What is your best kept secret weapon in fighting this disease?

If you could share something that has really worked for you either in killing bugs or in treating a symptom that you have found really works well and others do not usually seem to talk about it much or know about it...

What would it be??

Post Edited (KeepHope) : 5/21/2009 10:25:04 AM (GMT-6)

I find that supplements help me out a whole lot. It helps with the brain fog and gets my body balanced out. I would never want to be without them. I also take a low dose of pain medication. I would never want to be without them, for now, because they help me get through the day and help me push myself to do things. I know it probably doesn't sound like much, but this is all I have right now that helps.

I forgot one more thing that I've been doing for over a year now. I take a powdered energy drink to give me a little energy. It's full of vitamins and has no sugar in it. I take it every morning to get me going. I also rub a muscle rub on my muscles when they are hurting called " Sombra". This is the best muscle rub I have ever found. I used to work for a chiropractor and he used it on his patients. This stuff gets deep down in your muscles and relaxed everything including your senses. It's very calming.

Taking herbs at 3-4 times the recommended dose. And lots of them. I see my skin improving from the bartonella "things". My mind is staying clearer. I have more energy and motivation to do things. Most of my headaches are gone and I seldom have twitching or chills or hot flahses. The following is divided into three doses.

HH capsules - 10 a day (2500mg) plus 3 1000mg of another brand houttuynia (should be 16 HH but expensive!)
TOA free cat's claw - 750mg day
75 drops cumanda or quina a day
grapefruit seed extract 750 mg a day
Reserveratrol/ Japanese Knotweed 300mg day - raising to 600 mg (should be 1200)
Ecklonia cava extract 3600 mg day
Quercetin 1500mg day
Pau D'Arco bark 600 mg day

magnesium, vitamin B, B12, multi vitamin supplement with amino acids etc., fish oil
No sugar, no red meat
ground flax for omega 3, green tea decaf,

50% DMSO rubbed on skin after bath

I have clove bud oil for bartonella but don't use it because it is so strong and burps up. I also have andrographis which I plan to add when I run out of the eclonia cava and pau d' arco. I take about 40 pills a day.

Things I've found helpful:

Magnesium keeps muscle cramps away, improves bowel function, and helps me relax
Vitamin B12 (methylcobolamin) for brain function, sulfite intolerance, and energy
Nettles for joint pain
Ginger because it feels good - raises body temp (I can break out in a sweat from it), helps with sluggish gut motility, and I love the taste of it...
Benadryl for muscle & nerve pain
Zofran (ondansetron) for nausea
Chicle-based chewing gum, to keep my teeth & gums happy during this extended time of not being able to eat. I noticed right away that the chicle based gum has significantly reduced the amount of bleeding I see when I brush my teeth (this has been a life-long issue for me and is not related to oral hygiene).
Electric Warming Throw - curling up under a warm blanket to ease the fatigue and aches sure feels good
Comedy tv/jokes/comics - laughter helps keep my spirits up
This HealingWell Lyme Support Forum - keeps me up to date on all things Lyme/coinfection related, provides encouragement when I see others successfully getting better, and gives me something to do that is constructive; I enjoy sharing what I've learned when it helps others
Family - very fortunately I have a great family who loves and supports me despite the lyme grumpies, stress and hassle of taking care of me
Faith - my faith helps keep my spirits up too, and is a big source of my hope that things will get better

A good sense of humor!

Without a doubt, Faith and wisdom.

Both are profoundly intertwined; faith provides the solid root for wisdom’s growth and wisdom nourishes the soil in which our faith has grown.

Our tested faith through this long suffering constantly leads us to seek truth in what we read, listen to, discern and determine in our choices at each crossroads. It has guided us to the most brilliant physicians and necessary therapies; it has helped us to build a team, nourish the body, attack the pathogen, speak with wisdom, overcome pain and fear, fight with integrity, forgive (okay that's a work in progress) and face our need to depend on something greater than ourselves.

It has led us to the most precious relationships, life long trusted friendships and has given us the gift of extended family that we would not have ever experienced had it not been for all that we have gone through and now know. It has kept compassion and humility as close companions and allowed us the awesome privilege of meeting, encouraging and holding others up as they too journey this horrific disease. It has affirmed to us that what we are experiencing is real and not (as those who choose to live the lie suggest) some figment of our own making.

It has taught us to pray with gratitude for the little details that most would take for granted, pray with thanksgiving for the precious gift of a deep faith in the heart of our daughter b/c it has kept her grounded and so very strong in the midst of death defying long suffering and it has brought us through some very dark times along the way, only to realize that our faith is real ~ b/c we now have an undeniable hope alive in our hearts.

The practical decisions for day to day treatment and what to do when come as the bonus package within the dynamics of this hidden secret weapon called faith.

Gr8 thread!
Blessings, Sojourner

1- sleep

2- detoxing

3- changing my diet

4- exercise

5- trying to be positive

 

That warming throw blanket makes me want to snuggle and go to sleep just reading that post. I invested in one last year and have never regretted it. I feel like Lionel in Charlie Brown.

Staying away from my Primary Care Physician who knows nothing about Lyme or co-infections. As a matter of fact staying away from "ALL" doctors other than my LLMD.

KeepHope, I just rub it on my body after a hot bath. You should be very clean when you apply it because whatever is on your skin or mixed in the DMSO will go into your tissue with the DMSO. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants known. It is anti-inflammatory and it kills bacteria. I wish I had a stronger solution but this was all I could find locally. You can order it online at over 90% (other 10% is water).
I have a lot of dark marks on my skin about the size of peas. I thought I suddenly got age spots but then I saw them in Schaller's book on bartonella. They have faded to almost unnoticable now. Redness in a scar has turned white. I bought some hyaluronic acid in liquid form which is collagen. I generally take it orally for my eyes but I decided to mix some with the DMSO to put on my face. It helps firm my face and makes it very soft. One peculiar spot that was a wierd crusty little mole that Schaller says is bart - I cannot find anymore. But I still have tiny raised things that look like blood blisters.
When you use DMSO stronger (75% or more) it is a good pain killer. It has been used on horses for years when they are lame or their joints inflammed. When I tried mixing it with clove oil, it made the clove oil burn and turned my skin red. I have thought about mixing it with something else like Cumanda but haven't yet as I want a stronger solution.