Successfully Treating Staph Infections with Herbal Medicine: With Photos

Back in March, my 3 year old daughter got a staph infection on her leg. For any parent, or even if it’s yourself, this can be one of the most terrifying situations you can find yourself in.

It’s hard not to hit the panic button, and let’s be honest, some level of panic is appropriate because it demands immediate focused attention. This is what it looked like on day 2 ——>
(The ring is purple pen)

I went to pick her up from my mom’s after work, and while getting her pajamas on, noticed her calf had a HUGE swelling (like a golf ball) with an angry and large, deeply red head that looked like a very bad spider bite… except that I knew it wasn’t, because she had been picking at a small bump for months that our doctor had diagnosed as being from the virus Molluscum Contagiosum.

Apparently Molluscum Contagiosum is quite common in small children. She had two of these mysterious little bumps form within the first month at preschool, one on her calf, and one on her opposite thigh. and while they didn’t spread, or get worse, she is a picker, and was constantly making them bleed and scab, and than picking off the scab. Even keeping a band-aid on her was incredibly difficult.

I made several attempts to apply anti-viral tinctures and salves to treat them, but let’s be honest, I have 3 children and a lot going on, and remembering to consistently apply medicine to the areas (which was a stressful battle of will power between my daughter and myself every time) twice daily wasn’t happening. Our doctor had informed us that it would likely take up to a year for the Molluscum bumps to go away and that they were harmless, and even though she was constantly picking, they kept healing nicely and quickly as she picked, without any redness or cause for concern, aside from scarring.

It wasn’t until 6 months had went by with her picking and picking… that, for whatever reason, one of them did end up getting infected. Probably her immune system was working really hard already at that time, being that it was early spring and all the pre-school colds and things tend to ramp up around then.

I remember when I was in elementary school, a little boy in my brother’s grade had picked at a chicken pox scab, which resulted in him getting a flesh-eating infection and having his leg amputated. I can’t recall if it was staph or strep that was at the root of his infection, but the memory traumatized me. I vowed that I would learn everything I could to be able to try and prevent anything like that from ever happening to my children, or anyone else. That little boy had had access to the best antibiotics the hospital had, and yet, they were ineffective and unable to save his leg. I write this, not as a judgement or critique of those who cared for him, I know they did their best and that sometimes things are just beyond our control. However, the relevance or that boy’s story for me, is that bacterial antibiotic resistance has been on the rise and is an ever increasing problem. Bacteria have found numerous solutions to antibiotics. Here are some of the ones I know about:

• They can choose to not metabolize the antibiotic, or they can even change how they do metabolize it, sometimes even learning to use it as food.

• They learn how to degrade or destroy the antibiotics by creating chemicals that inactivate or disable them somehow.

• They can alter their structure so that the intended internal target cannot be affected by the antibiotics.

• They can remove the drugs from their cells as fast as it enters, or even prevent entry by altering membrane structure or permeability.

• They can alter the rate of absorption into their cells and keep its presence below toxic thresholds.

• Creating resistant or alternative metabolic pathways that aren’t susceptible to the antibiotics.

Plus, once a bacteria develops a method for countering an antibiotic, it shares instructions with how to do it with all other bacteria at an incredible speed. Basically, they can trade their DNA like children trade Pokémon cards, and even bacteria viruses called bacteriophages seem to be involved with the transfer of resistance information between different species of bacteria.

The writing is on the wall… and it has been for a long time. Penicillin was first used commercially in 1945. A year later 14% of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria were resistant. By 1950, 59%, by 1995, 95%.

Researchers studying bacterial antibiotic resistance placed a single bacterial species in a nutrient solution of sublethal doses of newly developed and rare antibiotic, and found that within a short period of time, the bacteria developed resistance to that antibiotic and at the same time, to seven other antibiotics that it had never before encountered— some of which were structurally dissimilar to the first. Scientist Stuart Levy observes that “it’s almost as if bacteria strategically anticipate the confrontation of other drugs when they resist one”.

Once in the presence of antibiotics, bacterial learning rate spontaneously increases by several orders of magnitude. Tetracycline, in even extremely low doses, stimulates by 100-fold the transfer, mobilization, and movement of transposons and plasmids. I want everyone to stop and think about the use of antibiotics in our agricultural practices, and in those being fed to animals and humans.

Antibiotics in their pure or metabolized states, form a significant part of hospital waste streams. Millions of pounds enter waste water streams every year, and millions of pounds more are simply thrown into the garbage when they expire, where they will eventually pollute the ground and ground-water too. Once they’re in our waste water systems, they travel to treatment plants and pass relatively unchanged into the world’s water supplies. Add on top of that millions of people take antibiotics each year and those end up being excreted into the environment too. Add to that millions of pounds used in agriculture, and the added antibacterial sops and disinfectants used that also make their way into our water systems… Basically, the bacteria (and every organism) on earth are constantly being subjected to sub-lethal doses of antibiotics, all of the time.

As one of my favorite authors and herbalists states, “Just because medicine is intended to alleviate human suffering does not mean we are exempt from the environmental consequences of using it”.

So back to my daughter’s Staph infection on her leg. I knew I wanted to try and avoid antibiotics. Firstly, the clock is ticking on whether or not any antibiotic will even work anymore. Soon there will be a day when no man-made antibiotic will work anymore. Like this BBC article shows, “No new classes of antibiotics have been invented for decades. In fact, all the antibiotics brought to the market in the past 30 years have been variations on existing drugs discovered by 1984”. Big-Pharma companies have all but entirely given up on creating new antibiotics. It just isn’t generating them any income. It takes years and years to find, create and test out a new antibiotic, and bacteria start producing resistance to it within 24 hours.

So if antibiotics may not work, or soon definitely won’t work, I didn’t want to rely on them now. Secondly, I didn’t want to wipe out my daughter’s microbiome. Because, not only are we living in a sea of bacteria, all the time, but we are home to thousands upon thousands of different species of bacteria that end up adding up to about 1.5 quadrillion bacteria that call us home (and probably 10x that in fungi).

To make it more complicated, there are scientists who believe and have strong evidence that since bacteria have such flexible genetics, that there may not be such thing as isolated species of bacteria, but rather, a continuum where genetics are constantly exchanged and changed and one species of bacteria can become another by choosing genetics based on their environment and needs. Further more, these researchers are showing how gene exchange can happen not only between bacteria, but between microbes in our own cells. The phenomena is called Pleomorphism. So, we may not necessarily have “pathogenic” microbes at all, but have merely forced bacteria to evolve into certain forms due to environmental pressure and as a result our health can be impacted further.

I believe in co-existing with these organisms in a way that ultimately leads to better health and vitality. That means not waging war on them with antibiotics, and not fearing “evil pathogens”, but instead, focusing on making sure my children and myself are well nourished and have a thriving and diverse population of microbes in our bodies, and that we support the environment of our bodies to be hospitable to species and/or forms of bacteria and other organisms that support our health in a mutually beneficial relationship.

When I think about the gut microbiome, I am aware and grateful that our ability to avoid cancer is most likely dependent on the biodiversity and integrity of our microbiome in the body because cell-to-cell communication in humans is the result of the microbiome and the tiny little redox-signaling molecules they create that act like a wireless network.

I was also aware of the research that shows a female taking a single course of antibiotics for a UTI increases the chances of a major clinical depression by 25% within the following 12 months, as well as a 19% increase in the likely hood of anxiety attacks and panic disorders. I believe that has a lot to do with disrupting the microbiome which produces most of our serotonin, dopamine and GABA.

