What is "Die-Off" or Herxheimer's Reaction and How to Get Relief

      

Candida Albicans on Chocolate Agar by Mostly*Harmless

 Do you have IBS, candidiasis or other sensitive digestive problems? Are certain remedies leaving you feeling deathly ill instead of relieving your suffering? If so, it's possible you're experiencing "die-off." Especially if you've changed your diet or began taking a new supplement/remedy. Read on to find out if what you're experiencing is symptoms of Herxheimer's reaction, a.k.a. "die-off." In this article series, you'll also learn what to expect with "die-off", how to avoid it, and how to feel better again if you're suffering right now.

Warning: In this article, you'll learn about the symptoms of "die-off" and what it feels like to experience it from the perspective of a severely ill young woman suffering from years of debilitating candidiasis and IBS. I'll also add remedies that may assist you and ease the hell of an experience with Herxheimer's.

What is Herxheimer's Reaction or "Die-Off?"

Herxheimer's reaction is a painful ordeal that leaves you feeling sick. It occurs when harmful microorganisms literally die off while inside your body, hence the name "die-off." It's usually a medicine or remedy that you've taken that causes a noticeable reaction, and you feel ill from the substance released by the dying microorganisms. Perhaps this is relieving for some of you who may be happy to know that your pain is actually a sign of the "bad guys" dying. Go ahead, revel in the pleasure that those suckers are meeting their death!

The actual name is Herxheimer's Reaction and if you want my personal input, it's real. Painfully, horrifically, gut-wrenchingly, head-spinningly real. As you might can tell, I'll never forget the night I had my first encounter with what I later found out was commonly referred to as "die-off," or "Herxing."

This unforgettable experience goes by other names as well -- my personal favorite: hell. But if you're in need of information regarding this reaction, then it may help to know that it's also called "detoxing." If you're scouring the web for answers, remember that the Herxheimer's Reaction or "die-off" isn't super commonly discussed or even known about, unless you're one of the folks like myself who's suffered from issues like candidiasis and have therefore become familiar with the special misery that seems to occur when you take certain herbs or supplements for candidiasis or IBS or a parasitic infection or any other detoxifying supplement or aid. A Wikipedia article states that taking certain antibiotics are a cause of Herxheimer's reaction. That's interesting since taking antibiotics is also one of the main causes for developing IBS and candidiasis. The candidiasis community often refer to Herxheimer's as a "healing crisis."

Symptoms of Herxheimer's reaction typically begin within the first few hours of having taken a supplement, herb, or remedy that kills bacteria and parasites.

I've found that most of what has given me Herxheimer's tends to be natural things with potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, like the coconut oil, for example. Interestingly enough, I can take an entire stalk of an aloe vera plant without ever suffering. I can also eat garlic like it's going out of style and never experience die-off symptoms. Perhaps aloe and garlic are more gentle?

Many people don't ever figure out that what they're actually experiencing is this Herxheimer's Reaction. Instead of ever finding out that what they are experiencing is literal "die-off" of bugs like candida albicans, they simply think that whatever they took (such as a detox supplement), is giving them negative side effects.

That's what I thought when I doubled my daily tablespoon dose of real, organic coconut oil. Boy was I certain I was the one dying off when that dizzy, rocks-moving-through-my-gut feeling sensation struck me. I remember the feeling more vividly than I remember my 21st birthday, which come to think of it, wasn't really that spectacular... but still.

I remember describing my symptoms -- to Google, no less. It was 2 am thankyouverymuch, and as someone who'd been completely debilitated with years of IBS, Candidiasis, and endometriosis, calling a doctor was a thing of the past. The symptoms can resemble those of bacterial sepsis, according to Wikipedia. I've never had sepsis, but it's one of the few ailments that I fear. Unlike sepsis though, you're not likely to die of Herxheimer's reaction.

The sun was coming up by the time I finally stopped reading about this new kind of hell and my misery was beginning to subside. But before the relief finally arrived, I had already been taking note of every symptom I felt as the hours passed, just in case I really was the one dying off, of course.

This whole experience occurred probably 5 years ago, and for some reason, I never thought to discuss it much here. As I recover from the beginnings of a new IBS-candidiasis flare-up, (albeit a very, very minor flare-up unlike those that used to keep me bedridden through my late tees - early 20's, I realized that. Why in the name of all things holy have I never thought to document some of that stuff here where I've documented virtually every step of my healing process?

It's your lucky day...  Er, probably un-lucky if you landed here by searching for anything related to Herxheimer's symptoms ... because the idea finally arrived in this scrambled, aching head of mine. If my audience is mostly people who suffer with digestive problems like my own, and I frequently discuss remedies, it only makes sense to provide you sweet souls with a bit of a guide on Herxing.

Forgive me for not coming to your aid sooner. You truly deserve better than me.

