posted
Hello, Can anyone please give me advice on telling the difference between Herxing and having an allergic reaction to abx? I was on IV ceftriaxone for 6 days and felt fine, and then I believe I started Herxing. My doctors think I had an allergic reaction and stopped the treatment and will not treat me now. That was 6 years ago. My condition is getting worse so I want to try IV again. Please help! Melitta
-------------------- Lyme for 7 years. Various low doses oral doxy, amoxil, erythromicin. IV rocephin 2g/day 2 months. Posts: 24 | From Australia | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
I do not have the answer to this but would also love to know the difference. I was prescribed levaquin (prior to being dx with lyme for some other type of infection) and immediately started feeling worse. I thought I was allergic but now that I think back it was probably a herx.
Posts: 370 | From NJ | Registered: Dec 2007
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
I'm sorry.
You are only allowed 1 question a night. I believe you have exceeded your limit.
The only exception we can make is if the poster happens to be from down under.
OH! You are!
I know.. I took too many goofy pills today. Overdosed on them I think.
I'm not sure there is a tried and true way that always works to distinguish an allergic reaction from a herx.
Unless of course you get obvious allergic reactions.. like hives, swollen tongue/lips, can't breathe.. etc.
MY allergic reactions were all of those... not all at the same time.. but on different meds I reacted differently.
One time I had what felt like hundreds of mosquitoe bites. I was also "climbing the walls"... almost literally. I had more energy than a zillion Ever Ready Bunny Rabbits and was pacing across the room back and forth.
Other times I felt weak and like garbage.. and started getting numbness and tingling in my lips and my tongue. I started breathing heavily too.
Several other times I started breaking out in itchy hives.
So it can be different each time in one individual.
MY suggestion is to contact your doctor anytime there is even a slight concern in your mind. And report to the ER immediately if you get hives.. swelling of the face/tongue/airway... or you have trouble breathing.
Actually it is best to call an ambulance if you are really having trouble. They carry epi-pens in most places and that can save your life in a true emergency. Some folks don't make it to the hospital without it... sorry to say.
I always keep Benydryl (liquid absorbs faster) and an Epi-pen around. But I am trained in the use of the Epi-Pen too.
I think for herxing I usually start feeling bad all over.. like a flu and joint pain, muscle aches, etc.
I don't know if that helps you.. and remember we are all different.. but maybe that will give you some things to look for.
While this is about treatment for Chlamydia Pneumoniae, that treatment is very similar to treatment for lyme.
The author has some very good information about porphyria.
Excess porphyrins can be toxic overload and look just like a herx.
Your country may also have a Porphyria Foundation or Association and a drug list of those using the Cytochrome P-450 liver detox pathway - those can trigger porphryia in those with genetic predispostion or who have acquired it from chemical exposure or infections.
Frequent small meals can help avoid this, among other things mentioned in the article.
posted
Thank you for reply Posts: 370 | From NJ | Registered: Dec 2007
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CherylSue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13077
posted
That's a good question. Allergic reactions such as hives, difficulty breathing, etc. are obvious. The rest is not so clear cut. I give medicines 3 pulses to see how I feel. Three strikes and they're out. Doxycycline is the only med I can tolerate. Do no harm is my motto.
CherylSue
Posts: 1954 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2007
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Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
It is a good question, they can be difficult to tell apart. A good allergist doing skin tests can tell you whether you are allergic to a substance. An allergist can test you for allergies to IV ceftriaxone. I highly recommend it for your situation.
I had a reaction to an abx, and thought that hives meant that I was allergic to the abx. My llmd thought that the hives were possibly part of a herx, or an allergic reaction. I went to an allergist for extensive testing and to my surprise, I am not allergic to this abx.
Allergic reactions are serious stuff. If you think you are having an allergic reaction to an abx, have benadryl handy, stop taking it, and call your doctor. And then you can go to an allergist for testing to see whether it really was an allergy, or a herx.
You get same-day results from an allergist doing their skin testing of abx, and you could potentially start IV ceftriaxone the next day, as it would prove to your doctor that it was a herx, not an allergic reaction!
(I am not a doctor, just had the same situation as you!)
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
I know I'm not taking Cipro again. I tried pulsing it again, and when I got in the tub to try to make myself sweat so that my head wouldn't explode, I got simultaneous sharp pains in my calves/ankles/elbows and brain, felt like I was going to lose consciousness for a few seconds, and both of my kneecaps started to itch like crazy afterwards.
There's no way that was a herx. I'm not touching that stuff again. I'm trying minocycline again instead.
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posted
Thanks gang! This is all such valuable info!
I believe I was herxing because it took 6 days before anything happened - if it was an allergic reaction wouldn't it happen pretty instantly?
The allergy testing is a great idea! Will raise it with my doc.
-------------------- Lyme for 7 years. Various low doses oral doxy, amoxil, erythromicin. IV rocephin 2g/day 2 months. Posts: 24 | From Australia | Registered: Aug 2007
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
l said.. "I believe I was herxing because it took 6 days before anything happened - if it was an allergic reaction wouldn't it happen pretty instantly?"
Not really. It could.. but often not. You can be on a medication for a year and suddenly have the allergic reaction.
You can have NO problem with a med after using it for years... on and off.. and suddenly have an allergic reaction.
That is why folks should keep Benedryl on hand always... and BOLO for an allergic reaction any time and any where.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Yes, it is true that a medicine that previously was fine can become an allergic trigger. Sulfa drugs are known for this as a doctor once informed me when the second round did not go as planned.
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