Some of our immune cells even look and behave like microbes (it is quite possible that they evolved from them, like our mitochondria) and antibiotics are known to kill immune cells too. So when factoring the risk/benefits for treating my daughter, I wanted to take care not to ignore the real risks to her body that antibiotics present. There is immediate impact on the immune system, but also on the microbiome, which undermines nutrient absorption, waste removal, production of neurotransmitters, effects on hormones, and all kinds of things. I wanted to use the information I have collected over the years, and try it out. Mainly, because if it didn’t work, I knew we could still resort to trying Pharmaceuticals, but if it did work, this would be just another example of first hand experience in successfully using plant medicine to treat illness in our family. This list is steadily growing, and as it does, my confidence, love and gratitude for herbal medicine, grows all the more.

So what is a “Staph” infection, and how did I know she had one?

Staph refers to Staphylococcus aureus and there are many species that are now multi-drug resistant (MRSA). Most MRSA infections in the general community initially present as small red bumps that are similar to pimples or perhaps spider bites or boils. They become larger and more painful and can continue to spread and go deeper, sometimes making it necessary to amputate affected limbs. Many people all over the world die from it each year. It’s not something to take lightly.

To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if this was staph or strep (streptococcus) which can more rarely also cause a necrotizing fasciitis. From the research I had done, it appears the strep is far more rare, and doesn’t usually start or appear quite the way my daughter’s did, which seems more common in staph infections. Luckily, the herbs I would use to treat either one are the same.

So What Did I Do?

First, I established my boundaries and comfort zone. I took a pen and drew a circle around the outline of the redness on her wound. I told myself, that if the next day, the infection spread past the line and got worse, I would seek help. But, if it began receding, and looked better, and my daughter did not develop a high fever or any other worrying symptoms, that I would continue with my treatment and reassess daily.

The next morning, it had not gotten worse. It already was dramatically less swollen and had seemed to have calmed down. I have an acquaintance who is a doctor, so I flagged her down at pick-up time at our school to take a look and confirm that we were in fact dealing with likely staph. She took one look at it, made a face no mother wants to see and said, “yes, that doesn’t look good at all”. We chatted about what I was doing and she agreed that if it was working and healing, to keep it up, but if started getting worse, to seek help. So two things were confirmed. I knew my instincts to keep on it and take it seriously were correct, and I knew I was doing the right thing by setting that boundary and drawing that literal line.

Day 3, March 12, 2021

Day 4, March 13, 2021 (Note: I started by applying a large rectangular band-aid to cover her leg, pulling this off twice a day, created damage to her skin, which also got mildly infected. That’s when I switched to gauze.

I enlisted the help of two of the best topical antibiotics I know of. Usnea and Raw Wild Honey and/or Manuka Honey. There are other herbs you can use to treat Staph or Strep infections, which are: Cryptolepis, Sida, Alchornea, Bidens, the Berberines, Usnea, Juniper berry, Isatis and honey. This is an incomplete list, as depending on severity, there are also many herbs you would be well advised to take internally as immune modulators and supports.

Now, Usnea is easily collected around here and I had some strong, duel-extract tincture I had made last year. Usnea has been found in clinical trials to be effective primarily against gram-positive bacteria including staph and strep are. I washed the wound twice, daily with the tincture of Usnea, once in the morning and once at bedtime and than applied the raw honey poultice.

March 15, this is how much honey to use. It is a GENEROUS application.

Enough gauze wrapped around that it didn’t let honey ooze through.

Honey (raw) is a potent antibiotic for all resistant bacteria, including staph and strep, that could infect the skin and/or wounds. It also promotes the healing of wounds, keeps them moist, soothes inflamed tissues and stimulates skin and muscle regeneration. It’s even effective for bacterial biofilms. To use it, you just need to apply it, directly and without dilution and cover it with a sterile bandage. Change it once or twice a day. In my experience, there is nothing that compares the the effectiveness of using raw honey on wounds. There have been over 30 clinical trials conducted on its use.

March 17, 2021 (Note now I’m also treating the infection that spread from the wounds that were created by pealing off a sticky band-aid twice a day on her sensitive skin for the first couple of days before I switched to gauze)

March 18, 2021 This is what it looks like 8 days after the initial acute onset of infection.

At around day 4 or 5, I also started making a giant pot of a strong herbal decoction of white oak bark, witch hazel bark, some comfrey leaves and Myrrh Resin. I would pour that into the bathtub and have her soak in the tub. We did this daily until around Day 8 or 9 or so and I felt we were really on the winning side of this thing. I used a generous handful of each of those dried herbs in the biggest pot I have (which must be 3 gallons).

This was March 18 before an herb bath

This was March 18 two hours later, after the herb bath.

March 22nd. Mostly just those two spots, almost healed, and the large one especially looking so much better. At this point we just apply Usnea tincture 2x per day and the honey only at night.

And this is what that leg looked like all healed up about a month later. You can barely see the little scar.

Here is the leg all healed up in a larger photo for context. I’m confident that scar will be non-existent eventually too.

So, to reiterate. I was really grateful to be able to apply my theoretical knowledge of what “should” work and actually be able to see that yes, it did work, it worked really well. We were able to treat what started out as a pretty bad skin infection, completely with the use of honey and herbal medicines. We got to keep our daughter’s microbiome strong and work with her body in ways that supported her immune system, not against it.

Important things to keep in mind:

If I had needed to, I would have added in internal doses of tinctures too. Luckily (because she is 3 and giving yucky tinctures is tricky) we didn’t need to do that, the topical applications were effective on their own.

I really want to reiterate though, at no point did we put our daughter in any danger. We assessed daily, made sure things were going in the directly of healing, looked out for any symptoms of concern, and we were extremely diligent with consistency for applying medicines, bandaging and helping her rest while she was healing. Infections are nothing to be laissez-faire about. This is not a case of “do-nothing-and-see-what-happens” because what can happen is literally losing a limb or even your life.

But my goal is to help take herbalism from a “hey, try this yummy tea” to a place of “hey, this can save your life”. If our days of relying on antibiotics are numbered (and they are)… than we may as well get comfortable treating anything we can, without them, to prepare for the days where we will quite factually, be without them. I would personally rather prepare myself now, while back up is a phone call or a car-ride away, rather than only learning when it’s our only option.

There are a lot of ways that over-use of antibiotics has contributed to our health crisis, and I don’t want to ascribe to that model of health-care (or rather, disease management) any longer. I will not live in fear of microbes, I would rather live in awe and gratitude towards them, and work towards cooperation with Nature, accepting and honoring our part of it, instead of trying to live in a false-hood of being separate from it.

That being said, I do appreciate where Western Medicine shines, like in emergency accident situations, and I am not saying that there isn’t a need for, or an important place for it… obviously there is. But there are more ways to heal than one, and we have more information than we have ever previously had… and our current procedures have simply not caught up with current knowledge yet. It’s high-time we integrate holistic healing and herbal medicine into our toolbox for dealing with sickness and injury, for the best outcomes for all.

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think in a comment!

Holistic Medicine For Sinus Infections: 6 Natural Remedies That Work FAST

Holistic Medicine For Sinus Infections:

6 Natural Remedies That Work FAST

Of all of the worst things that can accompany a cold… a sinus infection has to be near the top. It’s bad enough to be sneezy, drippy & breathing challenged… but add in a headache and that awful pressure behind the eyes and you’ve got a full-on cocktail for misery. If you’ve got children you need to take care of, you’ll probably be grumbling thoughts you wouldn’t dare to admit…

As a mom of 3 whose partner frequently works away- I can solemnly tell you that having to mother small children alone when you’re sick and in pain is HARD. There have been several occasions where all I wanted and needed was to rest, and I sorely wished my own mother was able to come and take care of me instead of having to BE the mom.

