posted
I googled it, but wanted to hear everyone elses explanation of it on here.
I don't know if I have ever herxed or not. I have only been on doxy 200 mg/ 3 weeks....twice this year.
Posts: 22 | From N.East CT | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
Overview: The herxheimer reaction, nicknamed "herx" or otherwise referred to as Jarisch- Herxheimer (J-H) is a phenomena originally observed in the treatment of syphilis, but later found in other illness.
In general terms, it is described as a temporary increase of symptoms when anti-syphilitic drugs (antibiotics) are administered. What is known or speculated about Lyme disease herxheimers are based heavily on the reactions seen in syphilis.
This is due to the fact both diseases are caused by a bacteria known as a spirochete, the former being Treponema pallidum, the latter Borrelia burgdoferi (B.b).
However the herxheimer reactions in Lyme disease are not identical to those seen in syphilis, especially in terms of timing, frequency and duration as noted below.
In Lyme disease it is thought that the cause of herxheimers are the result of endotoxin release, that is toxin(s) within the spirochete that are released as the B.b are killed or broken down. This may be a result of the toxin(s) itself or the body's immune response to such.
Symptoms:
As mentioned, the general description is a temporary increase in symptoms, but also included is the development of new ones. More specifically the most common events include: increased joint or muscle pain, headaches, chills, fever (usually low grade), drop in blood pressure, hives and rash. A multitude of other symptoms have been described.
Worth noting is that hives and rash are sometimes mistaken for an allergic reaction. It is up to one's physician to determine this.
Timing, Frequency and Duration:
This is individualistic and Herxheimer can occur within days to weeks after the onset of antibiotic therapy.
In some patients they occur only once or twice (if at all) and with others continue throughout the course of treatment, usually lessening in severity. They can occur and are more often described in cycles (example: every 4 weeks) and have been reported to last from days to weeks.
It can be very beneficial to document these exacerbations. Some physicians use this as a guideline for treatment. Further it may help differentiate herxheimers from the normal symptoms or progression of Lyme disease.
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic