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Primaquine/Coartem/Stevia a Possible Cure for Lyme Babesia

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Posted 4/1/2019 6:46 PM (GMT -5)
Oh yes it is! Apparently it's 3-4x stronger than its heyday in the 60s. Used to be about 5% THC average now it's about 20%. Not to be toyed with!
Posted 4/1/2019 6:56 PM (GMT -5)
Glad you are alright Charlie. I remember Dr Steven P from Connecticut saying that one of his patients was having a horrible herx and displaying psychotic symptoms, so he was placed in a mental hospital or something. The doctor there contacted Dr. Steven P and he agreed to keep the patients on his antibiotics and eventually he came out of it and back down to earth after the herx subsided. Glad you had a similar experience!
Posted 4/1/2019 7:32 PM (GMT -5)
It wasnt fun, so be careful. I'm going to probably just do probiotics for remaining treatment....
Posted 4/1/2019 7:36 PM (GMT -5)

jb1994 said...
"Sativa Marijuana is probably not a recommended herb to take when you're in the last stages of lyme disease, remember the canninbanioids from this strain go straight to your brain, make you think crazy stuff."

Wow that's nice to know now. I guess it's why I've been hospitalized for that exact reason. And here I thought I just randomly became bipolar all the sudden...

I think Indica is a lot less harsh because it just goes to your body and joints more, if you do a indica dominant hybrid, it'll just partiallly go to your head, and the rest mostly to your joints.

Girlie said...


I have much disdain for the psych wards. Unless you have someone on the “outside” advocating for you - you can end up worse off than when you first went in.
And even with an advocate things can go “south” in there very fast.

First time I was to one, not fun, but good to just let you wind down. Sad thing is no one believes you when you mention chronic lyme, so they think you're just having marijuana withdrawals, which probably isn't the case, rather it's the herxing.
Posted 4/2/2019 9:59 AM (GMT -5)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc4918116/

Here's a writeup on how drugs like primaquine, aka the quinoline class of drugs can cause psychosis.

I'm 99% positive primaquine is the cure for babesia, but the problem is the side effects. Take primaquine seperately from coartem, I know Dr. H recommends like 1-2 days, maybe it should be longer. Along with coartem, which has shown to have psychosis side effects.

This is why many LLMDs that use them suggest using them solo.

By the way, off all drugs going on for 2 weeks now, mostly likely the coartem/primaquine protocol put my lyme in remission.

I'm very scare to get back on marijuana again, because I suspect that mixing marijuana and quinine drugs caused my psychosis. Best to hold off for a month or two before going on cannabis again. Marijuana and quinine drugs are definitely something you should not mix unless you want to end up in the hospital.

Post Edited (Charlie55) : 4/2/2019 9:02:22 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/2/2019 11:18 AM (GMT -5)
Yay - hope you’re in remission.


Symptom free at this point Charlie? Or do you have some healing to do still?
Posted 4/2/2019 1:58 PM (GMT -5)
What is the longest break you have taken off abx Charlie? Recently I took a month off and was fine. Still showing symptoms but no increase in symptoms in that month.
Posted 4/2/2019 3:21 PM (GMT -5)

Sheekster said...
What is the longest break you have taken off abx Charlie? Recently I took a month off and was fine. Still showing symptoms but no increase in symptoms in that month.

I’ve done several 4 weeks off and same as you - no increase in symptoms
Posted 4/9/2019 4:10 PM (GMT -5)

Lymedisease said...
Climate change is helping Lyme disease flourish? Can you people give up this bunch of bull already? Did the big gas guzzling SUV's cause the climate change during the ice age?

Yes - I would think the warmer climate with less freezing temps in winter could contribute to more ticks.

Do you have Lyme disease and need help finding a LLMD?

Or are you just a troll.
Posted 4/9/2019 4:51 PM (GMT -5)
So primaquine is a quinolone?... shoot, I didn't even realize that. I just had my doctor's appointment and we were talking about doing the coartem/daraprim/sulfadiazine pulse followed by 11 days of primaquine. But I've always been scared of the quinolone class of drugs, primaquine has some bad risks to it?...

I've come a really long ways and don't want to make a bad mistake in the final legs of treatment...
Posted 4/9/2019 5:31 PM (GMT -5)

sebreg said...
So primaquine is a quinolone?... shoot, I didn't even realize that. I just had my doctor's appointment and we were talking about doing the coartem/daraprim/sulfadiazine pulse followed by 11 days of primaquine. But I've always been scared of the quinolone class of drugs, primaquine has some bad risks to it?...

I've come a really long ways and don't want to make a bad mistake in the final legs of treatment...

