Xylitol and Herxing

I've been using xylitol for baking and I've been putting some on my breakfast for several weeks. I've had chest pressure back for weeks (it had been gone for months) and I think that the xylitol has been making me herx. I stopped the xylitol and the chest pressure has stopped. I searched the forum and found that xylitol and lactoferrin are being recommended by some LLMD's for biofilms. Has anyone else experienced herxing from xylitol?

I've heard something about it, I think or maybe it was another product that breaks the biofilm/ in any case: whenever you break the biofilm, you must be on treatment to kill, kill, kill. So I hope you are taking something else besides it.

I use xylitol to sweeten foods and in baking. Sometimes i do feel like its either making my symptoms worse or killing the bacteria (i have candida too so i also sometimes think it might be feeding the candida even though its not supposed to.

The general belief i've read online is that xylitol can break up biofilms but only in the mouth (which is why its used as a sub for sugar to sweeten dental products for kids) so its most likely good for oral thrush but probably not for lyme and co.

Interesting picture of health. How much does your LLND have you take? Do you get chest pressure when taking it?

I took about 1 TBLS of xylitol about 1 and 1/2 years ago. Way before I knew what was wrong with me. It made me actually throw up. I never really understood why that happened. I thought it was because I had SIBO, but now you have me wondering if it was a horrible herx. hmmmm

Pirrouette:

I went on Amazon and that's what people were saying: complaining about diarrhea. SO I know you like it, but I am giving it a little more thought. How about Stevia? I have a friend that is using Stevia. Do you get chest pressure too? My son used to complain about chest pressure for a while, especially when he lays down before goes to bed. I don't want to make it worse. But I am trying to do something to keep him off sugar. How do you know it's a herx, if people that may not have lyme, are having problems with this product?

Another thought: I think one should do abx treatement while taking it. If indeed it busts the biofilms, there should be an antibiotic at least there or a combo of abx to kill the bacteria. Braking the biofilm without killing the bacteria may cause the bacteria to move around and create more biofilms or even encourage it to go deeper into the body and hide better where there will be harder to kill.

It is an intriguing product :) But I will try to use it only if my son is on serious abx while taking it, as I don't quite understand how it works. But definitely worth a try--in small doses.

Post Edited (Simela1) : 1/27/2015 2:43:12 PM (GMT-7)

Simela1—

I think stevia is great—comes in several forms, too.

I am not real familiar with pressure in the chest as a herx sx… maybe someone else can chime in on that. Is he having labored breathing? or is it a muscle kind of thing?

The herxing from a yeast/fungal overgrowth for me is like a really awful hangover—massive head pressure, nausea, foggy brain, exhaustion, muscle aches and allover heaviness. Sometimes, people who have a severe Y/F overgrowth that has had a chance to grow into the throat, mouth, sinuses—phlegmy coughing is a common symptom. I doubt the herxing is exactly the same for everyone.

Xylitol is highly processed just like other sugars—and sometimes it's made from corn (GMOs!) and sometimes with birch wood…. so the birch is better. BUT, it could still be considered "foreign" to troubled GIs. It's best to start slow. Some people, who have severe sugar addictions think they can eat a ton of it, which yes, will cause gastric distress just like sugar does (but less obviously).

Many people who use xylitol and stevia in recipes cut the volume down in place of sugar as well.

-p