Stephen Harrod Buhner's Protocol for Treatment of Lyme Disease

Buhner protocol

Stephen Harrod Buhner is an outstanding American phytotherapist who meticulously developed a natural protocol for the treatment of Lyme disease and its co-infections. The Buher protocol has become one of the best known and most effective natural therapies for tick-borne diseases.

Buhner breaks the standard thinking about Lyme disease treatment. It doesn't just focus on the antibacterial effect. He thoroughly analyzes the entire infectious mechanism of Borrelia bacteria and explains that the therapy will only be effective if we act in a multidirectional manner.

According to Buhner's guidelines, in addition to the antibacterial effect, the immune system should also be strengthened, which as a result of infection is not only weakened, but also overmodulated in a very specific way to the needs of bacteria. Borrelia also causes a number of autoimmune reactions. Adequate modulation of the immune system is essential. We cannot count on only herbs or drugs to fight bacteria. It is our immune system that needs to be strong both during treatment and after treatment.

Another important element is the protection of the endothelium. The Borrelia bacterium attacks the structures of the endothelium and the connections between them. The endothelium lines all organs, including the brain and heart. Thus, endothelial protection protects given structures against damage caused by bacterial invasion. By securing the endothelial cells, the further displacement of Lyme spirochetes into the body is also stopped. It should therefore be treated as the cornerstone of therapy. This will help you to slow the progression of the disease, minimize damage, and reduce the severity of symptoms.

Buhner in his Protocol also selects herbs that will protect and rebuild damaged organs and systems. Protecting your brain, heart, lymphatic system, joints, and other affected areas will help you reduce symptoms and recover.

Buhner also focuses on inhibiting the cytokine cascade caused by Borrelia. Lyme disease spirochetes induce a cascade of cytokines, which in turn leads to tissue breakdown and becomes the source of many symptoms in patients with Lyme disease. Buhner uses herbs in his protocol that are specific to disrupting the cytokine cascade. The use of specific herbs stops most of the inflammation that occurs in the body during infection and disrupts Borrelia's ability to locate and penetrate target cells. It also prevents bacteria from accumulating nutrients and multiplying. Without these factors, Borrelia cannot survive in the body.

An important element that Buhner pays special attention to, and which is often forgotten, is the protection and reconstruction of collagen structures. The Borrelia bacterium has a high affinity for collagen structures. Borrelia attacks collagen structures as they are their source of food. Collagen is not only the skin and joints. Collagen structures line all organs in our body. This becomes the source of each of the symptoms that arise later. This explains why the symptoms of different systems appear during Lyme disease. If you protect the collagen structures, symptoms begin to subside. You will also minimize the damage that occurs during infection.

Buhner also does not forget about antibacterial herbs. They are also included in his Protocol. However, it is important for you to understand that the treatment of Lyme disease should be approached comprehensively.

Buhner, analyzing the herbs in terms of their properties, chemical structure, safety of use and history of use, chose a set of herbs that will comprehensively inhibit the entire complex infectious mechanism.

The Basic Buhner Protocol includes:

- Andrographis paniculata
- Japanese knotweed (Latin Polygonum cuspidatum)
- Cat's claw (Cat's Claw, Vilcacora, Latin Uncaria tomentosa)
- Salvia miltiorrhiza (Red Sage)
- Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)
- Collagen
- Selenium

And in the case of Lyme disease, additionally:

- Gou teng (Latin Uncaria rhynchophylla)
- Tryptophan

Depending on the concomitant symptoms, Buhner selects additional herbs. Buhner described a detailed list of herbs for many of the symptoms accompanying Lyme disease, including:

- numerous neurological symptoms, eg memory dysfunction, word fog, problems with concentration, inflammation of the nervous system, Bell's paralysis, neurogenic pain, demyelination of neurons, tremors, feeling of "current flow", obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- anxiety, hysteria;
- depression;
- insomnia;
- arthralgia;
- muscle tremors, tingling sensation, crawling sensation
- numbness in the limbs
- muscle weakness;
- swollen lymph nodes, lazy lymph,
- eye problem;
- cardiological symptoms;
- low libido;
- skin symptoms;
- Headache;
- tiredness;
- digestive problems;
- liver problems.

Herbs for symptoms should be taken in parallel with the herbs from the Basic Protocol. They will additionally support your therapy and reduce the unpleasant symptoms associated with Lyme disease.