It's in the quinoline family. Super confusing I know. It's in the same family as plaquenil. That sounds like a great combo! Please keep us updated. I had no side effects when I was on primaquine, but I only used it paired with suprax.

I asked Kim at the JSC about primaquine today. She said they don't use it. I will be adding coartem though.
Posted 4/9/2019 5:38 PM (GMT -5)
I don’t think primaquine is a fluoroquinolone?
Nor is Plaquenil.

Here’s a list of them:

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0501/p2741.html#sec-2

I read that fluoroquinolones have fluorine
But Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and Primaquine have chlorine

Any scientists here who would know?
Posted 4/9/2019 6:06 PM (GMT -5)

Girlie said...
I don’t think primaquine is a fluoroquinolone?
Nor is Plaquenil.

Here’s a list of them:

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0501/p2741.html#sec-2

I read that fluoroquinolones have fluorine
But Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and Primaquine have chlorine

Any scientists here who would know?

It's in the quinoline family not quinolone. Only 1 letter difference. Hard to spot. Crazy. I just realized the supplement PQQ is also in the quinoline family. How strange how similar chemicals can perform so differently. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-aminoquinoline
Posted 4/9/2019 6:10 PM (GMT -5)
Oh okay - lol
Posted 4/9/2019 7:22 PM (GMT -5)
Will def keep you guys updated, if I do that protocol it likely won't be for another 8 weeks or so. I suspect it could make me flare hard, but should be better able to tolerate given my much stronger baseline. It was Charlie's post from this thread that got me thinking I wouldn't mind giving that pulse protocol a shot, especially if doc thought it made sense.
Posted 4/10/2019 9:21 AM (GMT -5)
Hola! Following this interesting thread. I was going to post a question if anyone every actually healed completely on the Buhner Babesia herb protocol because I've done it for 7 months off and on for the last 3 years and every time I stop, my nightsweats and headaches come back. Wondering if its this "biofilm in the liver" problem that is mentioned several times.. Could you point me to the research on that? It sounds so specific! My liver enzymes are always high.

Aside note: I can take full dose of Biocidin with no herxing (used to herx on one drop) and I've been biofilm busting for 2 years now. Wonder when that would be enough as well. Thx!
Posted 4/10/2019 2:29 PM (GMT -5)
Bump
Posted 4/13/2019 5:23 PM (GMT -5)
So I'm going to have to probably set up an appointment with either Dr. H or Dr. J, if there's any openings? See if I can do that conference call. But for now I'll setup an appointment with my local LLMD, maybe even thing about doing the Igenex Babesia bloodwork test so I have proof.

I suspect the primaquine/coartem has woken up some dormant babesia/borrelia cells in my body.

My herxing/shakes has become so unbearable now, never once have experienced this in the entire treatment of using traditional antibiotics/antiparasitics.

Also hot/cold sensations, anxiety/paranoia, racing heart, hard to breath!!! Also hard to pee, bowel movements... Basically everything here on this site https://www.prohealth.com/library/a-deep-look-at-the-symptoms-of-six-major-lyme-related-infections-41139

Crazy how 9 years of treatment, not any of the babesia symptoms showed, until I hit Babesia hard with the right antiparasitics.... Possibly hitting the dormant form of babesia in the liver with Primaquine, like some have said on Lyme Net.

Antibiotics stopped working for me the last couple of years of treatment, drugs like Dapsone and Pyrazinamide with Stevia helped, but also kind of lost their effectiveness.

The good thing is, whenever I go back on Coartem, I feel strong as an Ox. Go off, I feel all the symptoms I described above.

Family members and girlfriend are worried now because of the shaking/seizures, they understand it's probably Babesia, even herxing. But need to be under care.

I went to the hospital 3 times in two days...

I also get this cough when I herx/shake, mycoplasma?

It's very interesting how once you hit a coinfection hard with the proper drugs, how easily everything else can become to treat, meaning I now get strong herxing. I even herx on CBD oils, even herbals.

All 3 of the top LLMD in Michigan failed to treat my Babesia properly all these years. Drugs like malarone, flagyl, zithromax, dapsone helped. Dr. L in Saginaw always said I had Babesia, but he obviously underestimated the coinfection from day one when he thought I had put it into remission within 3 months treatment of just using drugs like malarone, flagyl, zithromax.

Like the Yale study suggested, most antiparasitics fail on treating https://news.yale.edu/2018/11/29/yale-scientists-develop-new-system-study-emerging-tickborne-disease

I don't think the lower LLMDs even realize how resilient Babesia is. And if you're like me with a strong immune system, your body may not show any signs until you start hitting it with stronger antiparasitics.

