Herx -

[gorbybelle]

I may have asked this before but - was wondering  - how long on abx. before herx. symptoms started ?
also  - how is a 'herx' determined - from a 'flare' - or is it just something that becomes apparent over weeks/months.

[JackieCalifornia]

Call your doctor -- that's what s/he's there for.  They don't want you to suffer either!!

[gorbybelle]

I feel the worst - pain/fatigue - than I can remember - I can hardly move around - this started yesterday p.m. - I have more pain in right hip/leg than I have ever had - I hope this isn't going to last - I am hoping it is a 'herx' and not just a worsening of symptoms.  

I also have a lot of rib/chest area pain.

I have spent the day either in bed or trying to sit - uncomfortable.

[wonko]

This is purely conjecture, but I've read that Lyme herxes can take longer to onset, while co-infection herxes can be more immediate.  Perhaps that is true, or perhaps it has more to do with the medication and other factors of the individual.

I have experienced herx symptoms within an hour to two of taking abx.  I can have a brief  (less than one day) worsening of a couple of symptoms, or I can really pack a wallop.  

I spent most of April in a much worsened state that I think (and my LLMD thinks) was caused by a strong herx to an antibiotic that I had to stop taking.  I was about as ill as I was before treatment, though some of the symptoms were different.  Even after I stopped the med, the herx was slow to wear off (and I may still be in the tail end of it).

I can usually tell a herx from a flare if there is correlation with my regimen, either starting with a change in medication or ending when I back down/change my medication.  But it is confusing and I'm often not sure what is going on with this illness!

My doctor, and most that I've read, advise to back down on meds if a bad herx is suspected.  My doctor said that backing down or stopping can slow down treatment, so I try not to do this casually.  But I have given myself a few breaks and did address my "mega herx" in April with my LLMD and subsequently changed that medication.

[patsy10]

Usually I notice symptoms around 5 days after starting an antibiotic.

[JackieCalifornia]

PS  Don't be afraid!  Herxing hasn't been nearly as bad for me as the flares were.

[JackieCalifornia]

I'm guessing you'll get different answers from everyone .... but for me, I usually don't realize I'm flaring or herxing until I'm at least a half day into it, and then it's nearly over.  It's kind of like coming down with the flu:  I don't feel well, but don't really know why, and then finally it dawns on me.

It's hard to remember now, but flares and herxes aren't all that different from each other ...  and it's probably different for everyone.  It's like asking before your first baby is born, 'How do you know you're really in labor?'  The answer of course is:  You'll know!