Lyme Disease and the Herx Reaction

If you are taking anti-biotic therapy for your Lyme disease, you will no doubt know what Herx is all about. It is common for patients undergoing therapy to experience a worsening of their symptoms before they start to feel better. I am currently on my 5th consecutive treatment and still suffer with Herx.

Sometimes it is mistaken as an allergic reaction to the anti-biotics, when in fact it just shows that the meds are doing what they should. It happens when the bateria are attacked and die off, thereby releasing toxins into the bodies system. This makes the bodies immune system go into overdrive for a time whilst it deals with the rush of toxins and debris.

Herx can last from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on how your body copes. You can experience chills, fevers, headaches, nausea and sometimes a drop in blood pressure.

This is an interesting link.