Natural Lyme Disease Treatment with Herbal Remedies

Since 2007 a significant portion of my practice has been focused on Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. When I first started, I was limited to using mainly herbal and homeopathic remedies, supplements, and IV therapy. However, most people that I diagnosed wanted antibiotics and believed that only antibiotics could treat Lyme disease. Thanks to books by Stephen Buhner, Dr. Horowitz, Dr. Rawls, and others, we know that there is a path to recovery using herbs as a natural Lyme disease treatment.

Studies on Herbs and Lyme Disease

There are very few studies published on herbs directly against B. burgdorferi and all studies have been in-vitro. Looking at the action in a petri dish is a good start and may be a good way to decide which herbs to study further, however relying on the results of these studies is not ideal for clinical application. A petri dish is a controlled environment including the medium to grow the bacteria, the temperature, and the length of time. How the herbs act in a human body can be much different.

A 2023 review article published in Integrative Medicine summarized the results of studies on the effects of herbs against growing and non-growing forms of B. burgdorferi. Non growing or stationary phase of bacteria can be more difficult to kill since the bacteria ceases growth but remains metabolically active. Researchers review of the literature listed seven herbs that have antimicrobial action against B. burgdorferi:

1. Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)
2. Resveratrol, one of the active compounds in Japanese Knotweed
3. Cats Claw (Unicaria tomentosa):
4. Cryptolepis (Cryptolepis sanguinolenta)
5. Artemisia (Artemisia annua)
6. Thyme
7. Oil of Oregano

Herbs that did not show activity from their review included stevia, andrographis, and grapefruit seed extract (another study found it to be active when the toxic ingredient was not removed).

A 2020 study published in Frontiers of Medicine by researchers at Johns Hopkins University showed that seven natural product extracts were found to have good activity against the stationary phase B. burgdorferi culture compared to the control antibiotics doxycycline and cefuroxime.

1. Cryptolepis sanguinolenta,
2. Juglans nigra(Black walnut)
3. Polygonum cuspidatum(Japanese knotweed),
4. Artemisia annua(Sweet wormwood),
5. Uncaria tomentosa(Cat’s claw),
6. Cistus incanus,
7. Scutellaria baicalensis(Chinese skullcap)

A 2018 Study published in the journal Antibiotics found essential oils were effective at eradication of persister cells. Persister cells are considered the bacteria that survive after antibiotic treatment. Out of 35 essential oils tested, ten were highly effective. These essential oils were derived from garlic cloves, myrrh trees, thyme leaves, cinnamon bark, allspice berries, cumin seeds, and eucalyptus.

A 2015 published study showed that stevia liquid extract killed growing Lyme germs. Eva Sapi, PhD and her colleagues at the University of New Haven, showed that a whole plant extract of Stevia rebaudiana killed 94% of growing B. burgdorgeri spirochetes and persisters. Stevia also significantly reduced B. burgdorferi biofilms.

How Herbs Work Against Bacteria

Herbs have been used for hundreds of years to treat infections and other human illnesses. How they work is due to their myriads of active components. These actions have historically been studied alone but new studies find that they work synergistically with other herbs, supplements, and even antibiotics to enhance the treatment of bacterial infections. This is becoming very important in the age of antibiotic-resistance bacteria.

Below is a summary of some of the components of herbs that give them their anti-microbial properties:

Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing organic compounds that possess significant antimicrobial effects. They are so important that they inspired the development of antimicrobial drugs, such as quinolones, azomycin, and metronidazole.

Flavonoids are a plant polyphenols commonly found in plants and are extensively used in traditional herbal medicine. Antimicrobial mechanism of flavonoids includes cell membrane damage, inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis, inhibition of energy metabolism, and inhibition of cell wall synthesis.

Essential Oils in plants contain antibacterial ingredients composed of dozens of compounds, e.g., alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, phenols, ethers, and lipids. Their terpenoid structures have been known to exhibit antimicrobial activities for decades. The antimicrobial effects of essential oils may be from cell membrane damage and cytotoxic effects. In fungal pathogens, essential oil destroys ATP assembly and leads to cell wall damage.