… but, Nope. When you’re the mom, you’re still responsible for making sure everyone is safe and fed, no matter how awful you may feel.

So, when we have a sinus infection, we NEED it to clear, FAST! Moms don’t have time to be down and out for long when other little people are depending on us.

You only appreciate how freaking awesome it feels to breathe through your nose once you can’t anymore. When I get a cold, I want to be able to get rid of excess mucous, open up those clogged passages and taste and smell fully again.

Sinus infections aren’t something to fool around with- it wasn’t too long ago that chronic sinus infections could lead to an abscess that was dangerously close to the brain, leading to death. So, obviously we seek out professional help if we’ve tried home remedies and things aren’t improving within a week-to-ten-days.

Not all sinus infections are caused by bacteria, however, and so if it’s a virus or fungal infection, antibiotics won’t help, not to mention the rapid increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Bacteria create resistance so quickly (within 48hrs) and share it openly with all other bacterial species, so much so that pharmaceutical companies have all but entirely given up on creating any new ones. They can’t seem to create any new drug that is any more effective than what is currently on the market, and yet as soon as new drugs are used bacteria rapidly create resistance to them.

Antibiotics haven’t been in our medical tool chest for even 100 years. Dr. Fleming, who discovered penicillin was already seeing bacterial resistance by 1945 and warning the scientific community that improper use would lead to the development of resistant bacteria. They didn’t listen.

Humans are now facing the end of antibiotics not even 100 years after their discovery… meaning that very shortly, there will come a time when NO antibiotic will work at all.

Luckily for us, plants have been dealing with bacterial infections throughout their entire evolutionary period as well- and they’re really good at it. Plants out-perform pharmaceuticals on some of the most important levels, possessing attributes no drugs could ever hope to achieve, namely:

1) Their chemistry (in its whole form, not when any one constituent is isolated) is too complex and sophisticated for resistance to occur. Where our man-made antibiotics focus on 1 or a few mechanisms to kill bacteria, plants contain hundreds to thousands of unique compounds that work synergistically.

2) Also, plants (if you have a green thumb or know where to look) are free, available to anyone with the desire to learn and very safe (when properly used). They rarely even present any undesirable side effects, which is in stark contrast to pharmaceuticals which maim and kill millions every year (adverse drug reactions are the fourth leading cause of death in the US).

3) And more so, growing herbs is completely safe for the environment, nay, beneficial for the environment, whereas pharmaceuticals pollute our soil & water which is also a contributing factor to bacterial resistance.

Mark my words (and many experts agree), even the greatest skeptics will be loathe to admit, very shortly, that herbs and natural remedies are our best bet against dealing with our own created problems of bacterial resistance, so we may as well start become adept at using them now.

Here is my protocol for a Sinus Infection:

REST (yes, this is my professional recommendation). If you keep go-go-going when you’ve got an infection, it’s going to take you much longer to get well. Allow your body to pool its resources and direct them to healing rather than trying to carry out our self-imposed activities.

Go on a chicken-soup fast. Just properly made bone broth and well-cooked veggies for a few days. No sugar, no eggs, no dairy until things turn around, and then still no sugar for a while (it lowers white blood cells & feeds the microbes we don’t want to encourage).

Make it steamy. I turn my bathroom into a steam room by having a hot shower with the fan off, putting in the bathtub plug and adding a few drops of essential oils that are known to help cut through phlegm, notably eucalyptus, juniper, and thyme. The steamy air quickly fills with their aroma and it really helps. Then I turn that shower into a bath as per the next step below…

Turn up the heat! If your body doesn’t get a fever on its own, consider temporarily raising your body temperature as it may be helpful in fighting the infection because most bacteria and viruses can only survive in a narrow temperature range. I recommend getting into a nice hot bath and drinking a hot cup of herbal tea or even just hot water, as hot as you can stand it without burning your mouth. Bonus points if your tea contains medicinal herbs that can help induce sweating (diaphoretics). After your bath, wrap yourself into a nice warm housecoat and climb into bed under some thick blankets to sweat it out.

Diaphoretic herbs: As mentioned above, these herbs can promote sweating, and they also help increase peripheral circulation. In Chinese medicine they’re called “Surface-relieving” agents. These herbs are divided into two categories, warming and cooling. If you don’t have a fever and are trying to warm the body, you’ll be going for the warming (stimulating) diaphoretics, such as Angelica, Lovage, Sage, Ginger, or Yarrow (yarrow is actually quite neutral in it’s energetics).

Herbal Nasal Spray: This is my “big guns”. When the above just isn’t working, and I need fast relief, I mix up the following recipe in a 30ml nasal spray bottle:
5-10 drops of Cryptolepis tincture
5-10 drops juniper berry tincture (or 2 single drops of juniper essential oil)
5-10 drops of usnea, dual extracted tincture
5-10 drops of Bidens tincture
Fill up the rest with colloidal silver or distilled water.
Spray up nostrils as often as needed, I notice immediate results after only a couple of sprays and generally don’t need more than 1 spray in each nostril every couple of hours.

And that’s it. That’s all it’s taken to quickly (within a day or two) get back to feeling good, breathing comfortably through my nose again, taste, smell & not have pain.

I was hit with a particularly rough sinus infection while on a ski-trip last winter and I was super grateful that I had pretty much brought a mini-apothecary with us and was able to treat it on the mountain!

Some people also love nasal irrigation with a nettie pot, which is like a mini-tea pot that you pour salt water into one nostril while it comes out the other… but I’ve experimented with it numerous times over the past decade and have come to the conclusion that it just isn’t effective for me, personally.

Did I miss anything? Post your favourite herbal remedies or other natural remedies for sinus infections below :)

How to Easily Build a Superior Herbal First Aid Kit

I’ve been a mom for over 10 years now! Whoa! It’s by far the most challenging “job” I’ve had and the one with the highest risks! I remember how panicked I felt the first time my eldest son got sick, but I was confident in my knowledge and I felt so relieved and satisfied to see how quickly he responded to natural remedies.

If you've ever felt scared, helpless or panicked by your child’s cold or flu, or injury, it's time to put together an herbal first aid kit! Do away with that helpless feeling and instead take action and put together an herbal first-aid kit to have on hand that will deal with any of the common childhood complaints you know you are most likely going to have to deal with sooner or later!

There are no hard and fast rules to this kit. Simply think about covering your bases and choose appropriate remedies in ways that you can easily deliver for your children. For example: A 10 year old may be perfectly capable of swallowing a capsule, but an infant is definitely not. If a child is allergic to herbs in the ragweed family, chamomile will not be appropriate, but many other herbs with similar properties can be used instead.

Some children will drink lots of fluid when sick and are not fussy about taste. These children respond very well to teas. Most children will take an herbal tea with enough raw honey in it (remember not to give honey to children under 1). Alternatively you can add elderberry syrup to make any other remedies more palatable and elderberry in itself is very beneficial as an antiviral and immune supporting herb.

Some children respond better to a tincture because they can take a few drops or a dropper full and it’s over-with, rather than consuming a large volume of liquid. Tinctures also have the benefit of keeping viable for many many years and being readily available without requiring any time to boil water or steep a herb. Some parents worry about alcohol being in tinctures, and if you are worried you can add a tincture to a hot tea and much of the alcohol will evaporate. You can also find tinctures made with glycerin or vinegar, though they do not keep as long and in many cases are not as potent as alcohol tinctures.