While we're on the topic of forgiveness, you'll also want to make sure you have plenty more of it because I have a tendency to jump into fun-mode and be overly chatty when I'm talking to you guys. My job requires me to write in a completely un-personal, professional, boring, un-interesting tone, when I finally get to write for my readers here, I get carried away. I promise to put the actual informative parts like symptoms and relief/remedies in big, bold letters before I hit that publish button, just in case you arrived here to gather information and not for my cheery nature.


Symptoms:

*To repeat my earlier note, Wikipedia says Herxing can resemble bacterial sepsis.

- Fever
- Nausea
-  Gas, bloating,diarrhea, need to go to the bathroom more than normal
-  Intestinal cramps
- Abdominal pain (like I said, it felt like gravel moving through my gut.)
- Pain in your joints, muscles, all over body pain (similar to having the flu.)
- Headache
- Hypotension
- Anxiety, rapid heart rate, breathing difficulty, chest heaviness.
- Sweating or alternating between hot and cold
- Shivering cold
- Cold feet/hands
- Prickling sensations on the scalp, back of neck, etc.
- Shakiness, jitters. 
- Confusion, brain fog,

- Exhaustion, fatigue. Some people report feeling insomnia, but many of us feel utterly exhausted during and after Herxing. I passed out hard and slept in the same position for hours both times I experienced die-off.

Remedies to Help Get You Through A Herxheimer's Reaction

If you can take on a "cleanse" in a gradual manner, chances of you being hit with a horrible bout of Herxheimer's could lessen. You can take steps towards cleaning your liver, lymph, and digestive system to lessen the chance of having loads of bacteria die at once.

The key is by gently cleansing and stimulating these important waste-removal systems before you go taking something that'll give you the Herx reaction. If you are aware of it beforehand. If you're like me, on the other hand and run smack dab into a die-off experience, we'll discuss some remedies in a moment that should help ease your symptoms until you feel better.

If it were me, I would start stimulating my lymphatic system on a daily basis, especially upon waking up. I particularly love Donna Eden's Energy Work techniques for this. *Video Below*

This will help your lymphatic system start working properly and begin moving some of the toxic waste from your body.

Next, you can try to use gentle liver and digestive "cleansing" herbs and teas. I am particularly fond of milk thistle as a daily liver cleanser/tonic. You can use a variety of easy, affordable herbal teas to help this too though. Senna and dandelion are all great for an enormous boost and cleansing of your liver. Learn more about simple ways to cleanse and protect your liver here.

Don't forget turmeric, which can be used as a spice in your food or added to your tea. It's great for your entire system, including your liver and kidneys, which both need to be in optimal shape to help your body remove all those toxins.

Before you even begin any sort of cleansing, you probably want to start taking in cultured or fermented foods, if you're digestive system will tolerate them without throwing a fit. Sauerkraut, miso soup, and kombucha tea are amazing probiotics to start using regularly. There's also kefir, if that's more suitable to your tastes. Either way, any of these foods will go a long way in the healing process and long-term health of your digestive system. As you've already been told, these probiotic-rich foods will also put the "good bacteria" in to fight off the bad.

Another great healing food for candidiasis and your entire digestive system is bone broth. Many people attest to its healing powers, even in this department. Try to aim for organic only. The foods listed above will not only give you relief, but will re-strengthen your body by giving it the nutrients needed to become well again, and to fight off the bad fellas.

To Get Relief While in the Midst of Die-Off

Dr. John Bergman is one of my go-to's when it comes to real health and wellness. In one of his videos on healing "everything," he discussed "moist packs" being a tool for healing digestive problems, including simple inflammation of the gut.

If you're experiencing the pain of die-off, a great starter would be to take Dr. Bergman's advice and lay down with a "moist heat pack." I've been weak and desperate enough to just lay in the bath full of hot water and simply use a wash cloth to lay over my entire abdominal area. Before it starts to cool, I'll add more of my hot bath water.

This is supposed to not only give you relief, but also be an incredible healing method, so if you're already in pain, it can't hurt!

Consume extra Vitamin C and antioxidants (I like seabuckthorn berry due to its powerful antioxidant profile and high Vitamin C content.) If you can consume more water than usual, it'll be worth it since it'll help flush out some of the byproducts and toxins caused by the die-off. The best thing you can do once you're clear of die-off symptoms is to gently begin building your immune system and cleansing your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic systems. This will make the rest of your journey so much smoother. I promise!

This guide is basic-information. I will happily continue to update things as time goes on, if any of you are interested. If not, I will most likely leave it as is since time won't allow for extra writing if people aren't in need of it. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me to discuss this further if you'd like, or leave me a request for additional information. I'm beyond happy to help in any way I can, or just chat with you.

Best wishes, health, and happiness.