Hi there everyone. I just suffered a weekend of misery in a severe herx. Im a bit better today, but still pretty weak. My question is, how do we know if it is a "herx"? could this just be the body going nuts with all the meds in it? I was reading my IM Bicillin instructions and it listed every symptom I was feeling as its adverse effects. It also warned of strong "Herx" reactions. I have begun wondering if these drugs are doing anything but just beating the crap out of my body. IM Bicillin, Plaquenil, Zithro. along with every supp recommended by Dr B. Granted after 6 months of different treatments and drugs, I do feel somewhat improved, but the feeling I had this past weekend was the sickest I have felt since having pneumonia. My question is simply, how do I know that this is a Herx, and not my body being overloaded with pharmaceuticals and supplements? There must be a good answer to this question. - Yes I take Milk Thistle!
Posted by txgirl09 (Member # 21612) on :
How long have you been on this regimen? Did you recently start one of these abx?
Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
4th week with this regimen. Previously had iv Rocephin for 8 weeks, before that, 2 months doxcy
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
It is common to have a herx that starts 3 days to 4 weeks after starting a new drug or combo of drugs.
Of course if you have a reaction to a drug, that would also happen soon after you start taking it.
I am not sure how to tell.
Posted by Sophie1234 (Member # 26412) on :
I can tell you that it was actually milk thistle that caused horrid, horrid increase in symptoms for me. Just my experience.
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
My LLMD said there was no way to know for sure if it's a herx or a reaction to the medicine. I guess one way to know is if you feel better afterwards and the herxes become fewer and farther between.. Unfortunately my daughter suffered for a whole month on Doxy until I changed her to Ceftin and found that it was the medication that was making her so ill.
Posted by janet thomas (Member # 7122) on :
I did IM Bicillin (with daily ketek) twice a week.
It was ok at first but the 3rd week I had a severe herx with very high anxiety. My LLMD advised me to stop the meds until the herx passed.
That took 11 days. After that it was much easier and by 3 months I felt decent.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Since this is the 4th week on this regimen, it could well be a herx.
"Another very important factor is response to treatment- presence or absence of Jarisch Herxheimer-like reactions, the classic four-week cycle of waxing and waning of symptoms, and improvement with therapy." (Burrascano, p. 6)
"It has been observed that symptoms will flare in cycles every four weeks. It is thought that this reflects the organism's cell cycle, with the growth phase occurring once per month (intermittent growth is common in Borrelia species). As antibiotics will only kill bacteria during their growth phase, therapy is designed to bracket at least one whole generation cycle. This is why the minimum treatment duration should be at least four weeks.
If the antibiotics are working, over time these flares will lessen in severity and duration. The very occurrence of ongoing monthly cycles indicates that living organisms are still present and that antibiotics should be continued.
With treatment, these monthly symptom flares are exaggerated and presumably represent recurrent Herxheimer-like reactions as Bb enters its vulnerable growth phase and then are lysed. For unknown reasons, the worst occurs at the fourth week of treatment. Observation suggest that the more severe this reaction, the higher the germ load, and the more ill the patient." (p. 17)
So, mark these days on your calendar as "bad days." Then, keep track of when or if they occur again.
Any time you get sick around 4 weeks into a new therapy, I think herx.
Drink lots of water and squeeze fresh lemons into it. That will help you detoxify the body from the dead bacteria and the meds. Helps lessen and shorten the herx.
See if you begin to feel better than before. If you do, that is the proof of a herx. You can only be sure by looking back.
Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
Week 6. Not much improvement. Ability to get up and go to work, but My neuro symptoms are incredibly bad. REALLY BAD. Suicidal, agitated, confused, dizzy, inability to focus, depressed. to name a few. I have also developed a prickly, tickly snesation all over my body. feels like tiny bugs crawling on me and biting me. I shouldnt even bother going to work, since I just stare at my computer most of the day. I see LLMD Tuesday. Extremely discouraged, currently talking myself down from freaking out in his office, as I am freaking out everywhere I go......
Posted by sk8ter (Member # 8671) on :
you can have a Eosinophils test to actually see if it is a med reaction. If it is high it is a allergic reaction. It is a simple blood test.