Some children will not take anything by mouth no matter how hard you coax, bribe, attempt to hide it, etc. These children respond best to essential oils. Essential oils are also the first remedies I reach for in any case where support is needed for cough/lung/respiratory health. Their highly penetrating quality means they work quickly and get where they need to go. In my professional opinion, every household should have at least a few key essential oils in their household wellness box, if only Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon & Frankincense. If you would like to order essential oils through me, click here.

Dried herbs to consider:
Catnip
Chamomile
Red Clover
Elder Flower
Linden Leaf & Flower
Yarrow

Tinctures to consider:
Catnip
Cleavers
Elderflower
Elderberry syrup (alcohol extract or not)
Elecampane
Lemonbalm
Red alder
Usnea
Yarrow

Miscellaneous Helpful:
Clay and/or Activated charcoal
An all purpose healing salve for cuts, scrapes, rashes, etc.
Arnica ointment or liniment
Essential oils

You can put together an amazing kit for anywhere from 50-300.00. I would love to help you build your kit as soon as possible so that you're prepared and ready for the next fall, cold or flu that comes around. I have a full apothecary of dried herbs as well as tinctures I grow myself, organically, or wild-craft and tincture in organic cane alcohol. You’ll find the best prices and the highest quality herbs in my apothecary. Contact me to book an appointment to shop today.

Parenting is a huge undertaking. Being responsible for the lives of other people and their well-being can feel like a massive burden. Having knowledge and confidence in our capabilities to handle whatever life throws at us helps lighten that burden and give us strength, courage and faith to be the best parents we can be for our children.

Here, however, I would like to especially make the point that if your child is ever exhibiting any symptoms that make you think they require medical attention- get it for them. If they’re having trouble breathing, if they are exhibiting signs of dehydration, listless, unresponsive, have a sudden high fever, a serious wound or ANYTHING that leaves you questioning or needing reassurance, please, please take them to a doctor. Get a professional opinion, get their lungs and ears checked, get blood work or urine samples if necessary. Don’t be that parent that makes headlines because they failed to get necessary medical treatment for their child.

For example, my youngest child, my daughter, just had a fever that lasted 6 days. She was alert, she was drinking lots of fluids and urinating. She was not crying or stiff and her temperature was in an acceptable “safe” range. I knew it was viral because my middle son had also had a fever days before with the same cough though his was gone in 36 hours. After day 4, I still brought her in just to be safe. I wanted her lungs listened to and a general check up. The doctor assured me that her lungs were clear and that there was no secondary ear infection or anything concerning to worry about. I took her back home and resumed my herbal protocol and continued to monitor her closely. She was fully recovered and healthier than ever 2 days after that.

The herbs supported her immune system, helped expectorate any phlegm from her airways, managed her fever and worked with the body to bring about healing. That is the beauty of herbs: They work with the body and help it to do what it needs to do. No side effects, only safe & effective results.

You’ve got this mama! Those kids are lucky to have you!

16 Powerful Herbs you Need to Support Infection with Borrelia

In my previous post about Borrelia bacteria and Lyme Disease, I gave a brief overview of the behavior and infection tactics of Borrelia bacteria. In this article I would like to bring attention to some of the most powerful herbal allies that can be utilized to help reduce symptoms and effectively help the body rid the itself of this bacteria. These herbs can be utilized alongside conventional medical treatment (in other words, antibiotics) or on their own. 

I would also like to reiterate one of my sentiments from my previous post- that because of what these bacteria do in the body, and since every person's body ecology is so different, there is an extremely, frustratingly, wide range of symptoms that can be present (or not) for this illness and the disease will always be slightly different for every single person, every time it occurs. That is why for this disease especially, a one-regime-fits-all protocol is pointless, or worse, harmful. Each person needs to have their protocols tailored to exactly what is going on for them. The following herbs have been used in clinical practice by experienced herbalists, including well known herbalist and Lyme activist, Stephen Harrod Buhner (these suggestions are based on his protocol). 

Suggested doses may be given, but remember some people respond extremely well to only a few drops of an herbal preparation while others require several teaspoons or more! Any herb not listed here could still have major potential in helping anyone dealing with this illness- it just depends on how the illness is presenting itself for that individual. So again, use these suggestions as a guideline and build upon them depending on individual symptom pictures.

Be prepared to commit to some form of your herbal protocol for long-term as it can take 8-12 months to clear the infection.

Preventing Infection

The first and foremost thing to do, is to try and prevent ever contracting the Borrelia bacteria in the first place. See my article on Ticks which covers their infection potential. Tick bites are the most common route of infection so you'll need to know how to prevent tick bites and what to do if you do find an attached tick. After properly removing the tick, Buhner recommends liberally applying Andrographis tinctures and a glob of bentonite clay that can be fastened in place for 12-24 hours. He also recommends the homeopathic remedy Ledum 1M 3x a day. At the appearance of a rash he says Apis 30C 3x a day for 3 days and then begin treatment for Lyme disease. 

To keep your immune system strong, consider taking Astragalus all year around. This immune tonic can be safely consumed long term. Take 1000 mg and increase to 3000mg in endemic areas or for the duration of tick season. "[s]tudies have found that if the levels of interleukin-2 and interferon gamma in lab mic are kept high, the rate of Borrelia infection drops precipitously... Astragalus, an immune-potentiating herb, is very effective at keeping these levels high". (128) 

As a preventative, Astragalus can be taken, though SOME people with chronic Lyme can not take it due to some of the immune hijacking of our immune responses the bacteria initiate- but many still can. Basically if you take Astragalus and feel worse, discontinue it. 

Make sure you are taking care of yourself! Sleep, proper nutrition and lowering stress are the foundations for health no matter what your goals. The immune system cannot be strong and healthy if the rest of the body is weak.

Endothelial Protection

If you have an infection by Borrelial bacteria (currently called Lyme Disease) your top priority should be to protect the endothelial structures of the body. These are the cells that form an interface- kind of the barrier on the interior surface of blood vessels, etc.-  that connects other tissues and fluids.

The Borrelia bacteria break down endothelial structures (read more about this in my previous article) to feed as well as gain access deeper into the body. This damage caused by disrupting endothelial structures is at the root of most of the devastating symptoms, particularly in the brain and heart, seen in Lyme disease. By protecting these structures, you deny the bacteria access into deeper parts of the body as well as crucial nutrients they need to survive and replicate themselves. 

Many herbs can help protect endothelial cells. The known ones that are most beneficial (and consequently also help with the other objectives for treating Lyme) are Polygonum cuspidatum root, Prunella vulgaris and green tea extract (EGCG).

As degradation of hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix is a problem, Echinacea angustifolia can also help as it is a hyaluronidase inhibitor. Scutellaria Baicalensis, Wthania, Triphala, Melissa and Rosemary can also inhibit hyaluronidase and supplemental Hyaluronic Acid is also recommended (by Buhner) and he reassures that no, it won't feed the bacteria. 

Cytokine remodulation

Herbs need to be taken that stop, or interfere with the cytokine cascades that the bacteria are initiating (and have hijacked in our immune systems). 

By taking cytokine re-modulators, most of the inflammation can be diminished and it will help interfere with the Borrelia's ability to find and enter target cells, gain nutrients and reproduce. (Starve the buggers!) 

The best general cytokine remodulators (according to Buhner) to use during infection are Scutellaria baicalensis and Salva Miltiorrhiza. 

There are so many different cytokines that the bacteria can activate or that are activated in a chain reaction and different herbs inhibit different cytokines. Scutellaria and Salva Mitiorrhiza seem to be the most diverse acting, but others that work for a multitude of different cytokines are cordycepts, polygonum cuspidatum, EGCG (green tea extract), and Olea europaea (olive leaf).

