Lets Talk About Herxing

You know somebody who is in treatment for Chronic Late Stage Lyme Disease.

I'm sure you also, at this point, recognize that in order to eradicate the Lyme bacteria they have to either take antibiotics, go the all natural route with herbal remedies, or do a combination, like myself. Long term, NOT short term.

BUT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHEN THEY UNDERGO THEIR TREATMENT, TO KILL THE BACTERIA???

They HERX!

There is an actual definition for what a herx is, so this isn't something we crazy ass Lyme people fabricate. Here is the wiki definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarisch-Herxheimer_reaction

When I say herxing, people are clueless

In short, a herx is the dying bacteria in your body, these bacteria release endotoxins as they die. Because this happens so rapidly after taking antibiotics, your ability to rid your body of the toxins quickly, is near impossible.  The Lyme bacteria cell wall is where the endotoxins get released from, the more bacteria you kill, the more toxins are released.  This causes an inflammatory response within the body, so your current symptoms are exaggerated, and you basically feel like you are dying.   My herx reactions in the beginning of treatment weren't that bad, I'd have some muscle pain, twitching, and fatigue.  That is until Biaxin, Flagyl and Bicillin injections were combined and now I'm at a whole new level of herxing.  This is a good thing though, this means that the bacteria are dying!  We want this, it's how I know that I am on the right track.

On top of the herxing, you also have side effects of the antibiotics, and I'm talking mainly about the fatigue that comes with taking massive quantities of antibiotics, not the um, other stuff.  I'm pumped up on this shit and I stand at 5'0'' and 105 pounds, it takes me anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to adjust to my new meds.  By adjusting, I mean less fatigue and overall symptoms of the antibiotics. You must keep at them! There are times I want to stop, but I pull my Becky powers out and fight through it. The antibiotic fatigue mixed with herxing, feels like you're sleep walking through life, my conversations with people are reduced to a few sentences, with some words switched around.  Let's put it this way, most of my conversations with strangers usually end really awkwardly, I get the impression most people think I've been day drinking.

Sometimes herxing can be extreme, very deadly and can end in hospital visits.  They may look something like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2TjKmMFZuE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDMK-AswK8k
If you'd like to watch more, just You Tube "Lyme Disease and Herxing"

My antibiotic treatment has only begun to be somewhat aggressive.  Since starting Bicillin injections I have herxing about 2-3 days after the shots.  My main symptoms seem to get much worse during a herx.

My first IM Bicillin injection herx

I have severe muscle pain in my upper back and neck, this is what usually causes me to roll around on the floor.  I go from bed, to floor, to foam roller, then back to bed, there are usually tears and heating pads involved.  I also have muscles twitching all over my body, ringing in my ears and headaches.  Because my Bicillin injections are slow releasing and randomly administered throughout the week, I have now begun to have these herx reactions at work...and you guessed it, I work through it.

My neck pain :/

Since starting more of the hard core medications my brain symptoms have gotten worse, particularly during a herx or when I'm really exhausted.  I have disorientation while driving, confusion, can't form words, slur my speech, short term memory loss, inability to make some decisions...this one is hard because i'll be 100% confident in my decision one day, then the next completely change my mind.  This is on-going and very hard for myself and others around me to understand.  Bicillin injections are supposed to be very helpful in breaking the blood brain barrier and clearing up brain issues.

So what do I do in order to rid the toxins out of my body and help my herxes.
-lemon water
-epsom salt baths & baking soda
-massage
-anything to cleanse the liver
-stretching  and rolling my muscles

When I'm herxing at work
-lemon water lemon water lemon water
-milk thistle liquid extract in water
-Liquid chlorophyll in water
-assistance when lifting heavy things, like weights :)

If you want to understand how a day in the life of a Lymie feels, we can look at things on a scale range of 1-10.  10 is great, 1 is shitty.

A great day for a healthy person should feel like a 10
A great day for me feels like a 6, on this day I can do some physical exercise, go out with friends, maybe finish some sentences.
A bad day for me feels like a 3, I cannot do physical exercise nor do I want to be around people.
A herxing day for me feels like a 1,  it's hard to talk, walk and be alive.
Every single day is different and every single hour is different when you have Lyme.  You never know what you're gonna get!

The last time I had a 10 day was over 5 years ago.  I'll know I'm free of Lyme when I get my 10 day again :)

Below are some 10 days, just before I got infected....Can't wait to feel that good again.

In Maine, doing a lil hike

With Rach, in Seattle, watching an Indians game

Watch this movie.