Pills, Pills, Pills

A different version of the Destiny's Child song. Ha. 

I've been in treatment for almost 2 months now. Surprisingly, I've tolerated the antibiotics very well. I'd heard enough horror stories of antibiotics wrecking people's stomachs and making them feel terrible to make me doubt starting treatment. But that's the thing about Lyme - treatment isn't one-size-fits-all. There are so many variables. 

I haven't had any severe herxheimer reactions, yet. (Knock on wood) I have had a lot more muscle twitching, especially around my eyes. I believe facial twitching comes courtesy of Bartonella. I've also had a few days of insane, walking dead type fatigue. I have four kids, and none of them slept through the night until they were over 12 months old. And I have never felt fatigue like this. Some people describe it as bone-crushing. I could barely even hold my head up. The burbur-pinella drops cut the fatigue in half, so I figure it was a minor herx. I also have had depression and emotional outbursts - especially crying - which I believe was a herx as well. I was expecting the cyst-buster antibiotic to throw me into a tailspin, but I've done alright thus far. I'm looking forward to seeing tangible evidence of all these pills working. 

Speaking of pills, here's a shot of everything that is keeping me functioning right now. 

There's a million different supplements marketed for Lyme, and honestly weeding through to find what works for you can be a chore. These are what is currently working for me. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment.

Left to Right: 

Byron White A-Bab - herbal tincture to treat Babesia. Tastes absolutely terrible. I dilute several drops into a small amount of water, then hold it in my mouth for 30-60 seconds before swallowing. I increase the dose every 3 days. Currently I am taking 9 drops, twice daily. 

Liquid D3 - each drop is 2,000 IU, which makes it super affordable and super easy to take, since I take 10,000 IU for my extremely low levels. 

Burbur-Pinella - a must if you are in treatment. Dilute 15-20 drops in water, let sit for 5 minutes, then drink. I do it every 15 minutes when I am herxing. It usually stops a herx within an hour, but usually sooner. 

Alka-Seltzer gold - also helpful in a herx. 

Pure Encapsulations Adrenal - I take one in the morning, and one with lunch. These help with adrenal fatigue. 

L- Glutathione - a key component your body uses to detox. I take these twice daily, but during a herx you can take a few together along with alka-seltzer gold and lemon water. 

Methyl B12 - I take 1/2 a tablet daily to bring up B12 levels. 

Meriva - curcumin which was suggested by my LLMD for inflammation.

Great Lakes Collagen - I just started this today, actually. I have heard amazing things about how it helps your connective tissue, muscles, hair, skin, etc. Since I have such bad joint pain, I thought it was a good fit. 1-2 TBSP a day. I put it in my smoothies. 

Ritual - women's multivitamin but without all that crap you don't need. Only 9 ingredients (K2, D3, B12, Boron, Iron, Vit E, Magnesium, Folate & Omega 3) and the website even tells you where each ingredient was sourced from. High quality ingredients and none of the stuff you don't need. 

Gaia Plantforce Iron - this is the ONLY iron I have been able to tolerate. I have chronically low iron levels, which is common in Lyme patients, as well as women in general. 

Whole Mega Fish Oil - Without this, I cannot function. I've been taking it for 2 years now. It calms my joint pain enough so I am not in constant pain. I particularly like this brand because it's sourced from wild Alaskan salmon. 

Vitamin C - I just got this delivered today. Taking it with Iron to promote absorption. 

Monolaurin - treats EBV as well as being a biofilm buster. 

Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii - essential probiotic strain when you are taking antibiotics. Prevents C-diff. I take them twice a day. (Not pictured is my other probiotic, called TotalPro. I take two of those a day as well) 

The prescriptions in front are Ceftin, Tinidazole & Rifampin (for treating Lyme & co-infections) Valtrex (for treating EBV) Nature-throid (for treating hypothyroidism) and LDN (immune-modulator) 

So there you have it. The funny thing is, I hate taking pills. I'm the type of person who won't take anything I don't absolutely need, including pain medication. Hundreds of dollars every month, to ensure my immune system and body stay as strong as possible while fighting these spirochete jerks.