Collagen Protection, Neuroborreliosis & Restoration of Damaged Tissues

Collagen structures must be restored. They are damaged by the bacteria which use them for food. You can support this by taking a gelatin supplement, bone broth soup stock, selenium, vitamin C, Kudzu, echinacea angustifolia, as well as infusions of nettle, oatstraw, horsetail & parsley

Motherwort is particularly helpful in protecting nerves and mitochondria in cells. 

Chinese Cat's Claw (uncaria rhynchophylla) and Lion's Mane mushroom are both good at protecting and regeneerating neural structures in the brain. When mentioning Uncaria, Buhner states that you "can't find a more specific herb for treating damage caused by neuroborreliosis" 363. 

Polygala senega is used to stimulate neural regrowth and Melatonin is also a great general supplement to use during Lyme infection to help protect neural structures. 

Immune Remodulation

Bhuner quotes researcher Cadavid, "little if any tissue injury occurs in immunocompetent animals" (211). Translation? Sypport your immune system to minimize damage in the first place. 

Important immune remodulators for Lyme disease are Cordycepts (must take at least 3-6g daily), Eleutherocuccus, Rhodiola, Scutellaria baicalensis, Uncaria tomentosa, Withania somnifera (best taken as powder). 

You can also take herbs that help break up or inhibit the formation of biofilms (think bacterial community) such as Polygonum, Andrographis, Rhodiola and Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis). This will help clear them from the body.

Reducing Specific Symptoms in order of severity

You'll want to think about which herbs you can take that specifically will help the most severe symptoms you are experiencing. These will differ for each person, however there are certain supplements that can be taken by all such as tryptophan, since levels tend to fall during infection and it can help repair CNS damage as well as help to restore healthy T-cell functions. 

Lyme disease always occurs with co-infections, so those will have to be identified and treated as well. 

Some of the symptoms you may be addressing will be things like, pain, sleep issues, low energy, Bell's palsy, seizures, tremors, memory problems, joint problems, behavioral problems, etc.

Antispirochetal

Many people think that taking antispirochetal herbs (herbs that kill spirochete bacteria) should be the first thing you do when trying to treat infection by Borrelia bacteria. The reality is that many people who have undergone strong antibiotic therapy which failed to rid their bodies of the infection find that by simply protecting their endothelial structures and working to restore the immune system and collagen structures, the bacterium is cleared without the need to take anything else. 

That being said, there are not many herbs that have been studied and proven to be strong antispirochetals, though Andrographis has shown positive results and can be included in a Lyme protocol. It is rapidly excreted from the body, however, and needs to be taken every 4 hours (when you are awake). 

Conclusions:

I did not include exact dosages for any of the suggested herbs. The reason is, there is no guideline that everyone should follow. Recommended doses are simply made up. Everyone is going to need slightly different combinations of herbs and slightly different amounts of each one. Anyone who tries to tell you that they have a one-size-heals-all protocol hasn't actually treated enough people. Here I would like to directly quote Buhner, "Anyone who says there is [a one size-fits-all treatment], is either trying to sell you something, has powerful self-image needs involved, or doesn't really understand the borrelial group of infectious organisms. There is not and never has been one single way to health such that in all times and in all places and with all people it will always work. Life, and disease, and the journey to wellness are much more complex and challenging than that. Each treatment intervention, as treatment progresses, will become unique to each person. It has to do so for healing to occur." (191) - Buhner in healing Lyme.

Motherwort this spring in the garden.

Bacteria in the "Lyme" light: Important Info You Need Now

Purpose of This Post

In this article, I will focus specifically on the bacteria known to cause what we currently call "Lyme disease", which are gram-negative, spirochete bacteria in the Borrelia genus. I will explain their infection tactics and mechanisms in a way that is easy to understand and gives insight to the best ways in preventing and healing Lyme infection, which I will refer to as Borreliosis. 

Background

There are 4 known genera of spirochete bacteria that cause disease in humans. These are Treponema, Leptospira, Brachyspira and Borrelia. There are 20 species known in the Borrelia genus that are currently in the Lyme group. B. Burgdoferi is the most common. There are currently 15 species of Borrelia that cause relapsing fever. More are being discovered and added to both groups each year. 

Spirochetes are curious organisms. We know relatively little about them because they can be incredible difficult to study. Syphilis (in the Treponema genus) as an example, after 60 years of dedicated, focused research, can still not be grown in a laboratory. What's more, even if scientists are able to grow certain bacteria- how they behave in a petri dish or test tube scenario is often extremely different than how they behave in a live host.

What Makes Borrelia Bacteria Unique?

Borrelia act more like an intelligent protozoal parasite than a typical bacteria. Unlike nearly all other bacteria, Lyme expert Stephen Buhner describes them as having linear chromosomes, a cytoskeleton and a periplasmic flagelli that gives them rapid motility & unusual chemotactic properties. That means they're fast, (and Lyme spirochetes are the fastest of all spirochetes) faster by two orders of magnitude than our bodies' neutrophils-- which are the fastest white blood cells we have. 

Borrelia bacteria are unusual in that they are among the extremely low number of organisms that do not require iron to live- they use manganese instead. They also possess the largest number of genetic units of replication (DNA replicons) of any bacteria currently known. 

According to Stephen Buhner in his book "Healing Lyme" many bacteria produce a new generation every twenty minutes, but Lyme spirochetes take a little longer and do so between every 8-12 hours. 

What Makes Borrelia Parasitic?

Lyme bacteria are capable of only minimal metabolisms. All nucleotides, amino acids, fatty acids & enzyme co-factors must be scavenged from their hosts. Stephen Buhner emphasizes that the most important thing you can understand about Borreliosis (Lyme) is that the bacteria have an affinity for collagenous tissues. Most of the food the bacteria need is found in collagen containing tissues throughout the body. The bacteria work to break these tissues down so that they can feed on their components- wherever they feed on those tissues is where symptoms occur and this tissue damage is at the root of every symptom they cause. Buhner stresses that if you protect the collagen structures of the body, the symptom picture begins to disappear. 

The Beginning of Infection with Borrelia Spirochetes

Let's use what is currently known to be our most common route of infection as an example: a bite from an infected tick.
    One way or another, a tick that is infected with Borrelia spirochetes manages to cling to your clothing or skin, find an exposed area, bite you and feed long enough for the spirochetes to enter your bloodstream. As soon as that blood meal starts to enter its body, the spirochetes in the mid-gut of the tick become activated and start to rapidly multiply and alter their behavior and genomic structure. Their task is to make themselves as adaptable to your specific body chemistry as they can in order to have the highest chance of survival. 

      Whenever any organism enters a human body, it will find an entirely unique eco-system. Bacteria, especially Borrelia bacteria, have devised incredibly complex and sophisticated ways of making themselves highly adaptable to all kinds of different hosts and environments. Bacteria already in the salivary glands will immediately enter your body. Those migrating from the mid-gut of the tick to the salivary glands will analyze your blood. Next, they rapidly multiply and actually alter their genomic structure and begin to replicate themselves in a way that will produce a wide range of genetically different offspring (taking into account information from their analysis of your blood) to further increase the chances that some, or multiple forms of those offspring will be able to survive in the new host and avoid its immune responses. Take into account that each spirochete has up to 24 extra pieces of DNA segments that are available to it at any given time, containing information about different possible hosts that ticks might feed on.

