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I'm new here =) (? about Herxing)

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Lyme Disease
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lymelady16
New Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 12
Posted 6/21/2009 9:54 PM (GMT -8)

Hello fellow lymies,

This is my first post here.

I have been on oral antibiotics for about two weeks and IV rocephin for two days. For the last 24 hours i have been experiencing stabbing chest pains, stiff neck, swollen lymphs in neck, sore thoat, all on the right side of my body. At first i was concerned that these symptoms had something to do with my newly placed PICC line, but i called my nurse and she said it didn't because my PICC line is on the left side of my body. Has anyone felt these symptoms before because of Herxing?

:-)

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veromia333
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 674
Posted 6/21/2009 10:51 PM (GMT -8)
Yes this is because of the toxins being releases by dieing bacteria, but make sure you keep it touch w your doc. please,, good luck darling you are getting better. you get worse first though.
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james from missouri
Regular Member
Joined : May 2009
Posts : 432
Posted 6/21/2009 11:10 PM (GMT -8)
seeing posts like this kinda scare me, because i always thought it would get better first.. but then after i read story after story, i see a pattern with our drugs.. i will take the worse pain if i know there ls a light at the end..

this is someone that use to run 10 to 15 miles a week after work or before work... now i'm stuck and weak.. its almost like waking up to a nightmare, the only time i like is when i'm in the shower or asleep... make sense? i don't think i'm alone of this...
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veromia333
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2009
Posts : 674
Posted 6/21/2009 11:14 PM (GMT -8)
No u r not . I was in everything heperflexible, now i can barely extend one of my legs completly straight.
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lymelady16
New Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 12
Posted 6/21/2009 11:44 PM (GMT -8)
veromia333- thanks for the encouragement
james- i know how you feel. i used to be incredibly active in sports, etc. and now i am basically bed ridden. lyme disease can be a long scary road, but you must continue to think positively. a lot people do get better.
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RottenDog
Veteran Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 1013
Posted 6/21/2009 11:49 PM (GMT -8)
lymelady16,

welcome to the board. did you see the post on detox baths maybe this will help you to feel a lil better.

good luck with your treatment.
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lymelady16
New Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 12
Posted 6/22/2009 12:58 AM (GMT -8)
RD: thanks for the warm welcome =). i started detoxing today---i havent gotten any relief yet, it actually feels worse now, but i will continue to detox and hopefully it will help =)
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ticker
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 9208
Posted 6/22/2009 5:06 AM (GMT -8)

Hi lymelady16, welcome to the board!

How long have you been sick?  Are you being treated by a Lyme knowledgeable doctor?  What oral meds and doses are you taking? 

You may be familiar with this already, but below is a Lyme symptom list.  You can have any combination of symptoms. 

Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills, or flushing
Unexplained weight change--loss or gain
Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina
Unexplained hair loss
Swollen glands
Sore throat
Testicular pain/pelvic pain
Unexplained menstrual irregularity
Unexplained milk production: breast pain
Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido
Upset stomach
Change in bowel function-constipation, diarrhea
Chest pain or rib soreness
Shortness of breath, cough
Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block
Any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse?
Joint pain or swelling
Stiffness of the joints, neck, or back
Muscle pain or cramps
Twitching of the face or other muscles
Headache
Neck creeks and cracks, neck stiffness, neck pain
Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, shooting pains
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity
Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity
lncreased motion sickness, vertigo, poor balance
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Tremor
Confusion, difficulty in thinking
Difficulty with concentration, reading
Forgetfulness, poor short term memory
Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places
Difficulty with speech or writing

Mood swings, irritability, depression
Disturbed sleep-too much, too little, early awakening
Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol

Besides Lyme, ticks can also transmit several co-infections including Babesiosis, two types of Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma.  Many people who have Lyme are co-infected.  It may affect treatment choice and progress.  It is important to be tested for these by a Lyme reputable lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA.  Have you been tested for these?

People can experience new symptoms or a worsening of existing symptoms during a herx reaction.  As the bacteria die, toxins are released making you feel worse.  During treatment it is important to document your symptoms daily.  One way to do this is to list the main symptoms you have each day with a numerical rating of their severity from 1-10.  Over time when you review this, you can see when your herxes occur and how you are responding to the meds.

How long will you be on Rocephin?  In case you don't have one yet, there is a cover you can get for your PICC so you can shower without getting the site wet.  One place you can get one is Brown Medical https://www.brownmed.com/Products/StoreProductDetail29.cfm?StoreProductId=99   You can also check different pharmacies and/or hospital supply stores.