Organic acids. There are five ways that organic acids can kill bacteria: energy competition, damage to bacterial cell membrane, increased intracellular osmotic pressure, inhibition of protein synthesis, and induction of antimicrobial peptides in host cells. Not all bacteria are affected by organic acids in a similar manner so their anti-microbial effectiveness can vary between species of bacteria.

Polysaccharides are carbohydrates consisting of long chain monosaccharides. They have antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Coumarin compounds are considered potential antibacterial agents due to their structural similarity to quinolone, a broad-spectrum antibiotic. They display excellent inhibitory activity against MRSA and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). Some natural coumarin compounds have been used as a new type of antibiotic to treat infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Lignans are bioactive, phenolic plant compounds. Current research on the antimicrobial constituents of lignans is still very limited. One study evaluated three lignans and four flavonoids isolated from the herb Larrea tridentata or Larch. Results showed that lignans from Larch had activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as Enterobacter cloacae.

Using Herbs for Lyme Disease Treatment and Other Tick-bourne Illnesses

Why use herbs as the sole anti-microbial treatment?
It is well established that the gut microbiota plays an important role in human health and is perturbed by several factors including antibiotics. Antibiotic‐induced changes in microbial composition can have a negative impact on human health including reduced microbial diversity, changes in attributes of the microbiota, and formation of antibiotic‐resistant strains making us more susceptible to infection with pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile.

A second common reason to limit the use of antibiotics is if you have a history of chronic yeast overgrowth and/or infections. Antibiotics kill healthy bacteria in the body that normally keep yeast in balance. This creates an imbalance that allows candida to grow out of control. Signs of a yeast overgrowth can include, abdominal bloating and pain, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, brain fog, recurrent UTI’s, peri-oral rashes, sugar cravings, and others.

Why use herbal mixtures?
Many companies such as Beyond Balance, Byron White, Researched Nutritional and others provide herbal mixtures targeted at treating Lyme disease and co-infections. As discussed above one advantage of using a combination of herbs is that each may contain different constituents that work to kill the bacteria in different ways making the combination more effective. Most remedies contain herbs with anti-inflammatory properties that lessen a die-off reaction and provide symptom relief. Other herbs boost the immune system helping it find and kill the bacteria by cutting through biofilms.  A combination of all these actions can provide quicker symptoms relief for some.

Why use one herb at a time?
Herbal mixtures can be more potent and for those who are sensitive, may cause a histamine response and trigger an adverse response. Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) can be a severe allergic condition or a vastly under-recognized underlying cause of multiple chronic inflammatory conditions that affect roughly 17% of the entire population. This population may need to use one herb at a time and slowly increase the dose or find antibiotics safer and more effective.

In addition, some people have allergies to specific herbs. They can have a significant reaction to them including rash, swelling, etc. It is essential to use one herb at a time in this case and avoid mixtures of herbs unless you are sure of families of herbs you react to, and the mixture does not contain it. It can be a challenge finding mixtures of herbs free of the allergen. The most common allergy that I have seen is to the Asteraceae family that includes herbs such milk and blessed thistle.

Lastly, some patients are very sensitive or may have a higher load in their bodies of the Lyme spirochete or more than one co-infection. It is good to start with herbs that are extracted in glycerin and tend to be less potent. This is a good rule of thumb for treating children as well. In these cases, I start with 1/4-1/2 drop of a remedy and I use the Beyond Balance remedies. I have seen them to be very effective for children.

Why use herbs in combination with antibiotics?
Antibiotics are anywhere from 70-95% effective against B. burgdorferi. Herbs can enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics and work synergistically with antibiotics to kill bacteria. New studies demonstrate that herbs can enhance the actions of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections.  

In one of the studies mentioned earlier the authors of the study concluded that even though some herbs did not have an anti-microbial effect on Lyme spirochetes, patients felt better and had significant symptoms relief while on herbal remedies. They speculated that many of the herbs have anti-inflammatory effects that may contribute to patient’s “perceptions” of symptomatic improvement. Reducing inflammation is an important aspect of Lyme disease treatment since it improves immune system function and reduces many of the symptoms of a tick-borne illness.