      You may remember from my previous article "Valuable Information You Never Wanted to Know About Ticks" that tick saliva shuts down part of our immune system and helps give the Borrelia spirochetes a greater opportunity to infect us. 
     So, the tick saliva has hindered your immune system and now there is a flood of Borrelial organisms, all of which are slightly different to very different from each other in genetic structures, flooding into your bloodstream. The bacteria move throughout your body quickly. Some will attach to endothelial cells of blood vessel walls, some to macrophages, keratinocytes, neurons or glial cells. They will cause those cells to engulf the attached bacteria, and create a vacuole (a secure container for hiding in) in which the bacteria will reproduce. Other bacteria will choose to locate extra cellular junctions instead of cells. They will wiggle on in, penetrating them, initiate responses to further loosen those junctions and gain access to the extra-cellular matrix (which exists between cells of the body). According to Buhner's research, this takes only 10 minutes after the initial tick bite. The extra cellular matrix is an ideal location for spirochetes as it has ample food sources and is hard for immune cells to get to. 

The bacteria that chose to hide inside cells in vacuoles, after 48 hours will have created dozens of new spirochetes. Hidden inside our cells, the bacteria can resist antibiotics for many days. Stephen Buhner states that they can resist Ceftriaxone for a minimum of 14 days.

Spirochete levels in the bloodstream, according to Buhner, tend to peak at 60 days of infection and then drop to low levels (undetectable by tests) in the system. 

The Ongoing Problem With These Bacteria

Lyme spirochetes, once in a host, will continue to alter their structure in order to evade your immune responses to them, and to help them gain access to, and colonize different parts of the body. Recombination of the 24 extra DNA segments also continues to occur every time the bacteria replicate (every 8-12 hours), therefor producing even more resilient and "intelligent" offspring.

The spirochetes can live many places in the body but they have a preference for joints, the aqueous humors of the eyes, heart tissue, the meninges of the brain and any tissues that are very rich in collagen like the skin and the knees. 

At this point, I want to stress that a strong and vital immune system will be able to eventually clear the bacteria, no matter what form they are in (I will elaborate) and rid the body of the disease. This is why it is so essential to make sure the immune system is supported as a preventative measure against Borrelial infection (but really any infection) in the body. That being said, these bacteria are extremely intelligent, resilient and crafty at developing ways to prolong infection and maintain a persistent presence in the body. Their DNA recombination tactics alone are incredible and get more sophisticated as the immune system attempts to take the upper hand and kill these bacteria. In fact, the immune system itself is partially what drives the innovation for the recombination events that occur- they try very hard to survive! 

Once under any form of stress (from our immune systems or antibiotics) the bacteria can transform themselves into something called an encysted form, as well as they create biofilms. They will relocate to harder to find niches in the body and reduce their activity to attempt to hide from the "attack". Buhner references a study that shows "Atypical forms [of the bacteria] were seen within 1 hour of exposure to environmental stress". Basically, as soon as they detect that something is trying to kill them, they will quickly transform into their encysted state (which is considered to be a dormant state). This makes them difficult to find in the body; then when they detect the threat is over, they will change back into their active spiral form. Buhner also says that Borrelial organisms "always create some encysted forms during infection; it is one of the techniques they use to ensure continued infection in a new host". Depending on the various species of spirochete, they have been found to survive up to three years in encysted form.

Take a breath. This information can be frightening, but again, knowing about it could be the difference between overcoming an infection or living in a chronically diseased state for decades. Take some comfort in knowing that our immune systems (when healthy) are actually very good at killing encysted forms of bacteria. I won't mention the complicated mechanisms here, but for those who are very scientifically oriented, you can research Neutrophil extracellular traps which is one of the ways our immune systems trap and kill these forms of bacteria. 

The other interesting thing that these bacteria do is form little colonies or cities called biofilms in the body. According to Stephen Buhner, in the initial stages of Lyme infection with borrelia bacteria, about 2% of the bacteria that come into your body will immediately form biofilm aggregates to start setting up their little communities. These biofilms have several types of bacteria that will live together and they create a kind of gel out of polysaccharides that provides protection and nutrients. Sometimes they also create a hard shell made out of calcium, kind of like a sea creature's shell. Don't stress, there are many herbs that can be used to break up biofilms- they key is to do it gently and slowly so as not aggravate disease symptoms. There are examples of beneficial biofilms in people's bodies too- your intestinal tract should have one!

The last thing I want to touch on is how these bacteria are interfering, hijacking and creating cytokine responses in the body. Cytokines are like little messengers that act as cellular mediators during the body's immune responses. Borrelia bacteria either create their own cytokines or else they stimulate our body's own natural cytokine responses by manipulating them to do what they want (not what our bodies need). The reason for this is to cause the break down of our bodily tissues so that the bacteria can feed on the nutrients that are released in the wreckage. Again, there are many herbs that will support the body in properly being able to thwart the bacteria when it comes to cytokines through various mechanisms. The next article I will be posting will focus on herbal support during Borreliosis (Lyme disease) including herbs for inhibiting and modulating cytokine response.

Conclusions

Because of what these bacteria do in the body, and also being that since every person's body ecology is so different, there is an extremely frustratingly wide range of symptoms that can be present (or not) for this illness and the disease will always be slightly different for every single person, every time it occurs. That is why for this disease especially, a one-regime-fits-all protocol is pointless, or worse, harmful. Each person needs to have their protocols tailored to exactly what is going on for them. 

I hope that by outlining what these bacteria are doing in our bodies, that people can gain insight as to exactly what we need to do to try and support the body in dealing with them and protecting itself.

Lastly, if you have a Lyme story, whether the illness has touched you personally, or a family member or close friend, I want to hear about it! Please send me a message or leave a comment below. If you have questions, leave those too! Check back over the next couple of weeks for my next post about using herbal medicine to support Lyme disease. 

Andrea

Valuable Information You Never Wanted To Know About Ticks

         Ticks carrying Lyme disease are here on Vancouver Island.  In my previous article, "Lyme Disease is on Vancouver Island: What You Can do to Stay Safe" I opened up discussion about this important illness and highlighted some key points everyone should know in order to keep themselves and their families safe. In this article, I would like to delve further down the rabbit hole and focus strongly on ticks and why they are such a huge link to what some are calling the Lyme Disease Epidemic. This information might make you uncomfortable, it might give you the heebie-jeebies and cause you to feel creepy crawlies all over your body- but it might also save your life or prevent illness for someone you love.

Tick Facts:

1. Deer are not the only animals spreading around Lyme infected ticks. According to Stephen Buhner in his book, "Healing Lyme", ticks carrying Lyme feed on over 300 species. Think mice, rats, rabbits, birds (over 60 species of birds are known to carry ticks), lizards, squirrels, raccoons, dogs, cats, and yes, deer. There are no areas left in the world that are free from any risk of contracting Lyme disease (caused by borrelia spirochete bacteria). 

2. Ticks can live a long time- a disturbingly long time. Unfed ticks, no matter where they live, can live up to 7 years without a meal! (More commonly they only survive a couple, though) (see source)

3. Both soft and hard bodied ticks (of all developmental stages) can transmit the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease. This leads us into our next segue, transmission.

Transmission of Borrelia Bacteria Via Ticks:

        Lyme Disease (what really should be called Borreliosis) is caused by a spirochete bacteria in the Borrelia genus. There are 20 species known in the Lyme group, 15 in the relapsing fever group and more becoming konwn all the time. Please note that these bacteria can also be transmitted by other anthropods (think body lice, fleas, etc), sexually or via other routes that I will not be discussing in this article, as my focus here is specifically on ticks.

        It is extremely important to keep in mind that not everyone who is bitten by an infected tick will become sick. In general, the stronger an individual's immune system is, the slower the transmission time of infectious bacteria, and the less likely for infection to persist. Stephen Buhner in his book, "Healing Lyme" discusses how the stronger the immune system, the less severe the symptoms and illness will be if infection does occur.

