Herxheimer Reaction

 

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Individuals undergoing Lyme treatment sometimes experience Herxheimer reactions, an odd
phenomenon where one feels worse because bacterial die-off produces an inflammatory event. Some
people associate fatigue, nausea, and fever with “herxing.” Herxheimer reactions can also cause
previously experienced Lyme symptoms to temporarily reappear.

Both herbal and pharmaceutical medicines, as well as some other treatments (eg. earthing, acupuncture, lymphatic massage, massage, etc.) cause dead bacterial debris, such as Lyme spirochetes, and their resultant endotoxins to be cleaned out from and through our organs. The body can become strained with
detoxification reactions when the liver, kidneys, lymphatics, colon or skin become overloaded and are
unable to manage the demands placed on them.

 

Detoxification is notoriously impaired in long-term Lyme patients’ bodies. Based on patient reports, it’s possible that many necessary treatments increase the capacity of one or more of these systems to eliminate toxins, but that the body retains bottlenecks in other organs that then get overloaded. The list of detox symptoms is long but can include fatigue, joint or muscle pain, skin rashes, sleep disturbances, irritability, and headaches.

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Herx reactions may be extremely severe during relapsing fever episodes. All Herx reactions may be reduced by using some of the following practices:

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For Herxheimer reactions it is highly recommended to use some of the following strategies:

A. General, add:

1. Zeolite, liquid: 15 drops 3-4x daily, or powder 2 heaping tsp daily or 3 capsules 3x daily (Note: do not accidentally breathe in) , and/ or . . .
2. Activated charcoal: 2 capsules, 1-2x daily, and /or . . .
3. Chlorella: 1 tbl 3x daily, and/or . . .
4. Green clay (internally): 1 tbl in cup of water, drink at bedtime, and /or . . .
5. Fruit pectin: 1 tsp in water at bedtime, and /or . . .
6. Increase Ceanothus (red root) and Salvia dosage, and / or . . .
7. Epsom salt baths: daily, and /or . . .
8. Castor oil packs on liver, daily, and/ or . . .
 

B . With Herxheimer reactions in GI tract, add:

1. Zeolite: same dosage as above, and/ or . . .
2. Activated charcoal: 2 capsules, 1-2x daily, and /or . . .
3. Chlorella: 1 tbl 3 x daily, and/ or . . .
4. Food-grade diatomaceous earth (don"t breathe in) : 1 tbl in half-cup water, at bedtime.

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Remember, these conditions are very normal reactions, and as long as you take care of them and yourself, they will pass. They can be a normal part of recovery from Lyme. They will pass!

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