There are several studies showing Lyme “persister” cells can survive the typical course of antibiotics for Lyme disease treatment. These persister cells are “antibiotic resistant” and a treatment plan that includes herbs would be very helpful to avoid their creation and also work to eradicate them.

Using Herbs or Herbal Mixtures for Natural Lyme Disease Treatment

Always start with one drop of an herb or herbal mixture once a day. If you don’t have an adverse reaction after a few days, then take the remedy twice a day on an empty stomach. I typically combine herbs with anti-inflammatory remedies and remedies that help with detoxification. Slowly add a drop every three to seven days until you reach approximately 25 drops twice a day. After you have been on the full dose for a few weeks it is good to change the herb or herbal mixture. Ideally it would be good to start with less potent remedies and as you proceed add in more potent remedies.

As stated earlier, some individuals are so sensitive that I begin with ¼ drop of a remedy once a week and they slowly work up on the dose. Even though it can feel frustrating to start so low, as one gets up on higher doses die off reactions are less intense and we can increase the dosing schedule.

When to Use Antibiotics as Your Sole Treatment for Lyme Disease

Despite good detoxification protocols, anti-inflammatory remedies, and good diet and exercise some people are very sensitive to herbs and any herb or herbal mixture will cause severe symptoms. It can be due to MCAS, an already upregulated immune system, or a heavy load of the bacteria or co-infections. Exposure and sensitivity to mold has to be considered in these cases as well. In this case antibiotics can be very helpful. I will typically try to add in herbs after three to six months on antibiotics and try to rely mostly on herbal remedies when the patient can tolerate them.

Case Study: Successful Lyme Disease Treatment Using Herbal Remedies

John came to me as a 41-year-old with fatigue, dizziness, and joint pain that came on after a hiking trip in Maine where he experienced many tick bites. He did not see a bull’s eye rash but the symptoms started about one week after he completed the hiking trip. The symptoms came on slowly, so he didn’t initially associate them with the tick bites. He had been suffering with these symptoms for six months since upon return to Colorado he could not get help with his symptoms. After much testing and being sent to one medical specialty to the next he found an MD willing to test him for Lyme disease and he was positive. Since the MD did not know how to treat Lyme disease he found me at NatureMed.

He was started on strong herbal remedies since he preferred to work with herbs, as well as a diet protocol and anti-inflammatory and detoxification remedies. He had significant die-off at a very low dose of the herbal remedies so I switched him to gentle Beyond Balance remedies: MC-BB1, MC-BAB3 and MC-BAR1 for Lyme disease co-infections. He slowly worked up to 25 drops twice a day of each remedy while keeping me informed on when he a die off reaction. I typically give directions every time there is a die off. Alka base and reducing the herbal dosage helped him. We then switched to MC-BB2, MC-BAB1 and MC-BAR2. After quickly getting to the full dose of these remedies he used Samento, Banderol, Cumanda, Houttuynia and Enula from NutraMedix. Next, he used Byron White formulas and lastly mixtures of cryptolepsis, Japanese Knotweed, Chinese skullcap, artemisia, sida acuta, and others. During this time he followed a 12-week biofilm treatment, then a protocol of pulsing the herbal remedies, and lastly a maintenance protocol. When we finished he was symptom free until he caught COVID and after an anti-viral protocol he was symptoms free again.

The Expansion of Lyme Disease Treatment

The treatment for Lyme disease has expanded and improved over the years since I first started treating those suffering with it. Most people come to me now asking for herbal treatment for Lyme disease and co-infections. At NatureMed, we offer high dose IV Vitamin C and other treatments such as disulfiram, methylene blue, and tafenoquine.

We can guide you through the appropriate testing and a good treatment protocol using herbs, antibiotics, and/or IV therapy. If you are just looking for guidance with herbs and herbal remedies we can get you started on a comprehensive protocol addressing diet, detoxification, inflammation, mold toxicity, as well as all aspects of treating Lyme disease and co-infections.

Contact NatureMed to schedule your appointment with Dr. Clark: 303-884-7557.