Formulating A Detoxification Protocol From Amongst A Plethora of Options

Coming up with a detoxification protocol in Lyme disease is a mind-boggling endeavor. The prevalence of environmental toxins that we are exposed to, such as heavy metals, pesticides, plastics and more, in addition to Lyme and co-infection-related biotoxins, is only part of the problem. Detox strategies address the removal different types of toxins, so we have to know what kinds of garbage each one gets rid of, as well as how many different strategies are needed for total healing. You might wonder if you really need to get an ionic foot bath, sauna and ten different toxin-binders. Would not two or three ingestants, and perhaps a weekly visit to the gym sauna be sufficient?

I wish there were an easy answer. I tend to formulate a detoxification protocol based upon positive symptom changes that I reap as a result of different strategies, as well as what I know about different remedies for getting gunk out of the body. I also tend to incorporate strategies that make use of all of my body's detoxification mechanisms. The methods you choose to employ may depend upon similar factors, or you may base your protocol upon cost, convenience, or your body's ability to eliminate toxins. All factors are relevant.

Below I list some commonly used detoxification adjuncts for Lyme disease sufferers, some of which have been mentioned in earlier posts. Keep in mind, these are not just for removing the biotoxins generated by borrelia, but also for eliminating the multitude of environmental toxins we are exposed to every day. Addressing both is important for achieving remission from Lyme disease. Heavy metals and chemicals from industry, just to name a couple, can be a huge factor in recovery. They shouldn't be ignored.

First, heavy metals must often be treated apart from other toxins. Most Lyme sufferers have compromised detoxification mechanisms, metals are abundant in the environment, and borrelia is fond of sequestering metals for its survival. These factors, when taken together, mean that you can take it for granted that you are probably loaded with metals. Some commonly-used metal chelators include:

1. DMSA with alpha-lipoic acid
2. DMPS
3. chlorella with cilantro (make sure you use a quality brand, such as that from Biopure or Premier Research Labs)
4. EDTA
5. glutathione (should not be used exclusively)
6. zeolite, such as that found in products such as Natural Cellular Defense (but you can find quality zeolite in much cheaper products, as well)
7. PCA-rx

Next, mucuna bean powder and apple pectin help to remove Lyme biotoxins that are stuck on receptor sites on the HPA-axis. Chlorella, glutathione and french green clay bind to, and shuttle out, biotoxins and heavy metals in most other places in the body. Fiber from food such as green veggies, or products such as Detoxifiber (Garden of Life) or Beyond Fiber expedite the toxin removal process, by more efficiently moving these through the colon.

In addition, it's good to make use of your body's different detoxification organs and systems, no matter what kinds of toxins you are dealing with. Foremost, these include: the skin, lungs, liver, gall bladder, kidneys and lymphatic system. Following are strategies for making the most out of each system. It is best to formulate a protocol that involves all of the organs, so that one or two don't bear the brunt of the detoxification process. For instance, the liver tends to get shortchanged when it comes to detox, and it is thought by some that the only other way that fat-soluble toxins can leave the body, besides the liver, is through the skin. Hence, it pays to transfer some of the liver's workload to the skin, by employing saunas or ionic foot baths to help eliminate these kinds of toxins. Also, each organ or system functions differently to remove toxins, and by providing a helping hand to each one, the overall process of detoxification becomes streamlined.

For the skin:

1)Saunas
2)Epsom salt baths
3)Clay baths
4)Detox foot pads
5)Ionic foot baths
6)Aerobic exercise

For the lymphatic system:

1)Body brushing, to stimulate the flow of lymphatic fluid, which carries toxins from cells and shuttles them to their final destination out of the body
2) Rebounding or bouncing up and down to stimulate the flow of lymphatic fluid

For the lungs:

Deep breathing exercises-Yes, your body expels toxins through your lungs, too!

For the blood:

1)Systemic enzymes, such as those found in Nattokinase, Wobenzym, Vitalzym, and Rechts-Regulat. These products break up CIC's, or, circulating immune complexes, which are formed by antibody-antigen pairs. They also break up fibrin.
2) Herbs such as red clover, burdock root, chaparral, poke root, and sheep sorrel.

For the kidneys:

1) Celery and watermelon seed sea.
2) Herbal cleanses, such as that described by H. Clark on: www.curezone.com
3) Drink lots of water!

For the liver and gall bladder:

1)Juicing vegtables, especially beets, carrots and cucumbers
2) Coffee enemas, which stimulate the release of toxins from both the liver and gall bladder
3) Cleanses with olive oil and Epsom salts, such as that described by H. Clark
4) Herbal cleanses (check out the one by C. Hobbs)
5) Lemon juice and olive oil, taken daily
6) Castor oil packs. These are placed over the liver to draw toxins out.
7) Glutathione (sublingual, IV fast push or intramuscular injections). Or you can purchase the precursors to glutathione in a product called: MsxGXL (www.maxgxl.com). This product also contains ingredients that support the liver and production of glutathione.

Personally, I feel that vegetable juicing and coffee enemas are two of the most effective and least costly ways to support the liver on a regular basis. More intense cleanses can be useful but are best undertaken on a less frequent basis and only if your adrenals are strong enough to support the dramatic detox reactions that can occur with these.

In addition, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well taking as vitamin C, can support the detoxification process.

Finally, if you have trouble detoxifying due to a genetic problem, you might consider a product such as Cholestopure or the drug cholestyramine, which is a powerful toxin binder that assists the body with biotoxin removal. Keep in mind, cholestyramine is a cholesterol-reducing drug that may produce side effects, especially for thin people. It should only be used when other strategies do not work.

In summary, formulate a detoxification protocol that makes use of all of your body's detoxification mechanisms, addresses your body's specific needs, and which contains one or two toxin-binders for heavy metals and infection-related biotoxins.