Hi Everyone: I feel a little foggy on the difference between a flare and a herx, although I have read and studied til this stuff goes in one eye and out the other (attempt at humor
I am off abx- and not thrilled at the idea of going back on (was on multiples for 18 months) , but my monthly flares are getting increasingly more consistent and worse... Even though I have been trying to up my immune system by eating well and actually doing some consistent exercise.
My inflammation numbers are down, my CD57 is up (and for the first time I have no active bands...none!...although I know that doesn't mean anything)
But each month I feel myself go down hill the last days of the month, and by the first of the month I am in total pain...and then it lifts. From the beginning of the creeping up to the subsiding it lasts about 8-10 days...and although the pain never goes totally away, these "I'm falling back" moments are so much more intense.
so my question is this... is a flare in principal the same as a herx?
are the remaining buggers dying, being fought from my immune system?
and if it is die off... can I detox a flare like you do a herx? lemon water, glutathione, alka seltzer gold, etc? and could I prevent it or lessen it by starting to detox before i get symptoms?
and back to an earlier question of mine... if I were to go on a pulse of abx... would the flare be the time to do the most killing?
If I am so consistent, would I start the abx a few days before I normally flare up?
and would I want to do a trio of abx at that time-- perhaps zyth, doxy, flagyl(or tindi? ) Or if I am just getting replicating spirochetes... would just one of those be enough? maybe zyth or Tindi?
Thank you all for your input. I truly appreciate it.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Hi there Kudzu
You asked a great question-I often wonder that myself.
I don't know the answer to that one.
But... There are some women in my support group, who are 80% better, except on their flare week.
During their flare week, they PULSE ON with abx.
It helps immensely, and prevents Bb from getting a grip on them again.
One does IV rocephin because of stormach issues-I'm pretty sure the other does mino and tindi.
I will try to find out next meeting and PM you.
Posted by soccermama (Member # 35101) on :
Here is my understanding. A flare is caused by the spirochetes replicating which causes an increase in symptoms.
A herx is a result of spirochetes dying at a faster rate than your body's ability to detox them. Thus the need to supplement with detox when treating.
You can have a herx when you are in a flare if you are treating, I think?
I have noticed that detoxing has helped when I have experienced flares.
How you treat is your decision. IMO, I would wait to treat until I was flaring because that is when the most bugs are in the bloodstream. I would also treat with an antibiotic that kills the cyst form as well.
According to Eva Sapi, tindimax is the antibiotic that kills the most forms. (at least in the petri dish)
Will Wegeman posted on this site for awhile and he had a unique way of treating. Different antibiotics were taken each day depending on the symptoms.
Kudzu, I share your confusion about the whole thing.
Posted by beths (Member # 18864) on :
I am in the same boat - 4-5 bad days a month, but feel decent in between. I am on samento and banderol, so I wonder if it's a Herx.
If I was relapsing, I wonder if I would feel crappy more often
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
Greta, soccer mom, Beth thank you. Soccer mom that is the best description I have ever read I was I intrigued by WW's protocol... But since most of my symptoms are joint ant muscle I would be taking doxy...
Greta, I would love to hear more about the women in your group. Thank you.
Mino and I didn't get along. But I was on a lot of other stuff as well... Never did try tindi.
Beth I hope your bad days decrease.
The past few days I was pretty discouraged and as down as I have been... But today the really bad pain lessened... So better.
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
What about drug resistance from taking something once a month for a week? Any thoughts?
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