Hi Smeadley -

Herx-ules is right... herxing can really take it out of you. You've probably heard this before but major, insufferable herxing probably isn't helping much and could possibly be hurting. The treatment should be carefully balanced with herxing and recovering. Figuring out YOUR unique balance can be challenging. I think I finally figured out what mine was and I've been treating for 3 years. ;)

I hope someone else more familiar with Cowden chimes in. Not always, but generally, when a herx is "substantial" it means that you're either doing a very effective job killing what you're targeting but your body is unable to detox the by-product effectively, or your body is not able to tolerate the treatment, the level of treatment, the volume of it, etc.:

- If increasing detox protocols and intensity don't cut it, if time doesn't alleviate it (2 wks max), then

- most of the time people have success with lowering the dose for a wk or two and then titrating back up to optimal doses, or

- reducing the treatment to one thing at a time, slowly adding in other components so that you're eventually treating with your optimal protocol, or

- trying something different. Some people are simply intolerant of antibiotic drugs. Some people might be sensitive or allergic to herbs (I had an intolerable reaction to A-Bart). And

- this is very difficult to explain well, but sometimes, the drugs or the herbs hit the infection in a way that is too intense and it's helpful to lower the infection load with something else at first until you can tolerate the hard-hitting stuff... and the crazy thing is what hits me hard might not be the same for you. So there is a lot of trial-and-error involved.

For your particular situation, I'm thinking that the banderol and/or samento is hitting cyst form pretty hard, which the abx generally don't and might be why your reaction is more intense. I've been on IV abx for 2 yrs and started GSE for cyst form and POW, had new sx pop up after all this time so the samento and banderol do function differently than the abx.

You could also just be sensitive to something in the protocol (which is why a Cowden user will be more helpful). I encourage people to incorporate only one component of a protocol at a time so that sensitivities are easier to spot. You could stop one for a few days and if there is no change, resume it and stop another herb.

Your detox protocol is good - sweating is good. You might also benefit from detox baths, incorporating one thing at a time like sea salt, epsom salts, hydrogen peroxide, add in some soothing essential oils.

And I think you might also benefit from a GI binder (psyllium husk, bentonite clay, activated charcoal - all available OTC). Since nearly all of our antimicrobials are taken orally, maybe you need help getting them out of your body more efficiently and with sufficient water, binders can also help you stay regular (BMs are our most efficient detox method!). The microbes and the killing process can produce toxins that can get stuck in the GI and then get carried throughout the body through the blood stream.

Hope this is helpful - others will be along with input -

-p

Just wanted to pop in to agree with the wonderful answers already provided by Pirouette and Girlie!