, but its harder to beat Bart if you havent treated Babs(if u have it).

I absolutely had no fear of an herbal protocol. I was scared too death of pharmaceuticals.

I know one of our mods did Cowden and then added in the Hout at the end of her stint with Cowdens. She then slowly just went all Buhners.

She was on Cowdens when she saw me heal from Buhners and how I did it. So she switched in the end of doing Cowdens. I think she is 99% healed now.