posted
I took my first, and most likely last, epsom salt bath last night. My nerves went from usual constant tingling to throbbing in 10 minutes. My heart rate shot up and I was totally short of breath. Almost threw up in the bathwater. Twitched all night long.
That was not a herx, unless epsom can instantly kill Bb's, that was my symptoms getting worse. But why? I hope I didn't do (more) permanent damage.
Posts: 243 | From chicago | Registered: Dec 2005
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
I think maybe the epson salt bath was drawing toxis through you body/skin. Maybe tha's why such an awlful time. Just my thoughts, maybe Gigi will respond.
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
It sounds like your body was reacting to detoxifying. Sometimes with detoxing we can go too far too fast.
Although you were only in the bath for 10 minutes, and that doesn't seem like a long time, it does seem to have been too much for you! Your reaction sounds very scary. I don't know medically why you experienced that.
I had a reaction to detox baths, but not nearly as severe as you did. I was all excited to try out my organic apple cider vinegar bath, thought I would feel so great afterwards. I felt miserable, could barely walk, in tears.
I took a detox bath break. Then, went back to it, but in a very abbreviated version. Instead of putting in cupfuls of vinegar, I put in about 1/3 cup.
After about 5 minutes in the bath, I put in 1/3 cup of epsom salts, rather than a full cup. Then, remain in the tub only another 5 minutes. This is much better for me.
Have you talked to your doctor about the problem you had? Perhaps, you could start out slower, and with a smaller amount of the epsom salts. Also, you could try apple cider vinegar foot baths, rather than an entire body soak.
This illness and treatment and how we react to all of it is often surprising and scary. Hope you take care. Hopeful4
Posts: 873 | From WA | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Spirochetes HATE the heat. Maybe do a cooler bath next time?? The Epsom salt baths should indeed remove toxins and that too can make you feel temporarily worse.
I'll let the experts on this give you advice.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
Magnesium activates over 200 enzymes in the body -- if you are deficient certain normal bodily functions (don't ask me which ones) are not carried out.
When you add the missing ingredient (magnesium) the various systems in your body are trying to get back on line. It is sort of like a power blip and how that messes up your alarm clock, TV, computer etc.
In my opinion, the first rule of any treatment is if it makes you feel worse -- stop and take it slower.
Hubby has had this type of bad experience before -- once or twice he had seizure-like episodes in the bath and I had to rescue him.
Try just soaking your feet for 5 or 10 minutes only in epsom salts and work up to 20 minutes before you attempt a bath again.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Been there done that. I woulda puked too but I fell alseep and had to be pulled out of the water I got so relaxed and weakened. Weakened for days.
it is the heat killing ketes that are holed up in the outer skin avoiding the abx. That and a whole buncha dead kete slop toxic tick soup that the heat motivated back into circulation.
quai
-------------------- "In spite of the ever increasing cost of living, it remains quite popular" S. Shackel Posts: 87 | From walla walla wa | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Actually, in ten minutes my nerves started throbbing, I made myself stay in until I started to heave at 30 min., but the goal had been 45 min.
I really appreciate your responses, see-I am a bit-uh-dumb, I thought epsom salt, was...salt. Like sea salt. Not magnesium sulfate. It makes more sense now.
I was all excited to have a variation in my boring and unfun baths, I thought it would be like when I put oatmeal in, something to do but not noticeable.
I am all for the no pain no gain part of getting better, but something strikes me as wrong about what happened last night. Like it wasn't going to help in the long run.
Posts: 243 | From chicago | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Hot baths alone are known to fatigue the body. Early on in my treatment, I realized I was taking too hot a bath. I was going "gung ho". Water so hot I turned red as a tomato! I had all the symptoms you had.
A few weeks ago, I got a FIR sauna, so I backed off the hot baths.
Lately I've thrown in the Mg. baths and the same thing has happened.
Try cooler baths with less Mg. In spite of not reaching your goal of 45 min., you stayed in a LONG time! Especially if your water was HOT!
Make sure your potassium, calcium, Magnesium, and sodium levels are good.
I realized I needed some potassium and when I added some, I felt better and the feeling of fatigue, the feeling that I was going to faint when I stood up, etc. went away.
Don't give up on Epsom salt baths, they are an excellent was to get magnesium into your body without putting more into your mouth.
If you do this in moderation, it will relax you and help with pain.
-------------------- Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see....Corrie Ten Boom Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I agree w/Bugaboo. don't give up on hot baths. If you have to work your way up to hotter or longer baths, just take your time and do it at your own speed.
Bb doesn't like the heat. This is a fact. If the water was hot enough, you may have actually killed some of those closest to the surface of your skin, and that's a good thing. I like the idea that I'm getting even.
I even have my own personal theory that if you're on abx, then getting hot, even if you're not hot enough for an outright kill, (from a bath, sauna, or whatever) would make Bb uncomfortable enough to start moving around to get away from the heat. In moving out of their hiding place, they would get killed by the abx in the blood. So I see heat as a good adjunct therapy to abx.
And if you haven't been supplementing Mg, you probably need it.
Hand in there.
Patti
Posts: 449 | From Pasadena, CA, usa | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Thank you for mentoring me on this. I am not going to stop bathing, and I do mean the hot 45 min. kind to try and kill the beasts faster.
I am going to wait before using the epsom salts again, but maybe I should change my abx, because I forgot how horrible I can feel. And maybe I am not killing them.
Posts: 243 | From chicago | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Gambler, before "overheating" again, you should read some of the threads on hot baths. You need to take some precautions, so as not to over do it. Here's one:
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