For people with recurring Lyme disease fatigue and brain fog despite taking antibiotics and herbs
by Greg Lee / Two Frogs Healing Center
Imagine you are at a lively dinner party. As you look around the room, the guests are chatting with each other, enjoying food and drinks. In one corner of the room, you see a live elephant scooping up snacks with it’s trunk into its mouth. The guests are totally ignoring this elephant as it happily munches away.
How is an elephant at a dinner party similar to Lyme disease symptoms that are not responding to medications?
Just like an elephant at party, a cause of persistent Lyme disease symptoms is often overlooked
Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt at the Physician’s Roundtable conference reported that big parasites1 are a commonly overlooked reason for persistent symptoms in Lyme disease patients. In the US and other advanced countries, he made the case that parasites are more widespread than commonly believed. International travelers, imported produce, and migratory animals can introduce parasites and their cysts into our environment. Unfortunately, these parasites can mimic symptoms of Lyme disease.
Just like Lyme disease and co-infections, parasites produce toxins which trigger symptoms
Helminth parasites are worm-like organisms that can be found in the lymph, organs, and the blood. Protozoa are smaller than helminth parasites and have names like babesia, malaria, amoebas, or protomyxzoa. They are capable of producing toxins1 which disrupt your immune system and make your body more parasite-friendly. These toxins can produce similar symptoms to Lyme disease and co-infections. Unfortunately, parasite infections are often misdiagnosed in Lyme disease patients.
Phoebe struggled for years with fatigue, brain fog, and digestion problems
Phoebe loves traveling to developing nations and helping to build schools. After returning from each of her trips, she requires months to recover her stamina and heal up her digestion. Her doctors diagnosed her with stress, depression, and menopause. Her Lyme disease blood tests came back CDC negative. Parasite tests came back negative. She had some relief with herbal parasite cleanses, enemas, and anti-parasite treatments. Then she got bit by an infected tick.
After a tick bite, her symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, and inflammation got much worse
Fortunately, her primary care doc was willing to give her a few weeks of antibiotics to address her aggravated symptoms. However, her symptoms did not improve much despite the medication. Her doctor referred her to other specialists who eventually diagnosed her with intestinal parasites. Despite taking anti-parasitic medications, she still felt very sick. Then she discovered some custom-made herbal formulas that were tailored to her parasites.
Specially prepared anti-parasite herbs helped to reduce Phoebe’s symptoms
The inflammation in Phoebe’s digestion could limit how well herbs get absorbed. In order to maximize absorption, her herbs were blended with lecithin and water. This mixture was then processed to make small particles which could be absorbed more easily. The resulting liquid looked similar to a latte from a coffee store. Which anti-parasite herbs helped her reduce her symptoms?
Here are three anti-parasite herbs that helped Phoebe improve her fatigue and brain fog
In animal and human studies, these herbs have been effective at killing and expelling parasites.
Herb #1: Rhizoma Dryopteridis, Chinese name: Guan Zhong2
The properties of this herb are bitter, and cool. Guan Zhong is used kill various intestinal parasites such as: hookworm, ringworm, and pinworm. This herb is used to treat bacterial and viral infections like colds, flu, measles, encephalitis, viral pneumonia, infectious bronchitis, and parotitis because it is effective at clearing heat and eliminating toxins. It also stops bleeding in conditions like hematemesis, epistaxis, hematochezia, and excess uterine bleeding.
Caution: this herb is not recommended for people with excess dryness, or coldness in the stomach. This herb is to be taken separate from fatty or greasy food. This herb is not to be used with infants, people with a weak constitution, or people with ulcers in the gastrointestinal track. It can stimulate the contraction of the uterus and should be used with caution during pregnancy.
Filmarone is an active component in Dryopteridis which has a marked antiparasitic effect against tapeworms. In other studies, Dryopteridis kills roundworms in pigs and liver flukes in humans. This herb has a mild to moderate inhibitory effect against Bacillus dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, E. coli, Pseudonomas aeruginosa, Diplococcus meningitidis, and Staphlococcus aureus. It has a strong inhibitory effect on the influenza virus, adenovirus, encephalitis B, and herpes simplex virus. This herb also has an antineoplastic effect.
