I know I keep posting questions and I apologize for that. I am new to this. Does anyone know how to tell the difference between a herd and a reaction to antibiotics? I starting gettin ill after 2 days of antibiotics.
My pain seems to move around. One hour I have a terrible headache, then my leg aches terrible, then my stomach will hurt. Very lower abd pain, then my neck will kill me, then nausea. Then ankles or wrists will hurt. Or knee. Other things too. Does this sound like hers or antibiotics?
Thanks!!
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
I'm also on day 3 of feeling ill and seem to be getting worse not better. The first night I did epsom salt bath and my husband couldn't find alkaseltzer gold but will look again today.
Posted by Bartenderbonnie (Member # 49177) on :
Jenene,
Once again our lives intercept.
Going through the exact same thing over here. Almost stopped my meds today but decided if it kills me, at least I died trying.
Woke up after a very restless nite, pillows, sheets and comforter scattered all over floor..
Yelled at my dogs, felt bad and started crying and then they started licking my face.
Sand and grit in my eyes, headache, something playing the banjo with my optic nerve, neck and back pain. Severe tinnitis and vertigo. Feel like throwing up.
Felt good last nite after my Epsom salt bath except for having to look at my deformed body with all it's missing skin, muscle mass and collegenless tissue paper skin.
I knew this day was coming and planned for it. Stocked my house with fresh Vegs, fruits, nuts, low fat meats, H2O, and plenty of toilet paper.
I took 2 alkaselzer and feel a lot better. Went from bed to recliner and plan to stay there.
"Put your seatbelt on, it's going to be a bumpy ride".
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Pain that moves around from place to place is a classic lyme symptom.
What antibiotics are you taking? Look up each one on the Internet and see side effects and read the side effects on the insert that came with the prescription.
Are you drinking lots and lots of lemon water (fresh lemons)? Until you find the Alka Seltzer Gold, use baking soda with lemon as a substitute.
If all of this goes away in about a week, you have your proof that it is a herx.
From Burrascano, page 26:
"Classic Lyme:
Migratory- first a knee will hurt, then over time this may lessen and the elbow or shoulder acts up, and later the joints calm down but headaches worsen."
Neck pain is a classic lyme symptom. I had it for months, and lots of headaches, and lots of nausea and also episodes of severe abdominal pain.
My gastro could never find any cause for my terrible episodes of abdominal pain. He did colonoscopies, etc. The pain finally went away when I got good lyme treatment.
The nausea, neck pain and headaches also went away once I started treating lyme.
We have a saying: You have to feel worse before you feel better. You are in the "worse" time now. Hopefully it will pass quickly. But, do as much detoxing as you can to make this more bearable.
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
Oh gosh thank you so much I've been searching the web about this moving around pain and couldn't find anything with herxing that said that and thought I was going nuts!! I also have had abd pain for a while and had many ultrasound and only found fatty liver disease and some cysts but nothing to explain pain. Neck pain is off the charts!! I have some arthritis but not enough to explain severe pain.
The antibiotics I'm taking are sulfamethox
Bartenderbonnie looks like we are in this together!!!
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
Sounds very much like a herx. Like TF said, migratory pain is classic Lyme. Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) has been one of the best antibiotics for me.
Over time you'll learn to tell the difference between a herx and antibiotic reactions.
For example, minocycline makes me very dizzy, flagyl makes me feel wired, doxycycline hurts my stomach, sida Acuta makes me feel wired/determined, cats claw makes me fee relaxed. These are all side effects for me. They usually happen within an hour or two of taking the antibiotic.
My herx symptoms though, are pressure in my head, blurred vision, increased weakness, rapid heart beat, extreme sleepiness, pain in my appendix area, and I also get a sense of peace (but some people have increased anxiety). These usually happen 2 to 4 days after starting a new antibiotic and continue on for a few weeks.
The main way I tell if I'm herxing or getting sicker is that I sleep much more when I'm herxing, and much less when in just getting sicker. This seems to be the case for a lot of people, but not everyone.
Like TF said, keep detoxing. You'll continue to feel much worse for a while. Don't expect to feel better in a few days. You probably won't.
Some people feel a little better after a couple of weeks of herxing, some people don't feel better until they've herxed for a couple of months. For me personally, it usually takes about 3 1/2 weeks for my herxing to get better. It can get pretty bad during that time though.
The antibiotic you're on was my exception to my herx timeframe though. With that one I felt better after about 9 days or so. That may or may not be true for you though.
If the herx becomes unbearable, with your doctors approval, you could stop your antibiotics for a few days and let the herx die down, and then start them again. My doc recommends this. I personally though have found that I can't stop my antibiotics for more than two days without the infection growing rapidly. Some people stop for longer than that though during herxes.
Keep pressing on and posting here. Glad you found Lymenet! There are many great people here that will do their best to help you through your journey.
Wishing you the best of luck!
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
Thank you you have described me to a "T"!! I started feeling sick 2 days after I started mess!! I fell exactly like you have said!!
