Can anyone comment on the safety of herbs to treat potential Lyme?

[freefallin]

Hello again,

In my last thread, I mentioned how I've been experiencing an array of progressively worsening neurological symptoms over the course of the past ~9 years. I also mentioned that the herbalist/acupuncturist I visited said my symptoms sound consistent with Lyme and prescribed me an herbal formula called Lightning Pearls by Classical Pearls. He did not prescribe the formula specifically for Lyme, but Lyme is one of the conditions the formula is designed to address. His stance seems to be that he can't say for sure that I have Lyme. He can only say that I have a lot of neurological issues that are consistent with Lyme, but it doesn't really matter because the formula is designed to address a wide range of neurological/brain issues.

After seeing a GP, internist, neurologist, and psychologist to no avail, I really want to believe that these herbs will be my answer. However, I'm also afraid that they're going to wind up making my condition worse rather than better. After taking them the first time, I felt very brain fogged (almost to the point of disorientation), off-balanced, and very sensitive to stimuli like bright lights and sounds. The 24/7 headache that I have also felt about 10 times worse. I phoned him, and he said that sometimes when people have adverse reactions to formulas, it means that the formula is working but is just working too fast and they need to lower the dosage. Who knows.

So yeah. Is anyone familiar with the ingredients in this formula who can comment on whether it's safe? I did show the bottle to my GP, and she said she didn't see anything harmful in the ingredients and urged me to try the pills, but I'm just a bit paranoid after my initial reaction to the formula. I am already always miserable with the dozens of symptoms I already have, and I just want to know that any new substances I instroduce into my body won't harm me further.

The ingredients are:
Eleutherococcus gracillistylus (wujiapi), Lilium brownii (baihe), Angelica dahurica (baizhi), Lonicera japonica (jinyinhua), Forsythia suspensa (lianquiao), Angelica sinensis (danggui), Ligusticum sinense (chuanxiong), Scrophularia ningpoen
sis (xuanshen), Smilex glabra (tufuling), Artemisia apiacea (qinghao), Dispacus japnicus (xuduan), Gingko biloba leaf (yinxingye), Acorus gramineus (shichangpu), Curcuma aromatica (yujin), Lycopus lucidus (zelan).

[seektruth]

I am very interested in your post and would like to hear more details.  I just started using lightening peals+peace peals. Too few day to tell if it is working. I am Chinese so I am not afraid of using herbs.  I have been in a terrible state (physical and mental) for a few years and I have tried all kinds of treatments, including the Chinese herbs approach.  Now I am advised to take lightening pearls + peace peals, and I read the classic pearls manual, and I believe many other pearls would help my symptoms.  Would you please share your experience?  

[Bumbibjorn]

I haven´t read everything in this thread, only some of the oldest comments. Just wanted to say that I´ve used classical pearls, both thunder and lightning. Had alot cognitive problems, fibromyalgia, igg allergies (over 70 of them!). Problems today, almost none;) I also experienced alot of brain fogginess, emotional issues in the beginning, and during those times I used liver support in form of artichoke, dandelion, milk thistle. When my stomach gave most symptoms I used the thunder pearls, when my body felt tense and had alot of pain I used lightning, and whenever I felt that my liver were to burdened, I also used the ease pearls. During the whole period I used liver supporters (brainfog is often a symptom that the body cannot rid of all the pathogens and "junk", so whenever I felt foggy, I used extra support for the liver.) it took me about 2 years of consistent using of gu syndrome herbs, and 1 year of strenghtening and balancing herbs to get back to "normal". Hope everything works out well for you who struggle with different aches and pains. (ps. excuse me if my english is a bit of...i´m swedish so...hope I make sense with the language...)

[freefallin]

I appreciate the well wishes, thank you. :)

[kathloj]

Meant to address above comment to you. :)

[kathloj]

Oh dear, you sound so much like I've often felt at times. This Lyme maze that we go through is hell off and on - trying to get diagnosed, treated, people to believe us, the right food to eat, how to cope with the pain, etc - I feel like it's a curse.
I hope you feel well soon and find something that can ease your discomfort and issues. If/when you are possibly open to taking another peak at the Lyme disease issue, PLEASE keep in mind that many of us have had both  NEG CDC and IGENEX tests including myself. What is significant are the bands that show up either + or IND on them. Unfortunately I think we've all had to do a lot of research to get us where we are in treatment.
If you are on Facebook there's a really good group called;
"Lyme Herbals - Cowden, Buhner, Jernigan, Byron White & more" with great support (like this forum!) and lots of info/personal experiences and links.
Good luck to you, all the best!

[JackieCalifornia]

I hear you. You go!  Let us know if we can help.  All good wishes to you --

[freefallin]

I honestly don't WANT to do any of that stuff right now. I don't want to deal with anymore doctors. I don't want to visit "alternative medicine" practitioners while wondering in the back of my head if they're just snake oil salesmen. I don't want to spend hours researching symptoms that I could spend doing other things that actually get me somewhere. I just want to live my life without never being able to get anywhere because all of my money is going toward trying out this treatment and that treatment that might help but more than likely won't. I'm seeing a counselor to deal with coping with the cognitive problems and depression from being set back so many years in life by this crap, and that's all I really care to do for now.

Thanks. :)

[JackieCalifornia]

If you are not a dependent on your father's tax return, his income may not count against you anymore.  Just a thought.  

There are some nonLyme infections that come from the same or similar ticks, so don't give up!  You might also want to look into herbal treatments ... I'm a hardcore antibiotics-type, but there have been some posts here recently by people who are treating solely with herbals.

