About Herxing

I am new to this forum and have been recently diagnosed with Lyme with a co-infection of enchriolos (sp?).  I've been through a long road to finally get my dx though.  I've been to UCSF for the last year thinking I had MS.  The doctors found 20 lesions on my brain but not typical of MS and ALL other tests were negative.  Interesting though, after my UCSF MS doc looked at my brain MRI first thing he asked was "have you had lyme disease". 

Anyway, fast forward to now, I finally have my dx and am on antibiotics.  After just 4 doses of my meds, I was unloading groceries and suddenly became very weak, felt like I was going to pass out, starting sweating like crazy (I'm usually cold...and not sweaty) and my hands were shaking so bad I thought I wasn't going to be able to drive myself home.  I was very fatigued the rest of the day and had to take a two hour nap and then woke up feeling a little better.

Then, seven days later, I had another spell of really bad fatigue and my symptoms were going nuts (my symptoms are vibrating in my left leg mostly, foot issues, slight tremor in right hand).  Anyway, is it normal to get herxes seven days apart?  I'm just not sure if it was a herx or not.

By the way, my symptoms started shortly after gallbladder surgery I had on 11/19/10.  My doctor said that most likely my immune system was keeping it "in check" but with the trauma/stress of the surgery, the lyme was activated.  My symptoms have been SUPER BAD ANXIETY, twitching everywhere, vibrating feeling in left leg, foot pain that comes and goes, numbness/tingling under left eye (went away after about a month), numbness in arch of left foot that was with me for about two months, top of big toe on left foot goes numb off and on...to this day, and my neck is constantly stiff and hurts and creaks.  I have more symptoms, but that's all I can think of now.

Anyway, thanks for listening and any input on these herx's would be appreciated.  I have another appt with my LLMD in March and will find out the results of the rest of my bloodwork (hoping I don't have additional co-infections).  I had a brain spect image scan done a week ago and I'll get the results of that too.

As far as cognitive issues, I really have noticed any problems with that fortunately.

Carrie (Northern California)

Yes....I also think rest during herxing is very important.  Your body needs to recover from the toxin release.   And yes, herxing (just like you described) can be a wild and scary ride of symptom flare with new ones popping up. 

Many of my own herx reactions were actually new symptoms  on top of the original symptoms that led me to believe I had Lyme in the first place.  Plus, some of the originals got a lot worse for a while.  

My most stupendous and painful  herx  happened after being on abx for 10 weeks!   I got a severe (stabbing pain) stiff neck that was caused by swollen and inflamed lymph glands in my head and neck.  I couldn't move my head for three days.

Usually this kind of neck thing is an early symptom that indicates  infection with Lyme. So it came as a big surprise to me to get this horrible symptom so far along in my treatment with abx. 

It seems that with Lyme, anything is possible !!!

My own tingling, numbness, twitching and bone cracking were the first things to go away with abx treatment--- only to be replaced with vertigo, brain fog and ringing in my ears. 

As springsjean said: antibiotics really stirr up bacteria!!  So much so (for me) that I call my own infection with Lyme:  Backwards Lyme Disease.  I get the classic early symptoms  far later than they are usually seen.  

Hang in there!   You will feel better.  

I'm with Traveler as far as detoxing.. I don't think people realize the power of detox baths, foot baths, dry skin brushing, internal cleansing, etc. 

I don't believe antibiotics cause herxes, I believe it's the toxins that make people feel bad.  Even if a person didn't take any medicine at all, the lyme bacteria die on it's own leaving toxins in one's body..   If one doesn't get on a strict detox regime then they are going to feel all sorts of bad things, pain, fatigue, brain fog, and the list goes on...

It took me time to get in the habit of detoxing (detox bath in the morning after a good dry skin brushing), foot bath in the evening, doing coffee enema's, exercising, taking supplements that help detox, etc.

I could understand when a person is feeling so sick they don't want or just can't do these things but perhaps when a person is having a better day they could try laying in a detox bath or just soaking their feet (recipes are in the "New to Lyme?  Start here!").   Detox baths are not a one time thing, one needs to start slow and build up to them and make sure they do them almost everyday to feel the effects...

Hope this helps,

Denise