Hello. Just curious if I NEED to herx. All along my prior herxing has been mild ( crying, depression) except for my first bicillin shot.
I started IV rocephin 3 weeks ago with one day of increased twitching and than feeling overall much better. I very carefully added oral tindamax pulse and got slightly worse headache. Now really nothing. Improved overall, but still have pain, twitches etc,
My question is...does this mean the meds are not working? I hear horror stories of severe herxing or people changing meds because they did not herx. I just basically feel better.
Also, I am adding in IV azithromycin next week to address the L-form. I am looking forward to it because I think I have a strong bart infection too. (all CNS) I wonder if I will have more of a herx reaction.
Just curious who has had no or mild herxing too? My sympathies to those who do herx severely. Bicillin about killed me, but I no longer had purple feet (vasculitis) after one shot thankfully. Repeated shots no herx. It was effective. Thanks
Posted by jkmom (Member # 14004) on :
I think if you are feeling better you are one of the lucky ones that will have mild herxes.
I also have very few and mild herxes. I do feel better with abx though so I know it is doing something.
I just started more abx at higher doses and was wondering if I would herx harder, but I've only had more, still mild, intermittent symptoms so far.
Posted by j_liz (Member # 20496) on :
If I herxed with Bicillin it was so mild that I couldn't be sure and yet I am so much better.
liz
Posted by kimmie (Member # 25547) on :
Thank you. I have heard of some people not herxing too. I just wanted to be sure since obviously I want to Kill as much bugs as possible.
We shall see what the IV zith does next week. If you dont hear from me, you'll know why.
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
I've only had one obvious herx, when I first started doxy, and that only lasted about 10 days and was bearable after day 4.
My symptoms have gotten significantly better over the last several months.
Last week I had a bad flare up of candida, so I've been taking several things at once to get rid of it, and it has quickly gotten better in a few days, but no herx or die-off symptoms either.
Possibly my body has been doing well at detoxing all along? Anyway, I count myself lucky to have had minimal herxing so far.
It does make it more confusing, though, without that very obvious sign of whether or not a drug is doing something.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- No, you do not need to herx. My guess is that you are but the usual lyme symptoms and a herx are often all mixed together.
A herx is highly over rated and too often used as a badge of courage. It is actually best to avoid a herx.
With good liver & kidney support methods and self-care, a herx need not undo you. However, even with good liver support and our best efforts for excellent self-care, it can. Just never let up on self-care and you'll have a better chance.
And, while you are lucky now, that could change and a herx effect could come along later with this drug or the addition or rotation of others.
Good luck. -
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
Some doctors feel that herxing is detrimental. It's a sign that the body is being overwhelmed with toxins. It may be useful, since it's a clue that you are actually attacking a pathogen.
It's hard to know what is what since the testing is not accurate. It's also hard to know if the herx is a side effect of the drug. Some drug side effects are very similar to Lyme symptoms, too.
Either, your body didn't have a huge load of pathogens that the drug targeted or your body was good at detoxing. Feeling better is a good sign.
Posted by arkiehinny (Member # 26546) on :
I had a strong herx approximately 6 days after starting doxy the first time, on the low dose. I was off for 2 weeks, now am back on the double dose (400 mg Doxy day) for 1 week. I haven't experienced the severe herx of the first time, though my legs & arms have felt very, very heavy. I was having cloudy thinking yesterday, but feel almost normal today, if not for the pain in my elbows & arms & knees. Weird....maybe my body is handling it better.
Posted by LymeXtu (Member # 24590) on :
kimmie - Please give me more info on your "purple" feet.
I have foot pain and discoloration that looks purple and no one can tell me what is wrong and it is not getting better with my Lyme treatment.
My feet fill back in slowly when pressed on and the refill looks strange.
Maybe I should try Bicillin.
Thanks
Posted by kimmie (Member # 25547) on :
LymeXtu,
I wish I had a photo of the feet. HORRIBLE. They would swell and literally turn purple/dark red. I showed the rheumatologist and he thought it was raynauds disease, but blood testing actually showed it to be "ANCA+ vasculitis". For some reason rocephin did not touch it.
One full dose 2.4U Bicillin, my only bad herx, 20 hours later temp 101.4, vomiting, pain, awful...however my purple feet where gone! Well worth it.
Crazy, not sure if it was actually Lyme that caused it. I looked online for other spirochettes that are affected by Bicillin and leptospirosis was listed #1. Who knows what the Bicillin killed. But the feet thing was awful. My entire lower leg would get hot and discolored.
Are you having the same problem?
Thanks for all the responses on herxing. Let's see if it continues after I add the zith.
Posted by LymeXtu (Member # 24590) on :
kimmie - Thanks for the reply.
I do not get any swelling but was also told by my reg doctor it was most likely raynauds, my LLMD is still wondering if it could be from Bart but I have no other symptoms to point us in that direction.
I will look into the blood tests and maybe even try the Bicillin, it is so hard to believe that one shot solved the problem !! I bet it was a huge relief for you as it is very scary to have these problems with your feet.
I forgot to add that I only get about one day of feeling fluish after some new meds so I too have been lucky in the herx department.
Posted by kimmie (Member # 25547) on :
I dont know what I killed off with that shot! Whatever it was it is gone, or atleast the vasculitis is gone.