The entire Buhner Protocol is described in detail, along with dosing, in the book by Stephen Harrod Buhner, The Natural Treatment of Lyme Disease and its Co-infections - Chlamydiosis and Spotted Fever Rickettsial. Second edition, revised, extended, updated. "

Once you are familiar with the guidelines of the Buhner Protocol, remember about a few important, practical tips:

1. Do not stop treatment until 12 months. If you feel well after a few months, it's not yet a sign that you have healed. The Borrelia bacterium creates complex biofilm structures, takes various developmental forms, closes into cysts, which means that it takes time to fight all its forms and if the therapy is terminated too early, the untreated infection will return in some time, the symptoms will intensify again and you will have to start the therapy from beginning.

2. Buhner specifies the maximum doses of herbs. Maximum doses should be maintained until symptoms resolve. After this time, but not overnight, you can gradually reduce your doses and switch to a maintenance dose. If the symptoms recur on lower doses, then go back to the maximum doses.

3. If you have Lyme disease and no symptoms, stay on the maximum doses for at least 60 days and then switch to maintenance doses.

4. The dosage presented by Buhner works well for most people and is well tolerated. However, you must remember that your body can react individually and the doses specified in the protocol may be too high or too low for you. Buhner points out that if your immune system is very healthy, or if the case is very mild, you will likely need smaller doses. If your immune system is weak or your condition is very bad, you will probably need higher doses. If you are very sensitive to external substances (this affects about 1% of patients), you may have to use very small doses, even one to five drops at a time.

5. Buhner gives his guidelines on what herbs to use and how. However, that doesn't mean you can't include other additional herbs. If you respond well to an herb that is not on the protocol, you can use it. The herbs recommended by Buhner do not show negative interactions with other herbs. They work synergistically with each other.

6. You can mix herbs with each other. There is no need to take them separately. You can pour all the measured tinctures into one glass and drink them together, or pour all the necessary ground herbs into one glass, pour lukewarm water and drink with the sediment.

7. If you use a product with binding properties, e.g. zeolite, use it at the earliest 30 minutes after taking other herbs from the protocol and at least 4 hours before taking the next dose of products from the protocol. Do not use binders throughout the treatment period, but only during the Herx reaction.

8. A lot of people ignore the use of collagen in therapy. This is a serious mistake. We wrote earlier about the importance of collagen. So, introduce a diet rich in collagen, and if you are unable to provide the body with enough collagen in the diet, then introduce supplementation.

9. Remember, bacteria don't build up resistance to herbs. The chemical structure of herbs is very complex, too complex for resistance to exist. Instead of a single chemical, plants contain hundreds or thousands of different compounds.

10.Give your body time and a chance to regenerate. Your body needs at least a year to regenerate. Don't push yourself too much even if you feel better. Rest. This is not the time for intense workouts. By all means, moderate physical activity is advisable, but not very intense workouts or marathons.

Another very important aspect mentioned by Buhner and which is an integral part of effective Lyme disease therapy is the simultaneous fight against co-infections.

Many people only treat Lyme disease. It focuses only on the species of Borrelia bacteria. Unfortunately, Lyme disease very often accompanies the so-called tick-borne co-infections. Tick-borne co-infections are comorbid infections that cause diseases transmitted by ticks simultaneously or non-simultaneously with Lyme disease spirochete, or coexisting diseases that are transmitted by another route. One co-infection increases the contagiousness of another species of parasite and facilitates its transmission in the host's organism, which means that subsequent infections are much easier then.

The main co-infections accompanying Lyme disease include:

- Bartonella
- Babesia
- Chlamydia pneumoniae
- Erlichia
- Anaplasma
- Mykoplasma pnuemoniae
- Rickettsia (Rickettsia)
- Yersina

Each of these co-infections has its own specific mechanism of action in the body and causes more or less specific symptoms. In addition, you must remember that there is a synergy between bacteria. When infected with two or more tick-borne pathogens, their impact on the body is much more severe than if you were dealing with an attack of only one pathogenic agent. The symptoms of Lyme disease worsen and the negative impact of Lyme spirochete on the human body increases. It is virtually impossible to remove Borrelli without simultaneously removing co-infections. If someone treats Lyme disease, but does not treat co-infections at the same time, this is the most common cause of the so-called treatment-resistant Lyme disease.

Buhner has also developed natural treatment protocols for each of the above co-infections.