      Most sources say that if a tick is removed within 24 hours the chances of contracting Lyme (borrelia) are much lower. In my last article, even I used that generalization, but the reality is that borrelia transmission can occur with tick attachment of between as little as 10 minutes and 72 hours. Less than 16 hours is very common. There are many factors that can affect this that I will discuss shortly.

        Lyme causing bacteria of the Borrelial species are not the only infections transmitted via ticks. Transmission of co-infections are typical, the most common (in terms of numbers according to Buhner) being Bartonella, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and Babesia. Ticks co-infected with other transmissible bacteria actually have faster transmission times for Borrelia. According to Buhner this is the norm- not the exception for most ticks.

        Partially fed ticks will transmit Borrelia bacteria within as little as 10 minutes of attachment VS unfed ticks. Most ticks engage in partial feeding and this is typical, not the exception. Soft ticks have very quick transmission times compared to most hard bodied ticks. The type of tick is also a factor in transmission times, certain ticks transmit organisms much faster. The more aggressive the Borrelial species is the faster transmission will be as well. Another factor to consider is the location of the spirochetes inside of the tick (it takes time for them to travel from the mid-gut VS salivary glands as an example). 

         Another possible way ticks can potentially transmit Borrelia is through their feces. Ticks poop continually while feeding and their feces contain unique biofilms & encysted forms (a way the bacteria protect themselves) that can allow them to enter the break in the skin via the bite location. This is an important reason to properly clean all tick and other biting anthropod bites and avoid scratching. 

        The reason that ticks are a prime transmitter of Borrelial and other infections (as opposed to some other biting anthropods like mosquitoes) has to do with their saliva. Tick saliva actually shuts down (inactivates) part of our immune system (known as the alternative complement system) giving the bacteria an advantage to try and gain a foothold upon which they further initiate means of manipulating our immune systems. If this pathway was not inhibited, infection would not be able to occur. The good news is, that a very strong immune system (as in those whom are healthiest) will stimulate antibodies to tick saliva and prevent future tick attachments. Those antibodies will actually stimulate tick rejection before lengthy feeding can take place. Contact your local natural health providers to learn more about using foods, herbs and supplements to support a strong immune system! 

Why Do Ticks Carry These Bacteria Anyways?

      Bacteria have formed relationships that are mutualistic with all other living things on earth. Think about our own bodies. We have more bacteria inhabiting our bodies than we have our own cells and most of those bacteria are residing in our digestive tracts and on other mucous membrane surfaces. We have beneficial species that live with us such as Bifidobacterium, Viridans streptococci,  physiological Escherichia coli and many hundreds of others. 
      For ticks, it's the same, but their "probiotics" are bacteria such as the Borrelia species. Ticks infected with Borrelial spirochetes are, according to Stephen Buhner, much less prone to dehydration. This allows them to quest longer for a host. The bacteria also increases the fat reserve of the ticks by at least 12%, helps the infected ticks move more quickly, climb higher, take in larger blood meals, live longer and even become more tolerant of insect repellents. As if that wasn't enough, the bacteria also release a kind of antifreeze which helps the tick remain active during freezing temperatures (in case you thought you were in the clear during those January hikes!). 

        When a tick bites a host, it is looking to become infected with Borrelia if it is not already. It actually sends out chemical signals seeking the bacteria and telling them to come to it. (Again, learned from Buhner's book on Healing Lyme). 

What to do If You Find an Attached Tick or If You Suspect Lyme Infection:

      If you find a tick, follow the safe removal techniques outlined by CanLyme (Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation). Under no circumstance should you try smothering it with anything, burning it or using expensive essential oils because you saw someone else try it on the internet. Unorthodox removal methods can cause the tick to panic, regurgitate and speed up transmission of infectious bacteria. Stick to the known safe removal methods, but get it out as soon as you can. I carry a small zipper kit with me at all times and keep one in the first aid kit at home. I have been really fortunate to have never had need of it so far.

      Stephen Buhner recommends putting tincture of Andrographis on the site of the bite (after tick removal) and then putting a dab of Bentonite clay. 

      Be aware that if any rash forms you need to seek immediate medical attention, or do so if you develop flu-like symptoms a few days to a few weeks after the bite.

      If you suspect that you have had a long-standing infection with Lyme, note that tests are unfortunately not as accurate as one would hope. Tests consistently miss infection with spirochetes. The Elisa test looks at blood serum for antibodies. 40% of people known to have Lyme because of the tell-tale bulls-eye rash still test negative with this test. Stephen Buhner says that the best test of all is a biopsy + culture of spirochetes which he says is still not very effective. He mentions the best test for long standing infection to be the Advanced laboratory Lyme test which he states as 92% effective but it takes 2-4 months for results. CanLyme can recommend testing methods to actually test ticks for infection (you have to keep them alive!). They have directions for this. 

       I feel very called to learn everything I can about this illness and pass along that information. I have met many people in our area over the years who have been suffering with this infection chronically and my heart has ached to be able to offer them more support and understanding around this illness. I have been really fortunate that this illness has not touched me on a personal level. If you or your loved ones in our area have suffered with Lyme infection, I want to hear your story! Please comment or send me a message!

      Over the next few months, I hope to write several more articles on Lyme, specifically on the bacteria and how they affect the immune system and how we can use herbal medicine to support the body and help treat Borrelial infection. Please send me your questions and I will do my very best to answer them in any future articles to do with Lyme! 

       I know this information can get overwhelming- but ignoring it will not make ticks go away. Knowledge really is power and only in knowing more about something can we take active measures to help ourselves and others. 

 

Lyme Disease is on Vancouver Island: What Can You Do to Stay Safe

      Lyme-infected ticks are, and have been on Vancouver Island for much longer than the public has been aware of. Part of the problem has been that until very recently, health officials here were told that Lyme disease did not exist on Vancouver Island. Medical boards & health authorities did not have accurate information and were not trained to test for Lyme disease.

        Many people on Vancouver Island that have been infected with Lyme disease were given inadequate testing (if any) as well as inadequate treatment, including Dr. Martin Rodgers who was bitten at his home on the Malahat. Rodgers developed a bulls-eye rash (rashes only occur in approximately 30% of Lyme patients with only 9% reporting the classic "bulls-eye" formation) and was given two days of antibiotics and told not to worry. After developing classic Lyme symptoms such as chronic fatigue and pain, he had to obtain a test result from a US private labratory which confirmed the presence of Borrelia Burgdorferi bacteria which causes Lyme Disease.

       Dr. Lucy Kinninmonth, a veterinarian from Vancouver Island has seen about 20 specialists who had tested her for everything but Lyme disease because doctors told her "We don't have Lyme disease here". She finally had to spend 900.00 to send her own blood sample to a lab in California and her result came back as strongly positive for Lyme. 

       There are at least four species of ticks known to carry Lyme disease on Vancouver Island. There is also a species that is carrying another Lyme causing bacteria called "Borrelia genomospecies 2" that is commonly found on rabbits, but can bite anyone and potentially spread Lyme disease. 

      Thankfully, things are starting to shift- largely in part because of the work of non-profit organizations such as the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation (CanLyme) as well as new legislature thanks to Elizabeth May and the Green Party that will start to change the way Lyme Disease awareness, testing and treatment occurs in Canada. Elizabeth May's Private Member’s Bill, C-442, the Federal Framework on Lyme Disease Act was passed unanimously at third reading by the Senate the morning of Friday, December 12, 2014, making it the first piece of Green Party legislation in Canadian history. Just one more reason to love Elizabeth May and the Green Party! 

