For many people suffering from chronic, misunderstood illnesses like fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, or Lyme disease, the search for relief can feel endless. That was certainly the case for Herb Roi Richards, an inventor and natural health researcher who spent years trying to manage his debilitating symptoms with little to no success from conventional medicine. But Richards’ story didn’t end in frustration—it became a groundbreaking personal case study in self-healing and alternative solutions.

The Diagnosis That Didn’t Fit

Richards was originally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition marked by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and brain fog. Alongside that, he was also treated for sleep apnea, a disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep. He followed medical protocols, used the recommended equipment, and took prescribed medications—but his health continued to decline.

Like many fibromyalgia patients, Richards grew suspicious that something deeper might be at play. The medications didn’t work, and he began to feel that the diagnosis was perhaps a label rather than a solution. It was during a consultation with a homeopathic practitioner that the suggestion arose: what if this wasn’t fibromyalgia or sleep apnea at all?

What if it was actually chronic Lyme disease, misdiagnosed?

A New Hypothesis: Chronic Lyme Disease

Chronic Lyme disease is a complex, often controversial condition caused by long-term infection from the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium, transmitted through tick bites. However, in its advanced or persistent stages, Lyme disease often mimics dozens of other illnesses, from lupus and multiple sclerosis to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

Richards, along with his wife, who also suffered similar debilitating symptoms, began researching the possibility that they were both misdiagnosed and instead were suffering from undiagnosed or chronic Lyme disease.

Rather than endure years of testing, false negatives, and medical bureaucracy, they decided to take action.

The Breakthrough: Chlorine Dioxide

Through the recommendation of natural health circles and anecdotal reports, Richards discovered a low-cost water purification agent known as chlorine dioxide, commonly referred to as MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution). The solution, when activated properly as a two-part compound, creates a powerful oxidizing agent known to destroy pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and spirochetes like Borrelia (which causes Lyme).

 

Without further delay or external observation, Richards sourced the chlorine dioxide ingredients and self-administered the solution—cautiously but consistently.

The results were described as immediate and dramatic.

“It was like someone turned the lights back on,” Richards said.

“Within days, I felt clarity, strength, and the pain began to lift.”

His wife experienced a similar recovery. The symptoms of fibromyalgia, aches, fogginess, and chronic fatigue faded. The sleep apnea, too, seemed to resolve. They were left not with ongoing medical appointments and prescriptions, but with their lives back.

From Experience to Education: Writing the Book

Motivated by their transformation, Richards documented the entire journey and published it in a powerful, no-nonsense guide titled:

“Lyme Disease: Non-Medical Diagnosis and Treatment”

The book is both a personal story and a practical manual. While it describes their use of chlorine dioxide and how it affected their health, perhaps the most eye-opening part is the extensive list of commonly misdiagnosed conditions that Richards claims may actually be undiagnosed chronic Lyme disease in disguise.

According to the book, these include:

• Fibromyalgia
• Lupus
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Depression and Bipolar Disorder
• Autoimmune Disorders of unknown origin

Richards’ theory—and the experience he shares—is that many of these conditions could be reactions to long-term infectious overload, which might be resolved or alleviated through targeted pathogen cleansing with an oxidant like chlorine dioxide.

A Call to Consider Natural Solutions

While controversial, the use of chlorine dioxide has been gaining attention from natural health communities around the world. In Richards’ case, the results were nothing short of miraculous.

His story represents a growing number of people breaking away from dead-end diagnoses and exploring natural, inexpensive remedies that work.

“We didn’t cure something—we just removed what was causing the problem,” Richards writes. “When your body is no longer fighting off chronic infection, healing becomes possible.”

For those suffering from fibromyalgia-like symptoms or unexplained chronic illness, Richards encourages people to look beyond labels, educate themselves, and consider that the root cause may be something treatable after all.

📘 Interested Readers Can Find His Book:

“Lyme Disease: Non-Medical Diagnosis and Treatment”
by Herb Roi Richards, available through natural health websites, select independent retailers, and Amazon.