Hang in there!  Hope you feel better soon.  J

[freefallin]

I did look into them a couple of years ago, and I remember I wasn't eligible for them because my dad makes too much money or something along those lines (he wouldn't pay for my medical bills, but his income factored in for some reason). I did already have the basic IGENEX tests and came back negative for Lyme, both by IGENEX and CDC standards, so I think it's pretty unlikely that I have Lyme. In the future, if things get worse, I might revisit the possibility again, but right now, I have to focus on other things.

[JackieCalifornia]

There are foundations that will pay for the testing, at least -- perhaps the meds too?  

LymeLight Foundation and Lyme-TAP are the two I have read about.  Can't hurt to look at their websites.

[freefallin]

No, I can't afford to go to a LLMD and undergo all of the expensive testing and treatments. I'm just trying to save up money to get out of an abusive living situation right now. I don't really think it's Lyme anyway, but who knows.

Thank you. :)

[JackieCalifornia]

Wow, I didn't realize notices of reply messages would still go out after so long!

Did you try antibiotics?  Worked for me.  

Take care!  J

[freefallin]

Hah, I got an email notification that there were new responses to my thread. It's been so long since I've been on these herbs. I left that acupuncturist years ago and have mostly just been dealing with my symptoms. Nothing ever worked. I'm glad the herbs helped you, foursavages!

[JackieCalifornia]

A little harsh, don't you think.  "stealing", "shooting your mouth off" ...?  

Those comments are from a couple of years ago, and there is nothing in the comments above that is offensive to my eye.  Lyme is a difficult area of medicine and of life, and much is still developing.  Sorry if you don't like someone else's comments, but it is an open forum.

[foursavages2000]

I want to post something here.  I was a patient of the dedicated herbalist who developed Classical Pearls. He didn't just throw this together. It was years of work that went into those formulas. I was in a wheelchair and am not any more due to them. I wish I could afford it. The thing is, that isn't the only formufa and usually pulse diagnosis is done to determine the right formula. Lots of success with Lyme, and Dr. Fruehauf calls it "Gu Syndrome."

Umm...these docs aren't schooled in herbalism.  They are stealing information from herbalists like Buhner, Heiner, etc.  I wouldn't trust an MD with my life unless they converted to herbalism. They nearly killed me.  Google Heiner Fruehauf and Gu Syndrome before shooting your mouth off. This is directed toward the person that arrogantly asserted this wasn't a treatment for Lyme. You are correct. It treats much, much more.

[mojogal]

I wanted to let you know there are funds for young adult Lyme patients. The first one is called lymetap. They give you funding for igeneX labs. Once you have the DX you can go to the limelight foundation that helps with grants to see an LLMD. I saw that you are 23 and their cut off is 25.
I was looking for funding for myself because I am on disability but I guess us older folks don't count :(
I hope this helps you.

[blamom]

my herbalist does not  rely on blood tests and does electrodermal screening to find all ailments.  I am then put on a protocol using Monastery of Herbs.  I didnt go herbal until I went through the regular medical protocols.  Oral doxy, IV-neither worked for me.  In fact, I suffered a stroke during the IV.  I finally reached remission after 6 years through my herbalist.  

[nutrinut_bob]

Herbal compounding can be very difficult.  Depends on what you're after.  It's easy to mix things that have opposite effects.  Most of today's compounds are done by "what sells", with little regard for the actions that the herbs have.

An example, I've been fighting toxoplasma with walnut hull.  Ginko was also reputed to be effective against toxplasma.  A combination of the two should be more effective, right?   However I found that some of the anitioxidants in ginko will neutralize the effect that the juglone of walnut hull has.

Don't fully rely on anyone, do your own research!

[freefallin]

Great :)  My doctor's assistant said she'd print off a copy for me, so hopefully I won't run into any issues. If I do, I'll talk to my GP since she said she was going to ask the neuro to forward my labs to her anyway.

[Ricobord]

I believe the CDC rules on labs is that they cannot give results to a patient directly.  Only a doctor can.  If you are unable to get them from the ordering doctor, you can ask the lab to send them to a new doctor that you specify. Then you can get a copy from the new doctor.

HIPAA (Federal law) says you are entitled to copies of your medical records. Doctors' offices cannot say No when you ask.

[JackieCalifornia]

The lab would only have tested whatever your doc checked off on the lab order sheet.  If you don't want to approach the doc, then call the lab, tell them you had lab work done in (month and year) and you'd like copies of ALL the results in full.  The lab doesn't own the test results -- you paid for them, they're yours, as far as I know.

[freefallin]

Ah, glad to know that the issue occurs with yeast-based products and is rare. Mine is bacteria-based luckily.

As for thyroid functioning, would basic labs have tested for that? According to my neuro, my numbers were all find aside from my B12 levels.

[JackieCalifornia]

You say above:  "Hm. The herbalist currently has me on a probiotic; I hope that's not causing further issues."

My situation was quite unusual, I think, due to a genetic susceptibility to fungal infections that seems to run in my family, looking back on it.

AND ... most probiotics are bacteria-based, NOT yeast-based.  Only the yeast-based ones could contribute to a yeast infection, and my case was very unusual -- my LLMD said he had 'never' seen that happen before.

Look at the label on the bottle.  If it is acidophilus, then it's not yeast-based.  Only the formulation Saccharomyces boulardii (aka S. boulardii) is yeast-based.  That's the chemical name, not the brand name, so read the label.

[JackieCalifornia]

mojo's comment about low thyroid triggered another memory here -- I too had low thyroid when I had Lyme and was on thyroid supps for a while, then as I got better, taking the supps made me totally hyper (and hyperthyroid), so I went off them.

Lyme does indeed mess with thyroid function.