Case Study: Babesia-Induced Stroke

 In Understanding Lyme

It wasn’t immediately apparent that my patient Ann’s stroke was induced by Babesia. Ann (not her real name, of course) was a healthy 74 year old woman from rural Pennsylvania who had consulted with me from time to time over the years about detoxification, Chinese herbs for cleansing and longevity, and had acupuncture “tune-ups” when she came to my area to visit family.

She was among the most health conscious of my patients and always a joy to work with because she understood the value of her health and how to sustain it.

She is lean, energetic, eats well from her country garden, and has pro-actively taken great care of her health for decades.

So when she called me with the news that she had suffered from a stroke, I, like everyone who knew her, was quite surprised.

The cardiac doctors could see no reason why her body would have developed and thrown a clot, and all of her tests for heart disease (arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, hypertension, clogged arteries, etc.) turned up negative.

The incongruity was notable. How could this be? What led to the stroke? Her doctors had no answers; in the end they shrugged their shoulders – they simply could not explain why the stroke had occurred, and were happy to give her a clean bill of health moving forward.

When she shared with me the story of what had happened, it was clear that something was missing; it just didn’t make sense!

babesia-ulWhen I remembered her history of Lyme disease in the distant past, a bell rang out inside my head: Babesia! I had a strong hunch that this blood-based parasitic co-infection of Lyme disease had gone undetected and untreated for years and might have been the cause of her stroke.

She agreed to do the IGenX labs Babesia profile, and where the IgM should be under 20 to qualify as negative, her IgM came in at 640!

While the vast majority of doctors and alternative practitioners do not know the many faces of tick-borne disease, there are many experts who feel that these infections may be responsible for some of the common chronic diseases of our times that modern medicine currently has no cure and no solution for.

According to Dr. James Schaller who is an expert doctor and researcher on Lyme disease, “Babesiosis is one of the most deadly tick infections on earth. It is not rare, a mere “coinfection” or “occasionally present”.”

How many cases of stroke per year is Babesia responsible for? We have no idea, because it is rarely tested for (even our blood banks do not test for this blood disease or Lyme-Borreliosis).

Following her stroke, Ann suffered most especially from fatigue. Dizziness and loss of balance was also an issue, as well as mild depression.

Other than blood thinners for a while, Ann declined any further pharmaceutical treatment, since the source of the stroke was not heart disease and she wanted to treat the Babesia naturally if possible.

We created a treatment plan in which Ann diligently followed a daily cleansing protocol involving hydration with alkaline water, juicing, and occasional juice fasting. She stepped up her use of food as medicine, including the regular consumption of grass fed beef and bone broth to nourish her blood and L-arginine levels.

Ch herbal formula-ulShe also took Chinese herbs. The formula was designed to kill Babesia, unclot her blood, and strengthen her immune system and vitality. Her formula contained the following herbs, with some variations and changes along the way:
Yi mu cao (Chinese motherwort)
Dan shen (salvia)
Dang gui (Chinese angelica)
Gui zhen cao (tickweed)
Qing hao (Artemisia annuae)
He shou wu (Polygonum multiflora)
Gou qi zi (lycium berry)
Cryptolepsis
Chi shao (red peony root)
Chai hu (bupleurum)
Huang qi (astragalus)
Ji xue teng (millettia)

Other products we rotated through included A-BAB by Byron White and Enula from the Cowden protocol.

How is she now? As of today, it’s been about 8 months following this protocol. Ann has fully recovered from her stroke, symptom free, and off to celebrate her 50th Wedding Anniversary with her children and grandchildren out west.

So much healing is possible when we rid the body of what is the true cause of disease and properly support it in self-healing.


If you are wanting holistic treatment for Lyme or other similar complex chronic diseases, simply call us at 845-687-6211 or email info@uprootinglyme.com to set up an in-person or virtual holistic Lyme consultation at reasonable rates. Together we’ll co-create a strategic holistic treatment plan. Receive the support and guidance you need to regain your health, strength and resilience. Contact us now!

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  • Brenda
    Reply

    I am wondering if her tests confirmed a stroke or they diagnosed it based on symptoms after the episode. I have Lyme and co-infections and have experienced many stroke-like episodes with long lasting complications.

    • Hillary Thing
      Reply

      Hi Brenda, this patient had a full-on stroke, with one-sided facial and body paralysis, etc. Others have “mini-strokes” (TIAs) or episodes that mimic heart attack or stroke although everything looks OK upon testing. Please let us know if you could use clear holistic guidance – we treat patients like you every day! Just email info@uprootinglyme.com or call 845-687-6211. Best wishes.

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