Herb #2: Fructus Mume, Chinese name: Wu Mei3
The properties of this herb are sour and neutral. This herb is effective at helping to expel parasites and relieve abdominal pain. It has been used effectively against parasitic roundworms, hookworms, and the ascaris worm. This herb treats chronic respiratory diseases that have a dry, feeble cough and a low voice. It also binds the intestines, treats bacterial dysentery, chronic diarrhea and rectal prolapse. Fructus mume relieves thirst and generates body fluids. It is used to treat symptoms of thirst, weight loss and irritability. This herb is used also to treat diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and overheating.
The charred form of fructus mume is also used to treat chronic uterine bleeding. When soaked in salt water and then mixed with vinegar to make a paste, this herb is used to treat ulcers, sore, corns, and warts. It has an anti-aging effect. Fructus mume is also used to treat internal hemorrhoids, viral hepatitis, increased liver enzyme levels, jaundice, chronic cholecystitis, and infantile diarrhea. A mixture of one part Fructus Mume and two parts vinegar that is mixed for 24 hours was 96% effective in treating a billiary ascaris infection.
The sole usage of this herb is cautioned for treating acute diarrhea, or diarrhea caused by food poisoning or infections. It is normally combined with other herbs to treat the above causes of diarrhea. This herb is contraindicated in patients with excess heat or signs of stagnation. Fructus Mume has an inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus dysenteriae, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and some dematophytes.
Herb #3: Agrimony, Chinese name: Xian He Cao4
The properties of this herb are acrid, bitter, astringent, and neutral. Agrimony treats various parasitic infections including malaria, tapeworm, roundworm, and trichomonas vaginitis. It is used to stop bleeding conditions including treat epistaxis, hemoptysis, hermatemesis, hematuria, hematochezia, profuse menstrual bleeding, and thrombocytopenic purpura. This herb also relieves diarrhea and dysentery especially if there is pus and/or blood, white mucus, or gastrointestinal bleeding. Agrimony is used for treating fatigue especially in people with a normal appetite, dizziness, lightheadedness, weak knees and weak low back. This herb also reduces swelling, eliminates pus, breast abscesses, sores, hemorrhoids, nodules, and ulcerations.
This herb may cause palpitations and flushing. It can be taken internally or applied topically as an herbal wash or paste. In one rabbit study, agrimony reduced bleeding time. Water extracts of this herb lower blood pressure and has an inhibiting effect on the heart. Alcohol extracts of this herb increase blood pressure and has a stimulating effect on the heart. Water extracts of this herb at low dosages has a stimulating effect on the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, high dosages inhibits these smooth muscles. In one study, this herb was effective at stopping upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Agrimony has an inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Pseudonomas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This herb has marked antiparasitic effect against roundworm, tapeworm, and schistosomiasis. In mouse studies, this herb is effective against tumor cells. This herb contains vitamin K which may reduce the anticoagulant effect of wafarin and should be used with caution to avoid the formation of clots.
The right herb combination can help you to kill parasites and relieve their symptoms
Just like discovering the elephant in the room, the proper combination of anti-parasite herbs can help you to expel large parasites. These herbs helped Phoebe to finally relieve her fatigue, brain fog, and digestive problems caused by Lyme disease and an intestinal parasite infection. Since some of these herbs come with cautions on their use, work with a Lyme literate herbalist to develop a proper, safe, and effective herbal strategy for your infections.
Next step: Come to our evening lecture: Getting Rid of Lyme Disease in Frederick, Maryland on Monday June 4th at 6pm to learn more about natural methods for stopping parasites and Lyme disease symptoms. https://goodbyelyme.com/events/get_rid_lyme
1. Klinghardt, D. A Deep Look Beyond Lyme. 2012 Physician’s Round Table. January 28th, 2012. Tampa, FL.
2. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., pp. 554 – 555.
3. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., pp. 988 – 990.
4. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., pp. 578 – 580.
Image credit Jopparn from Wikimedia Commons.