HEALING LYME | My Site 6

My Healing Journey

I’m naturally quite impatient, especially when it comes to feeling unwell and wanting to recover after years of illness. But I’ve learned the hard way that slow, steady progress is far more effective when healing from a chronic condition. Years of being unwell weren’t going to be reversed overnight. I had to be patient—especially with something as complex as Lyme disease.

When I was first diagnosed, I knew nothing about Lyme. But after eight years of researching natural health treatments and addressing my own minor bacterial infections, I had built a solid understanding of the foundations of health and what might be needed to overcome the disease.

I had considered going back to my GP to share my diagnosis, but I knew it would likely be met with scepticism. The NHS wasn’t likely to recognise the CD57 test I had used. I had read countless stories of people in the UK with chronic Lyme being dismissed by infectious disease doctors—either because they didn’t acknowledge the CD57 test or didn’t believe chronic Lyme existed at all. I knew I would have to find my own way.

To make things even more complicated, I was still withdrawing from benzodiazepines and couldn’t tolerate any form of antibiotics.

I needed guidance from someone truly knowledgeable about Lyme disease—ideally, someone who had recovered and had first-hand experience. After some searching, I came across several people who had healed from chronic Lyme naturally. I reached out to each of them and arranged meetings to learn how they had overcome the disease.

Building My Lyme Team

The people I spoke to with Lyme were truly inspiring. Despite being incredibly unwell, each had thoroughly researched their treatment options and committed to a personalised healing protocol. Although they didn’t know each other, their approaches were strikingly similar, following a multifaceted strategy I was already familiar with.

At its core, this approach focused on nurturing the foundations of health, removing barriers to healing, and giving the body everything it needed to fight the infection.

With the help of my Lyme team and under the guidance of a naturopathic doctor, I began my healing journey.

My Lyme Disease Symptoms

Fatigue
Brain fog
Joint pain
Memory loss
Changes in personality
Rage
Exercise intolerance
Hearing loss
Visual disturbances
Digestive issues
Dizziness

My treatment began just as the COVID pandemic hit. As difficult as the lockdowns were, they gave me the time and space to focus on recovering from benzodiazepine withdrawal and treating Lyme disease.

Laying the Foundations

The first phase of my treatment focused on ensuring I was receiving all the essential nutrients my body required while addressing long-standing issues like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, leaky gut, and parasites. These infections were treated with herbs such as oregano oil, berberine, black walnut hulls, and pau d’arco.

Additional testing had revealed heavy metal toxicity and Epstein-Barr virus, but I would tackle those at a later stage. To manage the die-off of pathogens and toxin release, I detoxified regularly using a portable sauna, drinking plenty of water, and taking binders.

Food played a huge role in managing my symptoms. At the beginning of my treatment, my diet consisted mainly of healthy greens, meat, and fruit. Despite occasional slip-ups, staying consistent made a significant difference.

Targeting Lyme and Co-Infections

After three months of addressing minor issues, I shifted my focus to the Lyme disease infection itself. Knowing I had active viruses and co-infections, I was prescribed a blend of herbs designed to target these infections, strengthen my immune system, and reduce inflammation. Inspired by Stephen Buhner’s book Healing Lyme, I familiarised myself with herbs such as:

Japanese knotweed
Sweet wormwood
Artemisia
Astragalus
Cryptolepis
Smilax
Cistus incanus
Stevia
Skullcap
Cat’s claw

The herbal tinctures were incredibly strong, so I had to start with one drop twice a day and gradually build up to the recommended 20 drops. My impatience initially got the better of me, and I increased the dose too quickly. This was inevitably met with the dreaded Herxheimer reaction.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Ozone Therapy

These two therapies had repeatedly appeared in my search for effective Lyme treatments. I had read numerous accounts of people experiencing success with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and various forms of ozone therapy. Upon my initial diagnosis, I had undergone a couple of rounds of mild hyperbaric therapy, but I had to stop due to the pandemic. Now that the world was beginning to open up again, I decided to try a hard-shell hyperbaric chamber, which could achieve a higher pressure.

As luck would have it, there was a therapy centre a short drive from me that housed two full-sized hyperbaric chambers. The centre was able to offer HBOT at a discounted rate, as it was funded by a charity.

I began using the HBOT chamber once per week, gradually increasing to twice and sometimes three times per week. This was one of the first treatments that had a direct impact on my symptoms. The day after a session, many of my neurological symptoms improved noticeably.

Not content with adding HBOT to my regime, I began exploring ozone therapy. A fellow Lyme patient had experienced some improvements by performing ozone rectal insufflations. Having researched the subject thoroughly, he had purchased his own ozone machine and learned how to perform the procedure himself. Under his kind guidance, I purchased an ozone machine and began performing rectal insufflations.

