Can Herxing Be A Good Thing?

Herxing means more misery, but can that be good in the long run?

On one hand I've read that herxing indicates bb die off and that is good. On the other I've read that it means your detox system is overloaded and that is bad. It seems to me that killing the bb is good and herxing is just part of the deal.


It seems like the more I read, the more confused I become. Listening to the voices of experience sure helps.

My daughter's doctor feels that herxing is a great sign meaning that the meds are working and the bacteria are being killed.  I know it makes you feel worse, and that is the down side, but he feels it is definitely a good sign.

I always believed and will always believe herxing is not a good thing. It offers no benefit for the body to be under so much stress.

There is no proof it's a sign bacteria is being killed since a "herx" can also be side effects from the abx.
If you herx a day or so, then I don't see any problem, but herxing for weeks as some do, well the body cannot heal under this much stress

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I understand that herxing can be reduced by a good detox program. I've seen tons of detox suggestions. Is there a simple and basic place to start?

Sauna...if you have access to a sauna, they are safe ,easy and very effective at detoxing, no matter what the toxins are from.   D

Very true, amiga. It just adds stress to an already overstressed body.

Yep! It does a great job at clearing all of them. My little personal sauna is by far the best $200 I've spent on my Lyme tx

hey RVnut
think of it as blowing up a rock....well all of those pieces of rock are going to be all over the place. And it is dirt. Your body is not going to be thrilled with all of this mess. So it freaks out....guess a good herx. When the body realizes that it is dead matter..well then it goes about its way to flush it out...then the body goes back to normal...alarm over.....
And usually, after all of that crap is taken out of your system...your body feels much better than it did before.
So herxing is a good thing. And we hope for it to know that we are killing the little burgers.
It can however feel like it is the end of the world because most if not all of your original symptons come back on full for force and knock you on your butt. My herx do not last long. And funny thing is, I sort of have forgotten them.
I was ready for one after my hard week last week of 6 hour treatments for 3 days. But all I got was a terrible migraine.
Not such a big deal. I mean, I was still able to walk and function. But my head was pounding so hard that you could see it...lol
But hey...it I had no symptons at all from all of the stuff that they are pumping into me....I would think that they were ripping me off..:>)

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2004 in Martha's Vineyard me and my two daughters then 11 mos and 6 all got Lyme Disease. This was only known to us because we found the tiny ticks on us and we got very ill. My dog also got lyme and he went lame.
We have fought it for 4 years to no avail.
We all got it again this summer is Texas.
I am now in treatment in Scottsdale Arizona at Envita.

"The eyes cannot see for for what the mind does not know."

O.K. 2 questions:

#1 Sulma - where did you get a sauna for $200? I want one!

#2 Someone please compare and contrast Herx vs. detox. I've read that they are separate. The herx is a reaction shortly after taking meds. And a heavy, painful, detox happens after a large number of cysts have reactivated and the circulating antibiotics killed them off.

What do you guys have to say about this? Inquirering minds want to know! thanx
Lisa

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11/07 symptoms start

bump

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11/07 symptoms start

anyone?

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11/07 symptoms start

As I understand it, the herx is a reaction to toxic overload due to a large die off. Detox is the process of ridding the body of toxins in order to keep the detox system healthy. We should be able to handle a herx better if we are detoxed.

As I understand it, a Herxheimer reaction is caused by toxins being released from microbes more quickly than the body can remove them, whereas a "detox" reaction is the same process, but the toxins in question are already in cells (e.g., bound to fat cells) which are then mobilized and released.

http://www.silver-colloids.com/Pubs/herxheimer.html

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Wildlife biologist working in tropics since 1997; multiple tick bites in Nicaragua in March 2007 but without any rashes, started getting sick May 2007 with waxing and waning of symptoms; significant worsening of symptoms since June 2008; diagnosed with Lyme based on serological testing in Jan 2009; treatment starting Feb 2009. Wish me luck!