SEA SALT AND VITAMIN C for LYME DISEASE, PART 2: ADDING THE SEA SALT

See previous entry for information about the Vitamin C Flush


When I initially started the Vitamin C flush, it was miraculous for me. I no longer had insomnia or anxiety or a racing heart. I did a full flush not very often, perhaps once a month at the most. The rest of the time I stayed on a low dose of Vitamin C, which I took three times a day, to keep the detox symptoms at bay. After awhile, I dropped the Vitamin C out completely. I took Chlorella instead, and I was fine.

Once I switched from the herb Samento to a full antibiotic regimen to treat Lyme Disease, things changed. At first, starting on just Zithromax, I felt OK, but once I added in Mepron and after that Plaquenil, life was a little difficult. The Mepron made my mood plummet after I took it, and the Plaquenil brought back my anxiety symptoms. On top of it all, my insomnia was back full force.

Carolyn told me it was time to go back to the Vitamin C flush. So I started it up again, this time twice a week. Now, however, the flush didn’t seem like such a miracle to me. Perhaps my initial enthusiasm had worn off, but it seemed that I needed more and more Vitamin C each time, not less. I felt strangely bloated afterwards, and it was exhausting to be losing that many nutrients on a regular basis.

And even more importantly, I wasn’t sleeping as well as I had been in the beginning with the Vitamin C flush. Something wasn’t working.

And then I remembered that once, long ago, Dr. X had suggested I use sea salt as a chelator. I tried it once or twice, but hadn’t stuck with it, partly because drinking down a glass of salt water was so unpleasant.

Once I remembered that, my mind coupled salt with the Vitamin C. Hadn’t I heard people mention the Salt and C protocol during my one visit to the Seattle Lyme support group? Salt could be a detoxifier, as could Vitamin C. This must be what that protocol was about.

The next time I did the flush, I drank down ½ teaspoon of sea salt mixed in water for every 1 teaspoon of Vitamin C I drank. The results were great! The flush took about half the time, and felt much less draining than with Vitamin C on its own. I also slept better, and felt more rested when I woke up.

If you are going to try the Vitamin C flush, I suggest you also take sea salt—right now I am on a ratio of 1/3 teaspoon salt to 1 teaspoon Vitamin C. I have read of people taking equal ratios of salt to Vitamin C, and just read today about someone taking large doses of salt each day, apparently without the vitamin C. I think it depends on the individual. As with everything else in recovering from Lyme disease, the trick is in figuring out what your own body needs.

I want to clarify that when I have read about the Salt and C protocol, it has been billed as an alternative to antibiotics. I am not using it this way at all, and I cannot testify to its effectiveness on its own at killing the Lyme bacteria. I am using it as a support to the antibiotics. I am on antibiotics and they are killing the Lyme. I use the Vitamin C and sea salt to flush the toxic die-off out of my system.

I am convinced that without these two, I would have suffered much, much greater die-off reactions. And there is no doubt that I would be suffering from terrible insomnia.

One last note: it is important to use high quality sea salt for this. That is, NOT standard table salt—this has preservatives in it, so I don’t suggest you even put it on your food. Sea salt in its true form is a whole food. Just as white, refined flour is not the kind you want to eat, so is white, refined salt not the salt that is good for you.

So also skip the pure white sea salt you can find in bulk section of most co-ops. Salt should have color in it—either gray, or little flecks of deep red and black. The color comes from the trace minerals your body will use for detoxing. I use Redmond Real Salt, but any other brand is fine. You should be able to find good salt at a decent food co-op. If need be, you can find it at Whole Foods.