Snapping, Creaking Bones

Okay.  It has been one or two weeks now that when I wake up my bones are creaking, cracking, snapping sounding.  Just all this noise that has never been there before when I get out of bed.  A few weeks ago, the nails on my big toes were peeling right off and had vertical lines and were quite dry.  These are NEW symptoms that I have never had before (as in the 5 years that I had had Lyme Disease) so I attribute them to the herbs and I am thinking the Androgrphis.  Why?  Because Andrrographis has been known to interfere with progesterone and can cause a deficiency.  Progesterone facilitates strong bones.  I have also had itching, nails that are splitting, congestion and post nasal drip as well as a total lack of motivation in the mornings which are all a new cluster of symptoms that I haven't really had before in such an ongoing, daily, monthly consistent pattern that never goes away.  The problem I have is that I am taking the LB Core Protocol by Green Dragon Botanicals which is a mix of Buhners old Lyme disease protocol.  He now no longer recommends andrographis as a main Lyme herb as he used to.  The LB Core Protocol includes smilax, dandelion and then the spirochete killing herbs which are andrographis, Japanese knotweed and cats claw.  I have about one month and a half left of these herbs in this combination formula (you can't separate the herbs out as they are all combined in every capsule) and then I am thinking to eliminate the andrographis and just move forward with the other herbs.  The thing is, Japanese Knotweed seems to be difficult to find these days.  The two main sources that Buhner recommends for purchasing Japanese Knotweed and Cats Claw capsules from are out of stock and I have read that one of the sources shipment is being held up by the FDA indefinately.  Japanese Knotweed is considered an invasive plant species so maybe the worry that the FDA might have is the spread of it?   I don't know!  I just know that it is highly indicated for Lyme and that Buhner says if there was one herb he would recommend for all Lyme patients it would be Japanese Knotweed.  I think I need to say a prayer that the shipments get released by the FDA and sent to the sources.  I do believe I can buy the herbs in bulk and encapsulate them myself, but having four children, the thought of spending my time encapsulating herbs doesn't sound fun.  However, there are probobly hefty sums of money to be saved by buying in bulk and encapsulating myself.  We shall see.

Its been almost 6 months on Buhner Protocol!

Okay!  Well it has been almost 6 months of me doing this Buhner Protocol.  I would love to write that I felt better but actually it seemed to make me feel worse at first.  But I guess that is normal for late-stage or chronic lyme.  Anyway.  I am experimenting with not taking the Siberian Eleuthero right now as I have been having nervousness every morning and that was a symptom I didn't really have before starting the protocol and was beginning to drive me nuts.  Lately, I have been taking a vegan protein powder in the morning as well for about 5 days or so and seeing how that helps me.  I also eliminated the Circulation P capsules as I was doing a joint Buhner/Zhange protocol trying to hit heavy.  So far, I haven't been having morning nervousness but because I am making so many changes in a short amount of time it is hard to say whether it is the removal of the Circulation P and Siberian Eleuthro or the addition of the vegan protein powder that is eliminating the nervousness.  I am not one to make a ton of changes in a short amount of time as I generally like to go about things in a very systematic way in order to know exactly what was the cause of the nervousness.  I should add that I continue to have post-nasal drip or phlegm as well as nasal congestion that are all new symptoms that began with the protocol.  Not enjoying that very much.  And sometimes, like right now when I just drank a ton of cold water, my throat gets a real scratchy feeling.  Right now, I think the protocol is helping my body fight the lyme, yes, but I certainly don't feel better in the 2 month time period the Buhner says.  I am not having major symptom increase like I did when I first started the protocol - as in nearly every symptom I had came back (well, not the very worst of them like when I would close my eyes and my brain was mixing words all around in my head in complete mental confusion) but all the numbness, vibrations, depression, nerves, etc.  Man - it helps to know where all that stuff comes from when. 

How could I forget, I am also taking a couple of activated charcoal caps and 5 capsules of chlorella in the mornings before I eat as well.  Just to mop up any toxins.  So we shall see...I don't know.  But I just keep on keeping on!  I am not feeling terrible - I am definately through the worst but I should say when I added in a Coptis Purge Fire to my protocol a few weeks back all hell broke lose for a couple days until I stopped taking it.  It probobly was killing off more - but I just need a break.  I need a few months of feeling okay before we go deeper and kill more.  Yikes.