Rectal insufflations are proof that when you are sick, you will do anything to get better. Although I didn’t see any immediate improvements from the ozone therapy, I knew it was something I would need to do daily for many months before I would see the benefit.

The Carnivore Diet

Six months into treatment, I accidentally stumbled upon the carnivore diet. When I noticed a rapid improvement in certain symptoms, I wracked my brain trying to figure out what I had done differently. Then it hit me—I’d only been eating meat.

The COVID lockdown had prevented me from getting to the shops, so I’d simply been eating whatever was in the freezer—meat. My naturopath had originally recommended the carnivore diet at the start of my treatment, but I’d dismissed it, unwilling to abandon my trusted way of eating.

For six months, I stuck to a diet of steak and apples. This unintentionally triggered ketosis, which helped heal my gut and starved the parasites of their food source. As a temporary measure, this diet gave me energy and significantly reduced my symptoms.

One Year of Treatment

My first year of treatment had been challenging. Although I’d had some improvements in my health, I was still in withdrawal from the benzodiazepines and finding that some of the herbs were aggravating my withdrawal. But I had to carry on; I knew that recovering from Lyme disease could take many years.

Autohemotherapy

Having become comfortable experimenting on myself and trying every possible treatment, I decided to try autohemotherapy. This more invasive form of ozone therapy involved withdrawing 150ml of my blood, mixing it with ozone, and then reintroducing it intravenously. Once back in the bloodstream, the ozonated blood is then pumped around the body by the heart.

This procedure is known as "one pass," but ozone therapy typically involves multiple passes. The ozone acts as a disinfectant, neutralising any viruses and bacteria it comes into contact with, while also stimulating the immune system and reducing inflammation.

Autohemotherapy is controversial due to a lack of solid scientific evidence, safety concerns, and regulatory restrictions. So why did I want to try it? The main reason was that I’d read many genuine accounts of it working for people with chronic Lyme. That’s not to say that it worked for everyone, but that was good enough for me to want to try it.

I went for autohemotherapy every 3–4 weeks, gradually building up to five passes. On some occasions, when the machine worked, I had the added benefit of my blood passing through a UV light filter. The job of the UV filter was apparently to further tackle bacteria and viruses.

After several visits, it became clear that my body could only handle up to five passes. This wasn’t due to any adverse reaction but simply because, after the fifth pass, the blood refused to flow back into my bloodstream. The clinic used a standard autohemotherapy method that relied on gravity to reintroduce the blood into the body. While this technique worked well for most people, it just didn’t seem to work for me!

Six months after my last round of five-pass ozone therapy, I heard about a new clinic opening that offered multipass ozone therapy at very reasonable prices. An added benefit was that they used the latest state-of-the-art ozone machine, which meant I wouldn’t be limited to just five passes. Feeling optimistic, I took the plunge and booked ten passes. The procedure went smoothly and was completed in just 30 minutes. The following week, after the ten-pass session, I felt a little tired but otherwise fine.

The protocol for autohemotherapy varies for each individual, depending on their condition and how much ozone they can tolerate. Many blogs and testimonials I had read described people doing anything from one pass per week to ten passes every four weeks. I decided to have three rounds of ten-pass ozone therapy over four months and assess how I felt. I knew ozone wasn’t a quick fix, and it could take many months before I experienced the full benefits.

Three Years of Treatment

At the three-year mark, my health had greatly improved. Many of my long-standing Lyme symptoms had cleared.

Herbs, ozone therapy, and HBOT were my tried-and-trusted methods of healing, which I planned to continue using until I felt I no longer needed them. My HBOT sessions had typically been weekly, while autohemotherapy was more sporadic. Most ozone clinics offer a maximum of ten passes, though some will go as high as twenty. So, when I received an email offering twenty passes, I jumped at the chance. After completing the treatment, I noticed further improvements in my health.

To prevent bacteria from developing resistance, I reviewed and adjusted my herbal regimen every two months. To stay healthy and maintain progress, I continued with regular parasite cleanses, heavy metal detoxes, and a nutrient-dense diet. However, I’m only human, and there were plenty of times when I found myself at the bottom of several pints of lager, followed by a greasy takeaway.

Feeling better, slipping back into bad habits, and then paying the price for a few days is all part of recovering from Lyme. That inevitable rough patch always served as the perfect reminder to get back on track with a healthy routine.

Four Years of Treatment

I am symptom-free! By staying committed to detoxing, eating healthily, and maintaining my protocol, I achieved full remission.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on my personal experience with healing from Lyme disease. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care. Lyme disease and related conditions can be complex, and treatment approaches may vary for each individual. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health regimen, starting new treatments, or discontinuing prescribed medications. I am not a doctor, and this article is for informational purposes only.