      Now that the medical community are recognizing that Lyme disease is on Vancouver Island and that it is a serious potential threat to public health, it should make proper diagnostic and treatment more accessible as time goes on. To prevent Lyme disease, it is important that everyone become aware of tick prevention methods as well as safe removal techniques and that people make themselves aware of what to do as far as medical attention and testing are concerned if bitten by a tick. 

      When hiking in the woods, or generally spending time outdoors, wearing light colored clothing can be helpful. It is easier to spot ticks on white or very light colored clothing than dark colors like brown or black. Tying hair back, tucking socks into pants and wearing long-sleeves and pants will help decrease surfaces for ticks to bite. Remember, ticks do not jump down on you from above- they cling to you when you brush by bushes (like Scottish Broom), plants and animals or if you are laying on the ground and crawl up until they find a nice place to bite. 

      When you finish your hike or time outdoors, do a tick check of yourself and kids. Especially inspect around and inside ears, belly buttons, arm pits and the groin area as ticks like dark, moist areas where they will be most concealed. Give your head a thorough check as well. A brilliant and inexpensive tool that can help pull off unwanted, unattached ticks, is a lint roller. Simple roll the lint roller up and down your legs, arms and torso to help remove any ticks you may have missed with just your eyes (ticks can be so tiny!). 

      Officially, the recommendation is to wear an insect repellent with DEET (yikes!) but if you're like me and want to avoid potentially harmful substances- try making your own or purchasing one like I make with herbal tincture and essential oils. My general recipe is as follows: 4-6 oz of Yarrow tincture (1:2 from fresh flowers) with 40-50 drops of catnip, eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass essential oils and about a 1/2- 1 tsp of vegetable glycerin. I spray this on every 15-30 minutes when tromping through the woods. 

      The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation (CanLyme) states that Lyme disease is less likely to be contracted if a tick is removed within the first 24 hours of it biting you. They recommend that you NEVER burn or smother a tick, but instead use a pair of needle nose tweezers to gently but firmly pull the tick straight out by gripping its mouth piece. For more information on safe tick removal check out their website here: https://canlyme.com/lyme-prevention/tick-removal/

      CanLyme also has a really awesome tick kit that includes several tick removing tools, an ID card, containers to place a tick and directions on where to send it, etc. The best part is, it's only 15.00! It can easily fit in your backpack, pocket or first aid kit. I highly recommend it, especially if you have children or pets and love to play outdoors! 

       If you have been experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease and even if you have received a negative test result in Canada- that doesn't guarantee you don't have Lyme disease. Tests in Canada are highly controversial and considered by many to be faulty and inaccurate. Many people have spent months or years trying to get a proper diagnoses only to finally send away their samples to a private lab in the states and get back the result that they are positive for Lyme disease. For more information on testing see here

     Finally, remember that our herbal allies are all around us and they are powerful healing and restorative beings. Herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner (one of my favorites... and he's from British Columbia!) has an entire book dedicated to helping people with Lyme. He outlines the most powerful herbal allies in combating Lyme Disease- with or without antibiotics. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about herbal medicine for Lyme Disease. You can find it on Amazon here.

      Enjoy the outdoors, everyone! 

St. John's (or Joan's) Wort. Hypericum Perforatum

        This marvelous plant with beautiful little yellow flowers never ceases to amaze me with it's healing powers. Hypericum is in the Hyperaceae family and flowers near the end of June on or around St. John's Day near summer solstice (hence it's common name). Some have confused this plant with it's relative, creeping St. John's wort, botanical name Hypericum calycinum but the two are not interchangeable. There are several plants of the Hypericum genus that can be used for herbal medicine purposes though they possess different properties. This post will focus on the Hypericum Perforatum variety only.

       This plant has been used since ancient times as a would medicine and is a specific for wounds to areas rich in nerve endings. It can be used for burns in all degrees, cuts and scrapes, and historically was even used to prevent tetanus. It is especially useful when wounds cause sharp, shooting pains or inflammation along the course of a nerve or where there is a pinched nerve.

       I have personally found the oil incredible effective for relieving neck and shoulder tension when massaged into that area. A few years ago, I had a low grade tension headache with a ultra tight neck and shoulders for four days. I had tried a handful of other remedies internally without much success. It seemed the other remedies were keeping a migraine at bay, but not addressing the underlying issue. It dawned on me to try St. John's wort oil , I could actually feel the tension melting away from my neck and shoulders until there was complete relief within a couple of hours. The tension did not come back.

      This year, due to poor posture with breast-feeding, baby hip-holding, and other self-inflicted injuries that result from being a mother to a baby, combined with a serious lack of exercise on my part, my lower back kept going out and causing me severe shooting pains. I would pick up my little guy and hold him for a while and when I would go to put him down, my back would jar and remain like that for days. I put on several topical pain remedies that offered some relief, but didn't fix it and then again I remembered I had St. John's wort tincture macerating. I strained out the flowers and took 10 drops. It took about an hour and then the entire area let go and relaxed, the tension was gone, and I regained full mobility and a sense of joy.

       St. John's wort has a special affinity to the solar plexus/nervous system of the body. It can be used to support people with anxiety, fear or depression. It is said to bring emotions and thoughts into synchronicity. It's flower essence is good for overload of information to help with processing.

     There are recommendations to exercise caution in taking St. John's wort internally if you are on antidepressants. Herbalist Susun weed says tincture is perfectly safe and people only run into problems when consuming capsules, watch her quick video on Hypericum here. I like to let people know about possible contraindications so that they can do their own research about their medications. This herb is so effective for the winter blues and depression that it has helped numerous people come off of medications altogether. 

      Many practitioners consider St. John's wort oil to be like a homeopathic chiropractic adjustment. For me, my personal experiences definitely confirm this opinion. It's also incredible anti-viral! The little yellow flowers of this beautiful plant make a vividly red tincture and oil. It will always have an important place in my herbal medicine chest and my heart!

      Starting on December 9, 2016 my apothecary, consultation space and educational services will be open! I have a limited stock of fresh Hypericum tincture and oil but once they're gone, I won't have more until next season! 

This is St. John (or Joan's) wort, Hypericum Perforatum. Notice it's upright stalk and tiny yellow flowers. When held up to the light you can see the that the flower's petals are perforated with tiny little holes.

This is Hypericum Calycinum (creeping St. John's wort) which is a common ground cover in gardens in North America. It has antibacterial properties but cannot be used interchangeably with Hypericum Perforatum.

Calendula Officinalis

Harvesting and working with Calendula simply makes me feel happy. This sunny plant in the Aster family is incredible powerful and I love how long it lasts around in my garden. The first flowers usually open in May or June depending on the heat and keep appearing all the way through November! 

The best time to Harvest Calendula blossoms for herbal medicine is in July or August during the most intense heat as this is when the plant is most resinous. The flowers are picked and infused into oil, made into tincture, or dried for use in teas or soups through-out the winter.

I use this plant for wounds, glandular problems and as an immune tonic. It is classified as a "bacteriostatic" which means it doesn't kill bacteria, but it keeps them contained to keep a wound clean. Mathew Wood says it is a specific for "cat scratch" like wounds which are red, puffy and tend towards production of pus. 

Calendula is well suited for splenic conditions of damp heat. Use this when there is stagnation of the lymphatics, especially in multiple glands. I add calendula petals to my salads in the summer and early fall and I add the infused oil to almost every one of my salve recipes.

I highly recommend planting this beautiful and useful flower into your garden. I grow both the yellow and orange varieties. It pretty much self seeds itself with very little assistance and it's medicinal uses are multiple. This is a remedy to keep in your first aid chest and have handy when "cold season" comes along. 

I hope you'll enjoy and love this plant as much as I do!