Cowden Protocol

If you're a Lymie like me, you've probably heard plenty about the Cowden Protocol, but for those who don't know, here's a bit of a summary. The Cowden Protocol is an herbal treatment for Lyme disease and many of its co-infections (the lesser-known infections that can also be transmitted, many in less time than it takes to get Lyme, from a tick bite, among other methods of transmission). Cowden takes a systematic approach to treatment, mixing detoxification in with the herbs that fight infection in order to make the treatment more tolerable than other methods, like oral or intravenous antibiotics. The herbs are also rotated through a specific schedule to kill off what is likely to be present as other infections die. It is a 9-month program, with the option to continue until full health is realized once complete.

Although Cowden does not need to be purchased through a medical professional, it is best when followed under the care of a LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) for assistance with side effects and other issues. I've been purchasing my products through Nutramedix, although they can be purchased through other websites as well. (See link and discount code at the end of the post.) After trying many other remedies, Cowden has been recommended to me by my LLMD, so I started it almost a month ago.

As I mentioned in a previous post, part of the protocol involves drinking 96 oz. of water a day. Other than the normal benefits of drinking a lot of water, this is done to help detoxify your body as the bacteria die off. One of the biggest complaints of Lymies is the Herx reaction, which is when you feel worse from treatment before getting better. This occurs when the dead bacteria linger in your system. People experience this in different ways because the symptoms of Lyme vary so greatly, but the main theme is that whatever a person's weak spots are, that's where they tend to feel the Herx the worst. By drinking so much water, you flush the dead bacteria from your system before they have a chance to cause problems.

If you do experience any kind of Herx reaction, the program has instructions for taking additional detoxifying herbs to get rid of it. It is even suggested that you slow down the program until the Herx goes away. While 9+ months is a long time to take to complete the program, many Lymies have been suffering with the effects of Chronic Lyme (or whatever doctors want to call it these days) for years upon years, taking forever before they are even diagnosed and then struggling through treatment after treatment with little to no results. A 9-month protocol with minimal Herx reactions is as good or better than many other treatments.

So, my experience so far? Fairly neutral, but I think that's to be expected at less than a month into the program. As I type this, I'm suffering from a mild migraine (yes, there are varying degrees, and after living with them for so long I've learned many coping mechanisms), joint pain, typical fatigue, back pain, and neck pain, to name a few things. I can't ever be sure whether a migraine is a Herx reaction or just my normal symptoms, so I increase my detox herbs just to be safe, but in the end I'll most likely have to take my prescription medication to get rid of it.

But I can report that I'm up to the full dose of Samento and Banderol for the month without having experienced any major setbacks. These are two herbs I've tried before and I've always had major Herxing that caused me to lower the doses for a time before continuing up to the full doses. So that's a positive for the program. I know Samento and Banderol do something to kill off Lyme and co-infections, so if they're working quietly without causing a Herx, I can at least operate at my level of normal while on the program.

I'll check back in a little while to let you know my progress. There are other herbs that will be mixed in eventually, so I'm curious to know whether they'll make a difference.

If you use this link and the discount code TAF16, you'll receive 25% off your first order from Nutramedix.

Water

Everyone knows there are many benefits to drinking a lot of water. I don't need to rehash what we learned in 3rd grade health class here. But I've had to challenge myself to drink 96 oz. of water a day recently, and I've found some interesting things.

Why do I have to do this? Well, I'll be starting the Cowden Protocol next week. (Most Lymies will at least be familiar with the name, but Cowden is a set of herbal supplements that you take in rotation to help eradicate Lyme and co-infections. More on Cowden in another post.) One of the main rules of Cowden is that you MUST drink 96 oz. of water for it to work. I suppose this helps flush out the dying bacteria from your system.

In preparation for Cowden, I figured I better get used to drinking so much water each day. When I was still able to work, I used to drink plenty of water, but I'll admit my consumption has dwindled since I've been so sick. Sometimes just getting out of bed to get a drink isn't worth the effort. Now that I'm forcing myself to do it, here's what I've found:

1. Water bloat is a real thing. Sometimes when I try to drink a lot of water at once, I feel it sloshing around in my stomach. It's uncomfortable for a while until it begins working its way through my system. I don't know if that's a result of digestion/absorption issues from Lyme or if it's normal. I never know if things are normal anymore.
2. There aren't enough hours in a day. 96 oz. of water is a LOT. I drink water with all my meds and supplements and with my meals. I also drink it throughout the day. I limit myself to 2 cups of coffee a day (yeah, I know I shouldn't have any, but it helps my migraines) and I also drink 2 cups of Natural Care Tea as prescribed by my LLMD. Other than that, it's only water. I thought I was drinking a good amount, but once I measured out 96 oz., I was shocked at how far short I was each day. Sometimes I'm trying to chug the last cup right before bed and sometimes I just don't drink it all. Hopefully by the time I start Cowden I'll be more used to drinking that much every day.
3. It makes you pee a lot. I know this seems obvious, but I feel like I'm pregnant again with how often I have to go! 96 oz. in, 96 oz. out. Only unlike when I was pregnant, it's more like Niagara Falls than a babbling brook. When I used to drink more water regularly, I don't recall having to go so much. I don't know if that's another issue with my body's breakdown, or maybe it's my fuzzy Lyme memory. And since I sometimes drink that last bit right before bed, I wake up and have to go. Sleep interruptions are not a good thing, so I need to work on drinking more earlier in the day.
4. It reduces my hot flashes. This has been a shockingly pleasant side effect. I have no idea if it will work for everyone, but it has been a noticeable decrease for me. I've had hot flashes since surgically-induced menopause in July of last year, and I've tried pretty much every OTC remedy out there. I've been hesitant to go on long-term hormone replacement therapy for several reasons, so I've stuck to the OTC stuff and sweated it out. Literally. When I have hot flashes, I can be dripping sweat in an instant. But since I began drinking 96 oz. of water a day (or as close to it as I can get), I've felt a big difference. The number of hot flashes has dropped and those I do get aren't as intense. Major bonus and reason enough to keep drowning myself daily.

Maybe in time I'll see other benefits to all this water. For now, it still feels like I'm forcing myself to drink it every day. But keep at it, and in a week I'll start Cowden, which lasts for 6-9 months. I'll let you know how things are going soon.