Posted by Jordana (Member # 45305) on :
It's really really hard to tell the difference and the real ***** of it is that these symptoms never stay the same. But one thing I can tell you now -- I do have one herx/abx danger sign; it's a feeling of toxicity. This is hard to explain but it's like your body is so backed up with yuck that you want to crawl out of it.
Also, if you have any kind of rash it's very unlikely a herx. Especially on sulfa -- if you start to get itchy red patches STOP the drug.
Posted by jsnyde2 (Member # 7888) on :
THAT is the million dollar question!
Posted by jsnyde2 (Member # 7888) on :
I think it is wise to take Abx that don't have the same side effects of your personal main Lyme & co symptoms. I had that epiphany well into my 2nd time around with treatment. Something to discuss with my llmd next time.
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
I'll have to disagree with you a little bit here Jordana. Sometimes rashes are herxes. My doc says it's fairly common actually. I've had herx rashes before (don't think they itched). I've also had allergic rashes, so I can tell the difference. Probably best to ask your doc about any rashes.
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
Ok thanks. I haven't had any rashes. Just mostly pain. Like my neck is terrible and the rest are just all over the place. Last night bad headaches that go from mild to terrible.
Posted by Jordana (Member # 45305) on :
Hm, I was mostly tucking in a warning about sulfa. When people get TENS or DRESS they can sometimes shut it down by stopping the drug and taking something like benedryl. On that one I wouldn't take the chance, I would stop first, ask later.
Posted by AJB (Member # 48059) on :
Thanks all for sharing info re: herx timing. So much of what I have read seems to indicate that 2-3 days and herx should be over.
My daughter seems to herx for a week at a time. Then of course we finally bump the med up and she goes right back in...makes treatment so slow and painful.
Anyone have experience w/ Burbur to help w/ detox?
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
I took an epsome salt bath and took alka seltzer gold and it helped some. I am also using Citrix's oils to help as well
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
What does tens or dress mean?
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
Definitely on the sulfa rash. Sulfa rashes can mean a serious reaction. So I agree 100% on that one Jordana, stop first ask later!
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
How long would it take the rash to show up?
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
The allergic rashes can happen at any time, even after several months of being on the antibiotic, but they aren't tremendously common. My aunt is actually allergic to sulfa. When she got a rash, she stopped the antibiotic and the rash went away soon after.
Not to scare you, but there are a handful of people who can develop life-threatening allergic reactions to antibiotics. That's not common though, but it does happen.
The herx rashes for me have typically shown up within the first week or two of taking the antibiotic. Mine stuck around for 3 weeks or so before they went away.
Posted by bluelyme (Member # 47170) on :
bactrim was a doozy for me sparked some kinda neuron disfuction/ vasculitis ...
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
What were the symptoms blue Lyme?
Also, Is it possible to only here for 3 days? Yesterday I had a massage, drank alka seltzer gold, and took a epsome salt bath. I'm feeling much better today. Not great but much, much better. I am now on day 4 of herx. Do you think it was a herx if it is subsiding already?
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
Thanks for the info sick Sam. I will watch myself!!
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
In my post above I meant to say is it possible to HERX for 3 days. Darn autocorrect
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
In my post above I meant to say is it possible to HERX for 3 days. Darn autocorrect
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
My first herx was 3 days of feeling really bad and 4 of feeling half bad.
If you are starting to feel better now, that is very good! It means that you are able to detoxify. So, now that you know how to do it, you should do well. Look for the next herx 28 days from the start of the first one.
Try to drink some lemon water every day. Do all the detox methods you can once your next herx starts.
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
I'm jealous of your short herx! That's awesome. I've never tried the Alka Seltzer Gold, but I sure might try it in the near future.
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
Today I'm feeling 1/4 bad. So you don't think it will start up again? I also go this water that is very high in alkaline and I have been rubbing Citris oils on my body with a carrier oil. I'm not sure if all that has helped. Oh and I make a smoothie with green vibranc powder, berries, kale and spinach with water.
This was my first official herx. I may have had it before but my old Dr took me off abx when I got sick so I'm not sure.
I'm not looking forward to 28 days. Lol.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Go forward in time and mark on your calendar when the next herx should hit. If you don't do it now, then when you get sick in 3 1/2 weeks, you will be on the board all upset wondering if your treatment is no longer working, you are going backwards, what is wrong, etc.
I have seen it over and over. So, that is why you need to mark your calendar to remind yourself. Don't plan anything for the few days around the day your next herx is to hit.
This is how you live during lyme treatment.
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :
Hank you for this advice!! At least I can get through Christmas. I will be thankful for that!!!
Posted by bluelyme (Member # 47170) on :
Most do fine on bactrim ...i was just special ..day 1 ok day 2 felt great could hear had stregnth ..day 3 blood boiled headfog ...then inset of weird horror movie type things ...lost calloses, had muscle wasting , hands a feet lost meat .excruciating pain ..visual snow , hypoglycemic episode . Etc etc you know the usual
Posted by Jenene (Member # 49398) on :