Required Supplements to Fight Lyme Disease 

There are many different recommendations for certain vitamins, minerals or herbs.  To search for a supplement not listed here please go to www.vitamin-pak.com for the highest quality manufacturers with the best prices to be found on the net.  Otherwise click on underlined text to view product and add to cart.

The supplements listed here are from "Dr. Burrascano's Guidelines for the Treatment of Lyme Disease" (download here).

Probiotic - presumably your doctor has perscribed a probiotic if you are on antibiotics. "Udo's Choice Adult Probiotic" is excellent.  You can buy it here.

Multi-Vitamin - Even if you currently take a multi-vitamin, you should consider switching to these gender specific multi-vitamins that deliver pharmaceutical grade nutrients ina addition to a proprietary blend of herbs and enzymes - even therapeutic spices to enhance bioavailability and function. Try one of these innovative multi-vitamins by New Chapter.

CoQ-10 - Critical for heart function, but not to be taken if you are on Mepron (for treatment of Babesiosis). I use a product by NOW, but there are many good ones and the price varies greatly.  Look at some of these for a product that meets your budget, and remember, the doctor recommends between 100 and 300 mg depending upon the quality of the brand.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid - facilitatesa the entry of CoQ-10 into mitochondria (cell's power source). Country Life has a Bio-Chem brand of excellent quality Alphalipoic Acid you can find here.  Dr. Burrascano recommends 300 mg twice a day so you will need to purchase 4 bottles to cover one months requirements.

Vitamin B Complex - 50 to100 mg is recommended to help clear neurological symptoms. Universal Nutrition is a superior brand with value pricing.

Magnesium - "...will help with tremors, twitches, cramps, musxcle soreness, heart skips and weakness." I like NOW brand and take 2 of these daily.  Although some doctors recommend even more.

Essential Fatty Acid - Important to battle fatigue, aches, weakness, vertigo, dizziness, memory, concentration, and some of the other harrowing syptoms of Lyme disease.  The preferred EFA of most health care professionals and the one tha I use is Udo's Oil 3-6-9 Blend.   Must be kept refrigerated.

FOR NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS:

Acetyl-L-Carnitine and SAMe - has noticeable improvement with short term memory, mood and cognition. Be sure to read Dr. Burrascano's notes on the proper dosage. Try the following products by Source Naturals, a high quality lab for these nutrients designed to pass the blood/brain barrier and attack the spirochetes colonizing in you central nervous system and brain.  For Acetyl-L Carnitine click here.   For SAMe click here.

Increased Antioxidant/Green Tea - 4 cups of green tea can contain 80 to 100 times more antioxidants than Vitamin C. Dr. Burrascano recommends 4 to 7 cups or the equivalent in capsiule form.  I like Jarrow's formula with 5:1 ratio of top quality tea leaves and 500mg of pure green tea. If you prefer to drink the tea, make sure you choose decaffinated without any additives.

Cordyceps - a mushroom based formula discovered in Tibet and historically used for stamina and high energy. New Chapter is an excellent source to build up natural killer cells desparately needed in the fight against Lyme disease.   Easy to take!  15 to 30 drops can be added to your favorite beverage.

Reishi Mushrooms - another mushroom known to boost killer cells by up to 300% - especially CD-57 (contra-indicated in Lyme disease). New Chapter also manufactures a homeopathic version of this mushroom remedy. 

**AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

During my first year of suffering with Neurological Lyme Borreliosis, my primary care doctor and Lyme Specialist agreed that until the severity of my symptoms were reduced, I would not be able to begin the healing process.  I needed very strong pharmacological assistance to reach the point where my body could respond to treatment.  Pain releases cotisol into the blood stream ("fight or flight" chemical) which aggravates many of the altreadt intolerable syptoms of pain, insomnia and anxiety.

As I have researched the many alternative approaches to fighting Lyme disease, I have come across some natural herbs and remedies worth mentioning.  Some are expensive but none require a perscription.  And in my case, some have allowed me to "get off" high powered drugs that I was completely rerliant on for months.

Melatonin - for insomnia.  I take one of these each night before bed. (5mg)

5 HTP - for mood enhancement.  This brand focuses on quality and purity.  Possible side effect are drowsiness or jitters, so take with care.

GABA - Gamma-amino butyric acid supports and calms the central nervous systemthat successfully crosses the blood-brain barrier. Relax-All is a combination of GABA, wild jujubee seeds and magnolia tree bark that Chinese have used for centuries to relax everything from muscle spasms to anxiety.

**Please consult your medical professionals before trying any new vitamin or supplement.  The author is sharing her experience and is not in any way providing medical advice.