Four Herbs for Busting a Bartonella Infection

For people with stubborn Bartonella
by Greg Lee

Did you ever have a class clown in your school? In my class, I had a kid named Michael that would interrupt the teacher with his silly questions. He also brought in bugs and lizards that he found on his way to school. He was sent almost every week to the principal’s office for his disruptive behavior.

How is a class clown like a Bartonella infection?

Bartonella disrupts your body with its toxins
Just like a class clown, Bartonella symptoms can be annoying to downright disruptive to how you feel. This infection is also called “cat scratch fever,” because you can get it from an infected cat as well as ticks.

Many people report symptoms of burning feet, legs, and arms. Others report pains that feel like electrical zaps. In Chinese medicine, these symptoms are caused by “fire toxins.” When these toxins affect the skin, they produce red rashes that can look like long thin streaks. Patients also report increased bouts of anxiety, irritability, and brain fog. Certain foods trigger a flare-up of these symptoms.

Oils and sweets increase Bartonella brain fog symptoms
Eating foods like greasy meats, ice cream, and sweet fruits have increased symptoms of burning and brain fog in patients. Limiting or eliminating these trigger foods out of your diet helps to reduce Bartonella symptoms. Lyme literate medical practitioners describe challenges with Bartonella persisting despite antibiotic treatment.

Bartonella can be very difficult to get completely out of your body
Patients on months or years of medications can still have symptoms. It hides in your blood cells. It also suppresses your immune system, which makes Bartonella even harder to get out of your body.

When your immune system is suppressed, clearing other infections like Lyme disease becomes much more difficult. This is a reason why some Lyme literate medical practitioners talk about eliminating Bartonella before other co-infections. What else besides drugs can help you eliminate a Bartonella infection?

There are four herbs that help to significantly reduce the prickly, burning symptoms of Bartonella
When these four herbs are added to an anti-Bartonella herb formula, the burning hot symptoms, rashes, and brain fog are significantly reduced and sometimes eliminated completely.

Herb #1: Folium Artemisia Argyi, Chinese name: Ai Ye¹
The properties of this herb are warming, stop bleeding, and treat pain due to cold in the lower abdomen. It is used to treat malaria, so it may also be effective against Babesia.  Research shows that it inhibits the growth of these infections: anthrax, strep, staph, diphtheria, pneumonia, and bacterial dysentery. There are no documented contraindications with existing medications at this time.

It is added to herb formulas to see if it will kill Bartonella. A ground form of this herb, called moxa, is also burned topically over symptomatic areas to expel Bartonella symptoms near the surface of the skin.

Herb #2: Dryopteridis, Chinese name: Guan Zhong²
The properties of this herb are bitter and cool. It is used to kill parasites, clear heat, and eliminate toxins. It also treats and prevents bacterial and viral infections. It was used historically for expelling demons. Research shows that it inhibits dysentery, salmonella, pseudonomas, meningitis, and S. Aureus. It strongly inhibits viruses: influenza, adenovirus, encephalitis B, and herpes simplex. It also inhibits the growth of abnormal masses of tissue. It is added to herb formulas to see if it will kill Bartonella and neutralize its toxins.

Overdosing of this herb can have certain side effects: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, tremors, or gastrointestinal irritation. It is contraindicated during pregnancy. There are no documented contraindications with existing medications at this time.

Herb #3: Chinese Nut Galls, Chinese name: Wu Bei Zi³
The properties of this herb are salty, sour, and cold. It is used to treat chronic diarrhea, dysentery, and rectal prolapse. It is also used to treat night fevers, irritability, and excess sweating. It also stops bleeding, eliminates toxins, and reduces swelling. It has anti-candida properties. It is added to see if it will neutralize Bartonella toxins.

Use with caution with signs of heat, symptoms of sharp stabbing pain, or patients with palpable masses. Caution: this herb has a strong binding affinity and should be taken 2 hours before or after taking any medication.

Herb #4: Lycopus, bugleweed, Chinese name: Ze Lan⁴
The properties of this herb are bitter, acrid, and slightly warm. It is used to increase blood circulation and to provide internal warmth along acupuncture meridians. It is used to treat chest pain, hypochondriac pain, and back pain due to traumatic injuries. It regulates water circulation, expels parasites, and reduces swelling. It is to be used with caution in patients with anemia.

Since this herb has diuretic properties, is to be used with caution with diuretic medications. There are no documented contraindications with existing medications at this time. It is added to herb formulas to see if it will expel or kill Bartonella hiding in blood cells.

How do you know that these herbs are working to kill off your Bartonella infection?

Patients report a significant reduction of Bartonella symptoms
After taking these and other anti-Bartonella, anti-toxin, and immune enhancing herbs, patients have reported that their brain fog has been eliminated completely and burning symptoms have been reduced to a minor prickly feeling in as little as four months. Patients then test themselves to see if Bartonella is hiding out somewhere in their body.

Patients eat trigger foods to test if Bartonella has gone away
In the beginning of treatment, patients are observing the foods that increase their symptoms. When they are symptom free, they go back and eat the foods that triggered their symptoms. Patients feel that their infection is nearly gone when they are able to eat foods like sweet fruits, greasy meats, and ice cream without a flare up of symptoms.

The right herb combination can help you to bust up a Bartonella infection
Just like sending the class clown to the principal’s office, the proper combination of herbs helps you to eliminate a disruptive Bartonella infection. Since some of these herbs come with cautions on their use, work with a Lyme literate herbalist to develop a proper, safe, and effective herbal strategy for your condition. Once you are clear of your infection, you can go back to enjoying your yummy foods without fear of recurring Bartonella symptoms.

1. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., p. 600-602

2. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., p.554 -555

3. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., p. 990-992

4. Chen, John K., and Tina T. Chen. 2004. Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. City of Industry CA: Art of Medicine Press, Inc., p. 647

Next Step: Come our free film showing of Under Our Skin on Wednesday July 21st at 6pm at Two Frogs. Click here to find out more details about this controversial film on Lyme disease.