Do everything you can to strengthen your immune system such as eat healthy, drink a lot of water, take appropricate supplements, detox, get enough rest, etc.  It is also important to learn as much as possible.  I recommend reading Dr. Joseph Burrascano's 2008 Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines For Lyme and Other Tick Borne Illnesses at http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf  He is one of the top Lyme doctors in the country, and many Lyme doctors follow his protocols.  I also recommend the books "Everything You Need To Know about Lyme Disease Second Edition" by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner and "The Lyme Disease Solution" by Kenneth B. Singleton M.D.

Good luck with your treatment!

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Turquoise Sky
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 250
Posted 6/22/2009 7:07 AM (GMT -8)
Lymelady 16.

My symptoms also became more pronounced about the second day of the IV ceftriaxone, and stayed that way for several days before gradually and ever so slowly everything began to subside. Just knowing to expect it is helpful in enduring it. Keep up with the detox bath, it does help! Hope you heal soon!
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james from missouri
Regular Member
Joined : May 2009
Posts : 432
Posted 6/22/2009 8:42 AM (GMT -8)
i did 7 days of treatment and the herxing was bad, i stopped (dumb) then about a week later they came back 10 fold.. i started up again and still am herxing. but i'm not stopping until i know for sure its over with..
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lymelady16
New Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 12
Posted 6/22/2009 12:22 PM (GMT -8)
ticker: i have been sick for about 4-5 years. i have about 95% of the symptoms you listed. i do have a LLMD. i have been tested for co-infections through igenix and those were all negative. the oral antibiotics i'm on are zithromax and diflucan, and im not sure how long i will be on Rocephin (probably a minimum of 3 months). that's a great idea to start keeping track of my symptoms. thanks for the advice :-)
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pj1954
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2008
Posts : 57
Posted 6/22/2009 1:31 PM (GMT -8)
lymelady16 lemon water helps when your herxing or drink some diluted lemonade the simply delicious brand with a little water works great.

dont get discouraged in order to get better your going to have to herx its a natural thing when the bugs die they dump all their toxins inside you.

you have to get them out so you dont reabsorb them, drink lots of water that helps flush them out. an infra red sauna helps as well as epsom salt baths.
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james from missouri
Regular Member
Joined : May 2009
Posts : 432
Posted 6/22/2009 2:04 PM (GMT -8)
does this make sense, i went for a walk and then i went to the local gym and shot some hoops, i sweated a little, but it helped me release some stuff i think.. dunno.. i didn't overdue anything, but it put my mind at ease..
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Deejavu
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2005
Posts : 4771
Posted 6/22/2009 2:07 PM (GMT -8)
Hi lymelady16,

First of all, welcome!  Lots of great people here as well as knowledgeable ones.  I was sick for many years and I am one of the rare ones that became better using alternative medicine.   I learned alot during my years of being sick and most of all, how important detoxing is (some people call me the Detox Queen, LOL!).

If you have access to a bathtub (I just assume most people do) please start with detox baths and detox foot baths.   As someone said already, herxing is caused when the bacteria die off leaving toxins in one's body which causes many unpleasant symptoms.  When a body is sick it is not capable of ridding toxins on it's own, the body needs help.

I posted a thread about detoxing and I will bump that up.  It may not get rid of all your symptoms but it's a good start and if you do it daily it will eliminate many of your symptoms.   I just want to say that when I first heard the word "detox" I thought people were nuts!  Little did I know way back then... 

Hope this helps and that you start feeling better,

Denise

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lymelady16
New Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 12
Posted 6/22/2009 5:20 PM (GMT -8)
hey deejavu, i would love to know more about the detox baths =)
thanks
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lymelady16
New Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 12
Posted 6/22/2009 5:22 PM (GMT -8)
nevermind deejavu, i found your post.
thanks again
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ticker
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 9208
Posted 6/22/2009 5:30 PM (GMT -8)

Hi lymelady 16.  It is great that you do not have co-infections.

Do you have a cover for your PICC line?  They come in handy so you can shower without getting the site wet.  If you don't have one, one place you can get them is at Brown Medical  https://www.brownmed.com/Products/StoreProductDetail29.cfm?StoreProductId=99   Some pharmacies and hosptial supply stores also have them.

Documenting symptoms really does help.  Sometimes it can feel like you are not making progress, but when you look back you can see that you are.

Good luck with your treatment!

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