Can you herx a day after starting protocol?

Hi guys,

I shared yesterday the following liquid mixture my naturopath started me on. It's in a 500ml bottle and I take a teaspoon once per day(which she said is low and slow) Only taken it twice so far.

Anyways today I feel horrid! about 24 hours after taking the first dose I have a fever and sore throat and just bed ridden. No congestion. It feels like the flu, and of course it could be. (my normal Lyme issues are exhaustion and bad head tension/brain fog). But I'm wondering if you can herx that quick? I am doing Epsom baths and a bunch of detox pills but not much beyond that yet. This is all the very beginning for me and I'm overwhelmed as ever. If this is a herx do I need to stop taking the liquid or just push through?

Polygonum cuspidatum
Andrographis paniculata
Unicaria tomentosa
Hydrastis canadensis
Hypericum perforatum
Ceanothus americanus
Cryptolepis sanguineus
Zanthoxylum clava-herculus

For reference I had a weak positive from Armin for borellia and Bartonella.

Garzie gave you good information. Don’t be afraid to lower the dose for awhile after you come out of the herx


typically a teaspoon is around 5ml (though its a poor measure as teaspoons vary dramatically in size )

Yes, I have herxed within an hour of taking herbs or supplements before.

I would not push through if you feel awful. Wait until you feel better and restart with 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. Wait 24 hours and if all is okay then take the next dose. You want treatment to be tolerable.

Even when it is tolerable, you can still herx later. For me, herxes usually hit hard around the 3 week mark, and I would have to back up and start over. It was frustrating because I was already taking tiny doses but was very sensitive.

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 2/8/2023 5:40:56 AM (GMT-8)

Garzie said...
ref Herx like reactions - yes, it certainly can come on in 24 hrs - but as you say - it could also be the flu ( sore throat is not a typical Herxhimer symptoms for most - but even that is possible )

if its come on that quick - its likely to get stronger for a few days (or more) before it gets better

i would probably do another day - then see where i am - if at that point i think its Herx - then i would stop taking the tincture for a few days till symptoms calm down and then restart on 1/2 the dose or less - perhaps 1/4 - and see how i get on.

tinctures / liquids are good for this - you can measure with a dropper as needed

typically a teaspoon is around 5ml (though its a poor measure as teaspoons vary dramatically in size )
most tinctures will be around 40 drops per ml - 200 per 5ml
so you can work out 1/4 dose will be 50 drops a day

don't worry - the starting dose is not too important - you can build up over time

don't panic or feel too overwhelmed - you can just feel your way and see how you get on

keep us posted and feel free to ask questions

If you didn't know, Bart causes sore throat , especially during herx lol!!! Also mold toxicity can flare up during herbal protocol. It's even in articles and certai studies that bart causes low grade sore throat usually upon waking up in the morning, I used to get this way before I was ever diagnosed with bart . The way articles described it is it'll feel like a "dry" sore throat almost like if you haven't drank anything all day or it'll feel mild as if a sore throat is coming on but then go away on its own. Sore throat and severe muscle aches, sore rib cage , headaches, fatigue, increased anxiety were my 1st herxing symptoms I notice, but then again we are all different .

I agree that a teaspoon might be too much for you to start. A dose that most doctors would call very low usually would destroy me! I would reduce to one drop or stop until you are back to your baseline.

Herxes by definition are a build-up of endotoxins from microbes dying off. Usually it can take a while for enough of those to build up when a new antimicrobial treatment regimen is begun. However, if you already have an overloaded system or other issues that prevent the usual detoxification pathways from working properly (like a liver function problem or chronic constipation), then it is technically possible to herx quickly.

In Neil Nathan's book Toxic, he cautions that very sensitive patients who seem to herx within a day of starting something new probably are not actually herxing but rather experiencing a flare of mast cell activation syndrome. This is what happened to me for years - I thought I was herxing constantly, and severely - but in reality my mast cells were activated. This is something to look into if you seem to herx very fast, and/or if the usual detoxifying remedies don't help (or make you worse).

How are you feeling now? Could you have a virus?