What in the World is Herxing?

Herxing. It’s a strange word. Even saying it out loud sounds scary… Herxing. Yuck! It certainly doesn’t sound pleasant. When my doctor first warned to look out for herxing my mind shut down. Lyme disease, antibiotics, likely unable to work for at least six months. This I could handle, barely. But herxing too, that was more than I could stomach. So I stopped listening at that point and allowed my husband to take over. I didn’t know what it was yet but I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be pleasant. So, what in the world is herxing? I hope that by sharing my experiences it will take some of the mystery, and therefore the fear, out of the concept of herxing.

I’m not a scientist or a doctor, so I will only give a brief description of what my understanding of herxing is. Then, I will dive into some of my personal experiences. Lastly, I will give my best answers to some of the widely expressed questions regarding this mysterious, and often terrifying, response to medication (including my favorite and most productive ways of detoxification).

What in the world is herxing?

As I understand it, herxing is the bodies reaction to the die-off of bacteria. When you take antibiotics or herbs intended to kill the Lyme bacteria, or any of its co-infections, that death results in toxins that flood your system. When your body is inundated with toxins it can react in some crazy, uncomfortable and frightening ways. In this stage of treatment it is essential that you help your body in the process of detoxification.

Unfortunately, herxing is probably unavoidable. There is a school of thought that herxing is a good thing. It means you’re on the right track. You’re killing off those nasty invaders. I don’t disagree with that entirely. Many of us who have started treatment for Lyme disease have already heard the maxim, “you will feel worse before you feel better”. I can attest that this is true. Within the first few months of treatment I found myself complaining that medicine was supposed to make me feel better not worse. My best advice to you is, stick it out. Listen to your body. Most importantly, make sure you have a good detox protocol. However, if something really feels wrong, reach out to your doctor. You may need a different antibiotic or a lower dose. Talk, talk and talk some more with your doctor. 

Brain herxing

This form of herxing stands out because it was so bizarre. Also, my journal entries from these days are especially disturbing to me when I go back and read them. I sound completely lost, yet amazingly unaware of how truly lost I was.

~ ~ My brain feels weird. I feel oddly numb yet super sensitive all at the same time. I feel like my mind is a rogue agent right now. And through it all, I am almost oblivious to it. It’s all very strange. Will [my husband] is gone hunting right now, left two days ago…and I don’t miss him! This is not because I don’t miss him, it’s because I don’t really realize he’s gone. It’s like I’m stuck in some bizarre alternative reality…and unaware I’m stuck in it. The saying, “ignorance is bliss” has never held more reality for me than now.    10/22/17 ~~

~~ Will says I act like someone who’s a little drunk all of the time. I feel stoned.     10/26/17 ~~

My memories of this time are few and cloudy. I remember that I couldn’t read or watch movies because I couldn’t focus. I would read and re-read a paragraph then finally give up. To pass the time I would watch shows with short, twenty minute episodes or movies that I’d already seen. This way, I wouldn’t get lost in the plot. I had to stop driving because I barely avoided a number of car accidents. It’s like I would forget I was driving.

Physical herxing

While the brain herxing I experienced was disturbing and surreal, I was mostly oblivious to it. It was the physical herxing that was truly scary. This can come in so many forms and present differently for everybody. Some of the herx symptoms that stand out for me are:

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the difference between your normal, everyday symptoms and a herx. Particularly when you’re living in a constant state of unwell. When those everyday symptoms that you’re managing jump from a 3 or a 4 to a 10, that’s when you know you’re herxing. Lyme Advise has also put together a great side by side comparison of Flare vs. Herx: How to tell the Difference.

Perhaps the scariest herx I had was when my doctor prescribed the A-Bart challenge (an herbal tincture used to determine if one has bartonella). On day three of the challenge I herxed so strongly I was certain I was dying. I could barely form words and thoughts. My heart was racing so fast I was afraid I was having a heart attack. I had difficulty walking, as though my brain was no longer connected to my motor skills. My tremor went from a 3 to a 10. It was terrifying. Over the course of a two-and-a-half year battle with Lyme disease I wanted to call my husband at work many times and ask him to come home. But I never did call him. Except on this day. I called, pulled him out of a meeting and demanded that he come home, immediately. That was a scary day.

