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.

NeoCell Biotin Bursts

Biotin Bursts are biotin and antioxidant-packed soft chews in the flavor of acai. These tiny, yet powerful and perfectly tart and delicious chews are the best way to consume biotin, in my opinion as they really do the trick on my candy cravin' sweet tooth. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure with each bite-sized chew, my hair, nails and skin will be improving. Talk about a tasty treat that really doesn't come with any guilt!

I was given the awesome opportunity to try the Biotin Bursts by Neocell earlier this week. Each small, individually wrapped "burst" contains a whopping 25 milligrams of acai fruit powder, which delivers a beautiful supply of antioxidants to the body, and a huge 10,000 micrograms of readily absorbable biotin. Note: Some online sources claim that we should "aim" for 30 micrograms of biotin in our daily diet, so consuming 10,000 micrograms in these chews tells me I'm going to be plenty sufficient in this beautifying vitamin.

What is Biotin?

Biotin is called "Vitamin H" by most, but is actually considered a B-Vitamin, strangely enough.

Why I Like The Biotin Bursts
Aside from getting to indulge daily in a tasty little chew, similar to a Starburst as my nephew put it (but way easier on the teeth, and even more flavorful) the biotin supplement is actually highly beneficial in the beauty department -- particularly skin, hair and nails.

The effect biotin has on hair is described as "luxurious hair and vibrant skin." It's also been touted for its ability to strengthen brittle nails, which is something I've had for years. 

Neocell's Biotin Bursts are "scientifically formulated to support metabolism of proteins in the body, promoting natural energy," too. It also has a positive effect on the nervous system.

I've even heard of biotin being helpful in weight loss, in some cases.

Consuming biotin can be useful in conditions such as eczema, thinning hair, seborrheic dermatitis, and it may help promote hair growth. Biotin is said to be useful even in cases of depression! This is another reason I was highly intrigued by this H-Vitamin once I learned about it from Neocell.

*Biotin for yeast infections?

I wanted to update this article as I just read something very interesting in a Live Strong article regarding another possible benefit of using biotin -- yeast infections!  An overgrowth of candida albicans is the cause of a yeast infection, and also the cause of candidiasis, sometimes IBS too (which was my case.) 

Interestingly, I was checking more into biotin just now when I read the following excerpt:

"There are certain situations when very high dosages of biotin can aid in medical treatment. For example, biotin 5000 mg can aid in treating yeast infections such as Candida albicans, so that it does not develop from its yeast-like state into a fungal form, as discussed by FungusFocus and altMD's Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine."

Before I go on, let me just say, my understanding of the above statement is that biotin can keep the candida albicans from continuing to "grow" until they get out of control. When they say "so it doesn't develop from its yeast-like state into a fungal form," I am taking that to mean simply they remain under control and do not "over-grow" leaving the body with an "infection." 


So, it turns out, that my taking this high dose of biotin in the Biotin Bursts happens to possibly come with an incredible added benefit that I didn't even know about! Most of you know that I suffered severely with IBS-Candidiasis for the majority of my late-teen/early-adult years. I won't go into that story again, but I find it really awesome that there are more things we can do to keep this sometimes debilitating problem under control. I know some of my readers were told by their doctors the same things I was told -- that the pain was "in your head" and that you'd never again live without it. There's no cure, so all you can do is continue taking prescribed medications. This was my "fate" according to my own doctor after having surgery for part of my problem -- endometriosis. My fate included a prescription of drugs that further debilitated me really because at the recommended dosing, I would've only had 2 hours maximum out of my bed every single day of my life! Zombie drugs. I never did take the recommended amount as 2 alone kicked my butt for a full 24 hours.


Anyways, I promised I wouldn't get into that story again. Why do you guys let me do this?

So, I wanted to put this information about biotin at higher doses possibly being helpful for candida issues out there for my fellow sufferers. Whether it's your gut that's being tormented by candida albicans or your genitals or elsewhere, I think biotin could be something to keep in mind.

That also brings me to the fact that last month I was dealing with one of those pesky female yeast infections myself! It was one of the worst I've ever suffered from, and kind of came out of nowhere. I of course used the natural, home remedy to take care of it (the same ones I've published here and elsewhere), but how awesome it is to know that using this biotin supplement may provide some added help in that area.

Keep in mind, it's been said that people with kidney problems should not use biotin supplements. I have no idea why that is or if there's anything to it, but I thought I might should point that out since I know at least one of my heavy readers do suffer with kidney issues.

In the image above, you can see the individually wrapped chews.

 

Why I Adore Neocell:
"NeoCell has been developing and manufacturing all natural, premium anti-aging formulas for over 20 years and is the leading Collagen brand in the world. Our products are naturally based, not synthetic, and are designed to promote youthful health, beauty and total body wellness. We manufacture our own products using carefully sourced food-grade raw materials and our facility exceeds all GMP standards. We strive to continuously bring the best to our customers– products that we and our own families are proud to use, made with Nutrients You Can Trust®."

As you can see on the packaging of the Biotin Bursts, Neocell products do not contain Soy, GMO's Palm oil or gluten! Let's hear it for all healthy ingredients!

Results of taking Biotin Bursts:

Since I'm only about a week into taking the 30-day supply of these Biotin chews from NeoCell, I can't attest entirely to the results. I'd like to give the product enough time to really do its job (30 days), so I will update periodically as I see results, including after the 30 days. I almost waited to even do a review until 30 days had passed with me taking the supplement, but I was too excited to hurry and get the exciting word out about them, so I hope you'll check back for any results I end up seeing while using them!

At the moment, my nails are somewhat brittle, with vertical lines galore! They're easily bent, not thick. After 30 days of using the Biotin Bursts, I'll take a look and see if they have changed, which would be really exciting to see!

So far though, my hair very possibly could be showing signs of becoming shinier! Hopefully, I see a big change within my skin, too. I have had the best skin I've seen in years this week, which is overly exciting considering I've only been taking the Biotin Bursts this week! My skin literally looks great to me, and that's something I haven't felt in ages. In fact, before the past week, I hated what was going on with my skin. It looked awful with breakouts and dry flakes no matter what I done to fix them. I've actually had very little reason to even put on moisturizer the last few days! So, if this sudden clearing of my skin problems is in fact due to the Biotin Bursts, you can bet your sweet behind I will continue using them for the long term! 

Check back to see my progress!

Disclaimer: I am not a specialist, expert, professional or doctor of any kind. Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing information about my own experiences and results from use of a product or activity in hopes of providing useful information to readers, not to be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here. Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special relationship with any company mentioned on this site. I'm simply a consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance with FTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the information in this blog to replace the advise of an appropriate health care provider assume all risks of such behavior.