Chronic Lyme can also be like peeling layers of an onion back too because of biofilms. I've also been taking disulfiram every so often to wake up dormant cells.

Post Edited (Charlie55) : 4/13/2019 4:28:18 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/13/2019 7:09 PM (GMT -5)
Sorry to hear this, Charlie.

I had thought you might be in remission? Were you symptom free at one point?

The J clinic will not do a phone consult as a first appointment. You need to see one of the NP/PAs in-person first....and then the next appt. you can do a phone consult.

Re: Babesia....yes, it's the 'bad boy' according to Dr. J. He hits it early on...along with biofilms.
I'm not sure he will do what you consider to be effective though.
He has certain protocols that he follows.
Posted 4/13/2019 8:08 PM (GMT -5)
Great post and information. Charlie, I sure hope you are coming down from the herxing and having a better day.

Hang in there and please let us know how you are doing, Take care.
Posted 4/13/2019 9:37 PM (GMT -5)

Girlie said...
Sorry to hear this, Charlie.

I had thought you might be in remission? Were you symptom free at one point?

Yes for a few week or so, but still herxing. Best I felt ever in my life, "feel" very close to remission. But herxing is atrocious!

Anytime I go on an antibiotic or antiparasitic now, I basically feel 100%

When I come off, I get herxing/shakes, hot/cold sensations, anxiety/paranoia, racing heart, hard to breath!!! Also hard to pee, bowel movements...

I never had any of these when I came of antiparasitics/antibiotics.

My family is concerned now after seeing my herxing/seizures.... So I'll have to pickup a LLMD again.

Girlie said...


The J clinic will not do a phone consult as a first appointment. You need to see one of the NP/PAs in-person first....and then the next appt. you can do a phone consult.

I think that'll be ok, I can take a plane ride over, then go from there. I think I'll have the local LLMD see if he can send my bloodwork over to Igenex to test for Babesia, that way I have proof, rather than just going by LLMDs intuition.

None of the LLMDs in Michigan are trained/educated to handle this coinfection.

Girlie said...


Re: Babesia....yes, it's the 'bad boy' according to Dr. J. He hits it early on...along with biofilms.

Yeah antiparasitics always worked for me, it's just sad when some LLMDs claim your in remission from Babesia but dont have a clue, this has costs me years of treatment. I dont blame them, hell, the Yale study just came out...

But man, with the top LLMDs like Dr. H and Dr. J proposing that a large amount of lyme patients contract babesia these days, the LLMDs in Michigan should be taking this coinfection much more seriously.

Girlie said...


I'm not sure he will do what you consider to be effective though.
He has certain protocols that he follows.

Yeah it seems the Lyme patients that have taken the coartem/primaquine protocol, are the ones who have self treated after reading most the lyme forum posts.

I cant believe not many LLMDs have stumbled upon how effective primaquine is for treating Babesia, considering it's a very effective drug for Malaria.

Daraprim, Dapsone, Coartem, Alinia and Primaquine are the only drugs that seem to effectively target Babesia for me.

Of course Malarone/Flagyl/Zithromax kind of worked in early stages, but I suspect it never hit it hard enough.

I never tried Mepron because when I was seeing a LLMD, insurance wouldnt cover it.

Anyways, I hope more LLMDs start using primaquine, along with Tafenoquine when it hits the market so patients stop relapsing with malaria/babesia.
https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/preventing-plasmodium-vivax-malaria-relapses-single-dose-tafenoquine

For those of us in the 5-10 treatment span, it's probably most likely the reason why many of us are still relapsing. I'm sure bartonella for others as well.

Post Edited (Charlie55) : 4/13/2019 8:48:53 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/13/2019 10:12 PM (GMT -5)
I dont recommend anyone taking primaquine or any of the quinine drugs unless under LLMD care.

Can be severe neuro toxicity from this drug, along with the psychiatric effects from Babesia/Malaria
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc4918116/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8693739

Probably why the LLMDs dont mess with it, too much liability. Too much herxing too quickly, causing too much toxicity in patients.

Im gonna stay off all drugs, until I see an LLMD
Posted 4/13/2019 11:14 PM (GMT -5)
I thought that was the quinolones that caused psychiatric problems? Or is it both?
Posted 4/14/2019 12:01 AM (GMT -5)
Fluoroquinolones have several black box warning including one for CNS damage


“The fluoroquinolones have the unique ability to penetrate your blood-brain barrier, entering your brain and damaging your central nervous system.”
Posted 4/14/2019 12:09 AM (GMT -5)
Yep that was what I was referring to
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