It’s for this reason that I kept a journal. It was a way for me to track my symptoms and hopefully recognize when I needed to do some detoxing. My doctor had me on different herbal and vitamin supplements to help assist with the detox but sometimes I needed more than a pill. Below are some of my favorite detoxing tips.

Detoxing

Whether you’re herxing or not, detoxing should be a regular part of your treatment protocol. However, when those symptoms do get out of control it’s a good sign that you’re not keeping up with sloughing out those toxins caused from bacterial die-off. Here are the herx management tools that I found most beneficial:

Epsom salt baths – My doctor instructed me to make the water as hot as I could stand and pour at least a cup of Epsom salt in the water. As I soaked I found it mentally helpful to imagine those dead bugs seeping out of my pores and washing away. In fact, I would talk to them and demand that they get the hell out of my body. ** There may be times when hot water actually makes you feel worse. In that case, there are other tools you can use.

Dry skin brushing – This is an excellent way to assist the sloughing of toxins. It can also be quite pleasant. I found a simple little brush with stiff, but not too stiff, bristles. Often I would do this gentle brushing after my hot Epsom salt baths. It is a similar concept to lymph drainage. When brushing your skin you should always brush from your extremities toward your torso and heart. You don’t want those toxins getting stuck at your toes.

Walks in nature/meditation – If you’re physically able, walking in nature is a great way to assist your body in removing toxins. If you’re able to sweat a little that further increases the detoxification. Nature meditation is an excellent way to clear your mind as well and increase your mental faculties.

Rest – Rest, rest and more rest. Your body is working so hard to battle those evil little invaders. You have to learn to listen to your body and rest when it needs rest. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to institute a regular nap time. Even if you’re unable to sleep, simply lying down and allowing your body to recuperate is vital to your immune system and general well-being.

Food/diet – My doctor recommended the paleo diet. I hated every minute of it but I know it was beneficial to my immune system and therefore my bodies ability to detoxify. All-natural, preferably organic and grain-fed, foods are essential. Also, for management of nausea, I couldn’t have made it through without Larabars. At some point I keep expecting to be asked to be a spokesperson for Larabars. They just helped me so much with nausea. Lemon-ginger tea, no sugar, also became a staple in our house along with Alka-Seltzer Gold.

Crying – Believe it or not, crying is an excellent way of shedding toxins. I’m not suggesting that you force yourself to cry once a day. However, don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to cry. The likelihood is that you probably already feel like crying fairly often, so let it out. Release that fear, anxiety and sorrow. I can almost guarantee you’ll feel better afterwards.

Random questions I hear about herxing

Moon phases – Yes, I noticed that my symptoms got worse during the full moon. There’s not a lot of research on this but I did find this article.

Reactions to foods – Yes, certain foods can cause you to herx. At least, they did for me. I couldn’t eat sugar at all because I would suddenly feel like my whole body was buzzing, and not in a pleasant way. My tinnitus would get louder and I just felt all around crummy.

Can meds other than antibiotics make you herx? – Yes. In fact, some of my worst herxing experiences came not from antibiotics but from herbal extracts. Also, Lyme disease isn’t the only disease that causes herxing. All the co-infections can cause you to herx as well.

Is there such thing as a mild herx? – Yes, herxing doesn’t have to be mind shattering. Ideally we would all notice a mild herx right away and jump on those detoxing protocols. However, I found that due to my state of unwell I didn’t always recognize a herx for a herx until it was really bad.

Don’t be afraid, just detox

My most important advice to you is don’t be afraid. As I type that out I’m also slapping myself for saying it. Of course you’re going to be afraid. Everything that is happening to you is scary. It’s totally natural to be afraid. But, know that you aren’t alone. Keep fighting. Listen to your body and communicate with your doctor. Don’t lose hope, you will get through this.