Artemisinin + Cistus Protocol

How it works

The protocol does three jobs at the same time:

1. Erode the biofilm. Cistus incanus (rock rose) tea is used to break down the protective slime around bacteria.
2. Kill the infection. Artemisinin, an extract of sweet wormwood used to treat malaria, is taken in one-week pulses. Malaria and Babesia are both blood parasites, and Artemisia annua has also shown lab activity against Lyme bacteria.
3. Clear the die-off. Hydration, daily bowel movements and sweating help prevent a severe Herxheimer reaction.

The author credits biologist John Mionczynski's protocol, shared on r/Lyme, as the starting point. Treating a child? See the kids' version.

What you need (about $50)

• A large stainless-steel tea steeper and a quart (32 oz) mason jar with a lid
• About 1 lb (16 oz) of Cistus incanus loose-leaf tea
• Artemisinin 100 mg capsules (any brand)
• Optional: psyllium husk, a binder and Epsom salts

Before you start: hydrate

The author drank about a gallon (128 oz) of water a day for 7–10 days before starting, and credits this with keeping them out of the hospital during a severe die-off. Cistus tea counts toward the total.

A gallon is a lot. If you have a heart or kidney condition, or you're small, ask your doctor how much is right for you. Drinking very large amounts of plain water quickly can lower blood sodium, so spread it through the day and include some electrolytes.

Step 1: Cistus tea (biofilm)

• Steep 3–4 Tbsp (about 14 g) of Cistus in a quart jar for around 8 hours (overnight, or from morning to early afternoon).
• Keep the metal lid on while it steeps to trap the volatile oils.
• Sweeten to taste. The author uses stevia; milk works too.
• Drink one jar a day. Start about 2 weeks before your first artemisinin week, and keep drinking it on your off weeks. The author drank it every day for about 3 months and did not herx from the tea alone.

Step 2: Artemisinin pulse (attack)

• Days 1–2: 100 mg, 3 times a day
• Days 3–7: 200 mg, 3 times a day
• Then 2 weeks off artemisinin, still drinking the tea. That makes a 3-week cycle, which is repeated.

The author added the two 100 mg lead-in days after one severe reaction, so anyone who reacts badly finds out early and can stop. A 2002 malaria study found the body clears artemisinin faster after several days of dosing, which is one reason it's usually taken in short pulses.

Step 3: Detox (keep herx down)

Every day, on and off weeks:

• Hydrate. Keep up your water intake.
• Have 1–2 bowel movements. Use psyllium husk (e.g. Metamucil) if you need to.
• Sweat. A hot Epsom salt bath works without exercise; keep topping it up with hot water until you sweat.
• Binders (activated charcoal or similar) are optional. Take them 2 hours away from medications.

Hot baths can cause dizziness or fainting in people with POTS or low blood pressure. Have someone nearby, get out slowly, and skip the bath if you feel faint.

Managing a die-off reaction

Keep detox going (water, bowel movements, sweating), take binders, and manage symptoms with rest, gentle movement, heat or a TENS unit, and over-the-counter pain relief. Pause artemisinin until you feel better.

If you can't keep fluids down, are vomiting heavily, or feel faint, stop and get medical care. Dehydration can become dangerous quickly.

Later updates from the author

After six rounds the author reported being about 60–70% recovered. When progress plateaued on round 5 they slowly raised the dose, eventually trying 300–400 mg 3×/day for part of the week before taking a 1–2 month break. They increased gradually to avoid herxing, having found that for them a herx caused harm rather than signalling healing. These are one person's experimental doses. If you're sensitive, stay on the standard schedule, and discuss any higher dose with a clinician.

The author also advises avoiding vitamin C while taking artemisinin (supplements, multivitamins, citrus, orange juice), or at least taking multivitamins well away from doses. Artemisinin works by generating free radicals, so it's plausible that antioxidants blunt it, but this hasn't been tested in people with Lyme.

Safety

• Artemisinin is not recommended in pregnancy.
• It can raise liver enzymes. Consider periodic liver tests if you do repeated rounds.
• High doses taken for long periods have caused nerve toxicity in animal studies, which is one reason dosing is pulsed.
• This protocol is anecdotal and hasn't been studied as a regimen. In lab studies, Artemisia annua and Cistus incanus were both active against dormant Lyme bacteria, and Artemisia annua inhibited Babesia duncani. See the research.