The California State Board of Pharmacy (BOP) is contemplating regulatory changes that could limit access to vital alternative treatments used by many Lyme disease patients.

Among the treatments at risk are IV glutathione and vitamin B12 injections, which are both  “Category 1 sterile compounds” that are allowed in the 49 other states in the US.

Crystal Frost is a Lyme patient who started the STOP THE BOP movement. She’s been at it for months, speaking and writing widely on the topic, attending board meetings, and networking with other organizations to rally opposition to the change.

Unfortunately, all that effort has taken a toll on her health. The following is something she posted on Instagram a few days ago:

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Relapses are a nightmare, but this one is particularly ironic. I don’t usually write about my personal health struggles on this account because this fight isn’t about me, but it’s crucial you know why I’ve been less active this past month.

As many of you know, I’ve been pouring every ounce of my strength into Stop the BOP—fighting to protect access to life-saving, natural, and compounded treatments. These treatments once pulled me from the brink during my darkest days battling neurological Lyme disease. But the relentless stress of this fight, compounded by the California Board of Pharmacy tuning out our outcries, has forced me into a severe relapse.

Sixty-hour weeks advocating for Category 1 sterile compounds, sleep deprivation, and stress have reignited symptoms I thought I had long overcome: muscle weakness, partial paralysis, focal seizures, among others. It’s darkly ironic—and it underscores the urgency of this fight.

Let me be clear: I’m still here, working behind the scenes, but I had to scale back on social media after the November board meeting to focus on recovery. I’m not giving up—just fighting for my health, so I can keep fighting for all of us. And I want to acknowledge how much your efforts—your comments, participation, and determination—have carried this fight forward. I couldn’t do this without you.

Next board meeting is January 8

The next board meeting is January 8, and this could be their final vote. Many of us submitted written comments during the 30-day public comment period and I know you are worn out. The board has forced us to rehash the same arguments repeatedly, trying to exhaust us into silence, but we cannot let that happen! Now is the time to rally:

1. Keep sharing the petition!

2. Post about this issue!

3. Attend and speak out on January 8.

4. Alert your reps! Wrote them already? Send a follow-up!

I know this has been exhausting, and some of you may be jaded, but we must stay strong during this home stretch. I promise I’ll keep advocating with every bit of strength I have! Will you keep going with me?

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More information about this issue at the StopTheBOP website.

Here are blogs we’ve run on the subject:

Fighting to save our lifeline of glutathione, B12, and more

Please don’t take away these life-changing medications

What is glutathione and why must we protect patient access to it?