Burbur

When people in the invisible illness community talk about burbur, they're usually referring to one of the 14 products in the Cowden protocol for Lyme disease. Burbur, combined with other herbs, is a detox treatment that some people say makes Lyme a little more manageable. And, as many Lymies will tell you, anything that helps is worth exploring when you’re in the thick of it! Burbur is one of several common names for the Desmodium molliculum plant, a perennial native to Peru, and is combined with other herbs in a supplement called Burbur-Pinella. The treatment is designed specifically to help with Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions (aka “herx”or "herxing"), the short-term but unpleasant side effects of bacteria or fungus die-off during Lyme treatment. Some people say the burbur detox is super helpful to Lyme patients who are experiencing a herx, and can also be used for general detox purposes. Bottom line: many Lymies, especially those following the Cowden protocol, count on this remedy to speed their healing and eventual recovery.