The Cowden Protocol for Lyme Disease

A Do-It-Yourself, Multifaceted, Tried and True Treatment Protocol for Lyme Disease

The Cowden protocol is a holistic, step-by-step, do-it-yourself Lyme disease treatment protocol developed by Dr. Lee Cowden, M.D. through Nutramedix.

​The protocol itself incorporates a multifaceted approach to treating chronic Lyme disease through powerful antimicrobials that work just as good, if not better, than doxycycline, by addressing the 3 anatomical forms of the Lyme bacteria (i.e., spirochetal, cyst-form, and L-form), co-infections, detoxification support for the brain, nervous system, liver, kidneys, blood, and lymphatic system, immune modulation, heavy metal removal, krebs cycle support and energy support due to magnesium deficiency, biofilm dissolvers, and the removal of excess sulfur.

Duration for Healing

The Cowden protocol is probably one of the most popular do-it-yourself Lyme disease treatment protocols due to its simplicity and cost of around $350/month.

​The duration of the protocol depends on the state of a person’s infection. Dr. Lee Cowden recommends staying with the protocol until a person feels better for 2 consecutive months -- so most users of the protocol stay with it for 6 months. If the need to remain on the protocol exceeds 9 months, Dr. Lee Cowden recommends repeating months 7, 8, and 9 until a person feels well for 2 consecutive months.

Dr. Richard Horowitz M.D.’s use of the Cowden Protocol

The Cowden Protocol is actually used by Dr. Richard Horowitz, MD, a founding member of ILADS, and through his practice, conducted a 6 month study with his Lyme patients on the Cowden protocol. His results showed that 70% of his Lyme patients within the study who used the Cowden protocol remained well for months to years compared to 99% of his Lyme patients who relapsed after being treated with just conventional antibiotics alone.

​Also, a larger portion of the Lyme patients in the study fared better with the full Cowden protocol compared to the Lyme patients who used a limited variation of the protocol. The full details of this study can be found in Dr. Richard Horowitz’s 2013 book, “Why Can’t I Get Better: Solving The Mystery Of Lyme & Chronic Disease”.

How to Start and Use the Cowden Protocol

• The Cowden Protocol · Month 1 · Month 2 · Month 3 · Month 4 · Month 5 · Month 6 · Month 7 · Month 8 · Month 9
• The Cowden Support Program Instructions is the dosing schedule for the products used in the Cowden protocol. It clearly states on a day by day basis for 9 months when to start each product, each dosing, and the best time to reorder for the following month. Also, additional Nutramedix products not found in the core Cowden Protocol are recommended with dosages for other Lyme challenges such as sleep difficulties, adrenal support, etc.
• The Cowden Compatibility Chart shows which products in the Cowden protocol can and cannot be taken together. ​
• (Optional) The free Nutramedix app for iOS or Android contains the full dosing schedule with reminders for each dose.

Additional Information and Support for the Cowden Protocol

You can learn more about the Cowden Protocol for Lyme disease with its introductory video below. Also, Dr. Cowden, M.D. has many YouTube videos available with each video dedicated to an individual product the Cowden Protocol consists of.