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Beyond Balance vs Researched Nutritionals vs Green Dragon, please help me choose

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Posted 2/14/2024 12:39 PM (GMT -5)
Hi, I haven’t used this forum in a really long time so hopefully I’ll make this post correctly. My LLMD has offered me some herbal options and I don’t know which to choose. I’m extremely sensitive to treatments of any kind and so far haven’t been able to get on a treatment and stay on it due to psychiatric symptoms that happen when I try treatments. I have chronic Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, and RMSF as well as toxoplasmosis and whoever knows what else. Anyway we wanted to try again and these are what she offered: Beyond Balance MC-BB-1 (eventually we would add MC-BAR-1), Researched Nutritionals BLT, Green Dragon botanicals LB Core. I would do tiny doses of any of these, like one sip of a drop in 4oz of water & work my way up (except for Green Dragon, that one I would take a tiny bit of in a capsule as it’s dried herbs). Please share your experience with any of these. I’m looking for the most gentle and yet effective. Thank you so much for any insight you can share!
Posted 2/14/2024 12:56 PM (GMT -5)
hi,
welcome back!

people with super sensitivities / strong reactions can react to things in very individual ways - so it can be hard to say which would be best with any great confidence

that said, one general pattern that seems to come out is that people are more likely to react strongly to directly antimicrobial herbs - more than say anti-inflammatory herbs

of those listed - the green dragon product seems to have the least direct antimicrobials herbs in it
some say knotweed is directly antimicrobial - but i am moderately sensitive and have used it in high doses without any major issues - while i react strongly to strong antimicrobial herbs - like sida, or cryptolepis

i have not used the others (i have mostly followed buhners books and make my own tinctures from dry herbs for cost reasons)
the researched nutritionals has black walnut hulls in it which is a strong direct antimicrobial herb - so i would expect stronger reactions from it
i hear of quite a few people experience strong or very strong reactions to Beyond balance products

overall though - since you are aware you are in the super sensitive category - i usually suggest people in this category avoid combination products - and instead add a single herb, supplement or medicine at a time so they can learn what they can tolerate and what it is they are reacting to -

this way you could start with say pure Japanese knotweed and see if you can tolerate that
then maybe add cats claw - etc etc and feel your way through - to adopt a protocol you can tolerate

all the best!
Posted 2/14/2024 1:21 PM (GMT -5)
Agreed. I would buy the constituents of the Green Dragon combination (or whichever you choose) and try them very slowly individually for several weeks or months. If you don't have side effects or other negative reactions (aside from a predictable herx) then you can purchase the combination product down the line. Otherwise you won't know which ingredient you're reacting to if something does go poorly. This is how I always had to start things, and it frustrated the heck out of even my most patient LLMDs!

I found that my extreme sensitivity to treatments was a result of mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Treating that helped me immensely and resolved most of my symptoms, plus allowed me to handle antimicrobials better. Just an idea for you, in case it's something you have not explored.
Posted 2/14/2024 2:56 PM (GMT -5)
Thank you both so much! Sara, how do you treat the MCAS? What are some of your MCAS symptoms? I’ve been extremely sensitive to medicines of any kind since I was a child. The medications I’m taking currently have to be clinically insignificant doses and wouldn’t help most people - I take about 1/3 or 1/4 of the starting dose for my daily medicines. My Dad is similar, but I’m even more sensitive than him. I have tried taking single herbs but had to stop due to psychiatric herxes. I may try it again. Thank you both again!
Posted 2/15/2024 9:03 AM (GMT -5)
I haven't tried any of these products only the individuals components of them! I agree it's best to use the individual components rather than combined products if you are super sensitive. Whether you do that or not I would recommend starting at the lowest dose possible, for example if I need to build up to 1 capsule of something a few times a day, I will start with just a pinch of whatever is in the capsule and gradually build up from there or if something is in dropper form then I start with one drop and build up from there

Garzie, you mentioned that you make your own capsules of herbs and I feel like I saw that you are in the UK? or that might be girlie? if you are in the UK do you mind sharing where you buy the herbs from? as this is something I'm keen to do

Sara I wondered what treatments you have found beneficial for MCAS? I am doing some treatments for it which have made a difference and wondered if there is anything else I could do that might help me further

Post Edited (emma blonde voyage) : 2/15/2024 6:19:00 AM (GMT-8)

Posted 2/15/2024 12:03 PM (GMT -5)

emma blonde voyage said...


Garzie, you mentioned that you make your own capsules of herbs and I feel like I saw that you are in the UK? or that might be girlie? if you are in the UK do you mind sharing where you buy the herbs from? as this is something I'm keen to do

hi Emma - sure - i mainly make my own tinctures from bulk herbs - but the supplier is the same

i mainly use www.lymeherbs.eu
the quality is the best i have found - good service - and the owner Martyn seems very decent - eg when i have had minor issues not of their doing - like customs damaging parcels - lymeherbs have just resupplied free of charge.
they do everything in the buhner books

i have also used 1stchineseherbs.com - but prefer the quality at lymeherbs

there are a couple of UK companies - like baldwins and bristol botanicals - but the quality was often not as good and the prices tend to be much higher in my experience.

all the best
Posted 2/15/2024 6:51 PM (GMT -5)
The MCAS treatments I found helpful are curcumin, quercetin, vitamin C, bromelain, a low-histamine diet, and DNRS limbic system retraining. Occasionally I also drink nettle tea and use cromolyn sodium for acute digestive system reactions. I keep a long list of other ideas, though, if you'd like to email me directly so I can share the document with you!
Posted 2/16/2024 3:02 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Sara, I have sent you an email re the MCAS info, I just wanted to let you know incase it went into your junk or spam so you could look out for it! thank you for this, I appreciate it
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