i just started lyme treatment 6 days ago..i keep reading about HERXING..i understand that this is a reaction to the abx doing their job..so when does this usually occur, after starting abx? just wondering what and when to expect..also, any guesses on how long it usually takes to see progress with the abx?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
You should be herxing anytime now. Don't let it worry you. It's like growing pains.....necessary to the process.
Improvement on the meds often depends upon how long you've been ill and of course, how easily your body detoxes.
Drink plenty of water, take vitamins, anything you can to detox. Green tea is good too.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Herxing can start any time its different for everyone when this will happen. Some lucky people don't herx that much. I was not one of the lucky ones & herxed pretty much thru most of my treatments. Although at week one I only experienced head pressure. You may not have hit a die off cycle yet.
Also wanted to say make sure to take good pro-biotics-spaced at least 2 hours away for your meds.
Good advice from lymetoo. Drink lots of water & detox as much as possible.
If I might ask I what treatment you are on & what dosage?
hope you can feel better soon.
Posted by tyevansmom (Member # 10609) on :
i am on 100 mg. of doxy daily for a month..i am being treated by my PCP and he said he wanted to start with a lower dose
Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :
If your not herxing yet, maybe you should be on a higher dose. 100mg daily of doxy isn't very much.
Lisi
Posted by tyevansmom (Member # 10609) on :
he wont put me on a higher dose to start out with
Posted by tyevansmom (Member # 10609) on :
i have had the pressure in head and slight headaches the past week..i dont know if this is just something random or part of the herxing..its nothing debilitating, by all means
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by tyevansmom: i am on 100 mg. of doxy daily for a month..i am being treated by my PCP and he said he wanted to start with a lower dose
It's no wonder you're not herxing at that low a dose. How long do you think you've had Lyme? If it's been only recently, then you REALLY need to be on 400mg per day.
100mg will only make the keets mad and stronger.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
head pressure & headaches where the first herx symptoms I experienced. I understand your doc is starting low & ramping you up. You may have a high germ count & he doesn't want you to herx too hard. You can herx too hard & it can be counter productive.
When you get to a higher dose you may experience more herxing.
Lyme treatment, like many have said here on the board is not a sprint but a long distance race.
Hang in there Blessings Dana
Posted by tyevansmom (Member # 10609) on :
y r the docs so against higher doses of abx?
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Because if he is starting you out slow & planning to slowly rasie the dose later(this is called ramping up) This is to prevent herxing too hard in the beginning where you may have a high germ count.
If you herx to hard your body can't get rid of the toxins fast enough. There are many reasons why you can herx too strong-a die off in your heart-too much sweeling in the brain ect..
They want to help you not kill ya.
I know its frustrating but some do ramp up slowly for the above reasons. In the long run this may be better. As long as he is willing to raise the doxy dose to a more theraputic dose at a later time.
Posted by tyevansmom (Member # 10609) on :
thanks for all the replies..im new and totally oblivious as to what to expect with the disease, much less the treatment
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Could you share with us when you were bit??
Posted by ESG (Member # 4816) on :
I did not feel any improvement until I was on 300 mg of Doxy,and then I started coming alive again; 400 mg of doxy was even better, adding Tindamax 3 days a week was a miracle.
I wonder if your doc is confusing doxy with Minocin: people have much stronger reactions to that variation of doxy and under the Marshall Protocol one starts out with a very low dose of Minocin. My GP knows about the Marshall Protocol but not much else; could be the same with your doc?
ESG
Posted by tyevansmom (Member # 10609) on :
im not sure when i was bit..no definitive bite that i can remember..my first symptom was a weird tingling sensation in left toe (toes)..had an array of tests done..mri of brain w/ and w/out contrast, cat scan of neck, complete spinal series..all came back fine..that was in june 2006..since then i have experienced tingling/burning/neuropathy-like sensations in left arm, hand, leg and foot..also on left side of face..numbness and tingling under eye/cheekbone, tip of nose and left top lip..lots of lathargy, fatigue, achiness started a couple of months ago..pain comes and goes in left hip, knee, ankle and thumb..intermittant pain (severe at times) in neck and BOTH shoulder blades (hurts to the touch)..shortness of breath, racing heart (comes and goes)..dry eyes..no weight loss..no constipation or diarrhea..my PCP came to the conclusion that these symptoms equalled lyme..thats y he started abx treatment
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Do you have any idea when he will increase your dosage?
You would be wise to find an LLMD ASAP. You can't beat chronic or late stage Lyme without one. [in my opinion]
I know there's a big problem with lack of LLMD's in Texas, but you're going to need one.
Posted by susiecv (Member # 9702) on :
Hi-For comparision's sake...I was given 200mg/day of doxy shortly after bite & swollen knee by my PCP last summer-Around day nine I ran a low grade fever for a couple of days-had headaches upon waking almost the entire 3 weeks I was on it-Nothing to knock me all the way down, but didn't feel "good" either-The fever came back exactly a week later for another 2 days. Pretty sure this is what "mild" herxing is...
Did your PCP indicate how long he planned to treat you for? If you haven't already-read & copy Dr. B's guidelines off the newbie page to share with your PCP-Try to get a higher dose of doxy for AT LEAST 1-2 months-and go from there!
I finally consulted with a LLMD-who recommended 2 months of doxy at 400mg/day-At this point-not so sure even that has been enough-I am getting more convinced we have to help create many more LLMD's!!! Wish you well- Sue
Posted by panicbegone (Member # 10760) on :
im on 100 3x a day of doxy for like 10 days now. i still feel like $hi!. I hope it gets better im just inpatient. I will be adding in Biaxin end of this week. I get more nervous of side effects or allergic reaction to trying a new med vs. herxing.
Posted by John292 (Member # 4628) on :
When the Abx gets to the keets they turn into cysts and the Abx will not get them.
Keets change form to escape death.
We do not know how many different forms exsist.
They stay as cysts for at least 3 months or longer, who knows for sure.
They change into many different forms they longer that they are in the body.
This is what I think happened to me.
This why some people herx like crazy on low doses and other do not.
Lack of herxing does not mean that you are safe.
If you get to a higher dose and still don't herx then try another protocol, salt/c, herbs
Posted by D Bergy (Member # 9984) on :
What exactly is the definition of late stage Lymes?
I agree that there is a shortage of LLMD's but it is a nationwide shortage. Even in Northern MN, where Lyme is common we would have had to travel 90 miles to find one. Vets seem to have the most experience as dogs get it so often.
I do not know if my wife's Lymes is considered late stage Lyme but she was infected for over a year before we treated. Her symptoms were occasional fevers, rash at the tick bite, arthritis symptoms later on. She also had at least one Lyme Rage when we did treat.
Her herxes were within hours of treatment but I guess this varies between individuals. She very rarely has any now but that took a few months to get to that point.
I hope the reason you are not herxing yet is because you do not have Lyme. But, I doubt it.
D Bergy
Posted by Travlr1 (Member # 9681) on :
tyevanmom,
I never did herx on Rocephin ,but it for sure helped me so don't freak out if the pt. doesn't Herx.
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