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Astragalus as Lyme prevention - what about those with autoimmune issues?

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Posted 7/8/2015 2:48 PM (GMT -5)
I know many of us develop autoimmune issues as a result of having Lyme & Co's.

However, I already had (and still have) an autoimmune disease when I got bit by a tick last year and contracted Lyme.

Buhner recommends Astragalus for Lyme prevention. However, in researching it, I've continually come across info like this (see the "other safety concerns" section):

www.drweil.com/drw/u/REM00002/Astragalus-Dr-Weils-Herbal-Remedies.html

Comments anyone?

Any suggestions for an alternate approach?

Thanks to all who post!
Posted 7/8/2015 3:22 PM (GMT -5)
Yes - 28 grams is a LOT!! I take 3 grams (as per Buhner's suggestions) daily right now because I'm still within that 30 days window of a suspicious bite.

The dose for using astragalus as a preventative of Lyme is only 1,000 mgs (1 gram) daily. The dose for stopping Lyme after a tick attaches is 3,000 mgs (3 grams) daily.

So that's 25 grams daily short of their concerns.
Posted 7/8/2015 3:24 PM (GMT -5)
cd - I have read that before - but I'm pretty sure i read it on Buhner's site....

So, the gist of what he said was if you have chronic lyme, then astragalus can cause an autoimmune reaction...I wish I could find the exact wording...I'll see if I can.
Posted 7/8/2015 3:28 PM (GMT -5)
Here is the info: (Buhner)

If you are not currently sick, you can certainly take astragalus. The reason for not recommending it is that astragalus raises the parts of the immune system that are overactivated in chronic lyme. Those parts of the immune system are highly effective against lyme early on and help prevent or reduce the disease but if they are low to begin with and you are infected the infection can spread more easily. After awhile the immune system does ratchet up those parts to attack the lyme bacteria but by then the spirochete has altered itself and is no longer very affected by them, those parts of the immune system then begin to cause some of the lyme symptoms people have making the disease a kind of autoimmune problem. My book Healing Lyme goes into this in a great amount of detail.
Posted 7/8/2015 4:09 PM (GMT -5)
I agree that 28 grams is a lot but I did not extrapolate that to mean 28 grams is a suggested dose.

What concerns me is this:

" since taking astragalus might make the immune system more active in individuals with auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, the review suggested that individuals with these conditions avoid it."

Dr. Weil's site isn't the only one that cautions the use of astragalus by people who have autoimmune diseases.

I re-read the sections about astragalus in Buhner's book and understand why a person with chronic Lyme shouldn't take it.

However, what is a person with an autoimmune disease supposed to do for Lyme prevention *after* they've healed from Lyme?

That is my big question :)
Posted 7/8/2015 4:20 PM (GMT -5)
You could cautiously try it, while watching for symptoms of your autoimmune condition to flare if you wished. I really can't speak on this since once I healed from Lyme, my autoimmune issue (Hashi's) healed.

but don't forget that that same article says this:
"Astragalus is considered safe for most adults although its side effects are not known. However, the NMCD review concluded that doses greater than 28 grams might limit the activity of the immune system ...."

Depending on what autoimmune issue I had, I would likely want to research it a lot more, but realize that most have no clue about herbs, they are only parroting what they have read/seen/heard. I would look for sites and people that know herbs instead - like a Master Herbalist - and if you could find someone that knows herbs and the autoimmune issue you deal with, all the better!!
Posted 7/8/2015 4:32 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks for the additional thoughts, Trav :)

I often consult with Elaine Moore, retired medical technologist and author of "Graves' Disease - A Practical Guide", "The Promise of Low-Dose Naltrexone Therapy" and countless other health-related books and articles.

It was because of her writings (and my additional research) that I long ago made rhodiola rosea and rheishi mushroom parts of my life.

She advises against astralagus for those of us with autoimmune disease because it stimulates the immune system.

Thus, my search for an alternative....
Posted 7/8/2015 5:11 PM (GMT -5)
Our daughter had positive ANA titers (speckled type) before her bartonella/lyme antibiotic treatment began. I started dosing her with astragalus, 500mg Mon, Wed, Fri about 1 year into treatment. She has never had an adverse reaction to that dose, and her ANA was negative by the time she completed the 2 years of abx.

I've found that even at that low dosage, it has helped significantly with number of colds etc. during flu season. My whole family uses it.

Not sure if that's helpful.
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