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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Trial-Run of the "Garlic Footies"

Recently in some of my online Lyme groups, people were buzzing about this "Garlic Footies" detox treatment. Someone posted the video you see below and then everyone sat back and waited for someone else to try it.

Finally, I decided to take one for the team. Here is my experience. Keep in mind that this is the first time I have tried using them. Like many other treatments, as is stated in the video, sometimes the effects of the first night will vary.

Additionally, there is no "control group" in my experiment. It's impossible to say if how I feel to day is due more to the garlic, the weather, or even the phase of the moon. I am going to continue trying this and I'll post any updates.

Once I had slathered on the squishy mix (using a paper towel rather than a plastic glove because I didn't have the energy to head downstairs), I started to notice an effect instantly. It felt as though the muscles directly at the application site were beginning to relax. The oil hydrating my skin also felt amazing.

I do want to make note that it's a good idea to apply the oil to a very large area. The garlic and Vaseline mixture can get squished around very easily, even just while wrapping it in the plastic and putting socks on. You want to make sure it doesn't squish onto your bare skin. Also, olive oil is very high in vitamins E and K, which are fantastic for your skin.

After having the socks on for a few minutes, I began to feel a slight warming and tingling sensation right where the garlic paste was. I wouldn't describe it as a "burning" because it wasn't painful or even unpleasant, but it was a little bit ticklish.

That's about when I went to bed. That was more difficult than I had predicted, because my kitten insisted on attacking my massive, fuzzy Harry Potter socks that all of a sudden would crinkle when she grabbed them.


When I first woke up, I had left my window open and it was now cold and rainy, so I closed it and went back to sleep. I was grumpy and uncomfortable. The second time I woke up was much more pleasant. It was still wet out, but it had stopped raining

The first thing I noticed was the time. It was almost 1:30 in the afternoon! It's been a very long time since I have been able to sleep that long. That was almost twelve hours of sleep! Secondly, when I rolled over, expecting the usual lightning bolt of pain up my side, it didn't come.

Instead, I was just a bit stiff, but no more than I should have been for lying immobile for twelve hours. I was tired, but no more than I used to be after staying up late studying for class, rather than my usual debilitating exhaustion. There was also some mild discomfort in my stomach, but that was also much less than normal, no worse than mild hunger.

Though the pain in my knees and hips is usually crippling, I was able to walk upright to my sink to wash off. Granted, that was only about fifteen feet, but for me it was a huge accomplishment.


When I went to rinse off my feet, it was obvious that some kind of reaction had taken place, because the color had turned a much deeper yellow overnight. That could easily have been due to the warmth, because there was noticeable heat rising from the area.

Once the paste was off, I noticed that the soles of my feet were incredibly soft, though that is most likely due to the vitamins in and hydration properties of the olive oil. Though my soles are usually burning from the Bartonella, today they were only sensitive to pressure. I massaged them a bit, and they felt great.

Now, this treatment is supposed to help brain fog quite a bit, according to the video. I didn't get that particular relief today. I felt like I was thinking through mud all day long. It's now almost 6:30 and this is the firs thing I've accomplished today. However, this was just the first time I'd tried it, and rainy days like today tend to be bad for me.

Overall, I do think it helped. It doesn't seem like a miracle, but it does seem like using this in combination with other treatments under the supervision of an LLMD can be highly beneficial. Like I said, I'll keep trying it and let you guys know how it goes!


Update May 5th: I have not tried using this method again yet. I screwed up a little bit, but I plan on trying again soon. I want to stress first, make sure you're using a lot of oil, especially if you have sensitive skin. Second, I don't recommend using paper towels.

I accidentally wiped off a spot oil when using a paper towel to apply the garlic paste. I knew it was questionable, but decided to let it slide. A few hours after I washed off, I noticed a small blister on that spot.

Next time I try this, I'm going to apply an all-over layer of oil, allow it to sit, and then apply another layer to protect the contact area. Because my skin was so dry, a large portion of the oil absorbed in. Consequently, the application area was itchy the next day. My soles were also tender. It wasn't horrible pain, just uncomfortable. Lesson learned!


2 comments:

  1. The window open thing... that had to ruin this all together! boo!

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    1. Yeah I'd had every intention of shutting it before I fell asleep, but I ended up passing out first. Luckily it did feel like I got a lot of benefit out of this first attempt, and I'm looking forward to better results down the line!

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