Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Herxheimer Reaction Aka Healing Crisis

Marlene

Recommended Posts

Marlene Contributor
Marlene
Posted

Hello,

I went to see my Naturopathic doctor on Saturday and she started me on some homeopathic drops as part of my healing process. Well, I have been feeling awful and all my symptoms have flared up again. At first I was so discouraged since I was trying to figure out how I could have gotten myself glutened. However, after talking with her again, I find out that part of this homepathic remedy consists of a detoxifier. So what is happening is that as my body is healing, old bacteria and candida is dying off. When this happens it releases toxins into my bloodstream and this in turn makes my symptoms of gluten intolerance flare up again. This is called the "Herxheimer reaction" or healing crisis.

This made me think that sometimes this is what flareups are all about. As our bodies heal and old cells die off, we go through these mini health crisis where symptoms flare up. We might think we are taking one step backwards but actually it is part of the healing process. There is an interesting website which explains this at www.falconblanco.com/health/crisis/htm.

Meanwhile, it has been a rough week for me and the doctor has had to cut back my dosage of the drops since my symptoms have been so intense. I took 2 days off work but had to drag myself back in here today. This is sooo difficult. I am trying to remind myself that sometimes we gotta feel worse before we can feel better.

Anyone else ever research or hear of Herxheimer reaction before? What do you think? Does this make sense to you?

Marlene

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


bluejeangirl Contributor
bluejeangirl
Posted
Hello,

I went to see my Naturopathic doctor on Saturday and she started me on some homeopathic drops as part of my healing process. Well, I have been feeling awful and all my symptoms have flared up again. At first I was so discouraged since I was trying to figure out how I could have gotten myself glutened. However, after talking with her again, I find out that part of this homepathic remedy consists of a detoxifier. So what is happening is that as my body is healing, old bacteria and candida is dying off. When this happens it releases toxins into my bloodstream and this in turn makes my symptoms of gluten intolerance flare up again. This is called the "Herxheimer reaction" or healing crisis.

This made me think that sometimes this is what flareups are all about. As our bodies heal and old cells die off, we go through these mini health crisis where symptoms flare up. We might think we are taking one step backwards but actually it is part of the healing process. There is an interesting website which explains this at www.falconblanco.com/health/crisis/htm.

Meanwhile, it has been a rough week for me and the doctor has had to cut back my dosage of the drops since my symptoms have been so intense. I took 2 days off work but had to drag myself back in here today. This is sooo difficult. I am trying to remind myself that sometimes we gotta feel worse before we can feel better.

Anyone else ever research or hear of Herxheimer reaction before? What do you think? Does this make sense to you?

Marlene

Marlene, I couldn't get your web address to work but I've been through the herxheimer thing. Its not fun and I'm glad she lighten the dose because you shouldn't have to take off work going through this. Take your time healing and go slow. Our bodies are always regenerating but its the candida dieing off that is giving you that nasty feeling. Its bad stuff.

Your doing a good thing and I just want to encourage you to continue.

God bless.

Gail

spunky Contributor
spunky
Posted

I've heard of healing crises before, but I never used to believe in them. Then I stopped gluten last February(no doctors involved, just desperation and researching and wanting to stop being sicker and sicker all the time and start trying something to get well). Man, my body has just been jerked around quite a bit since then...just on its own. I got confused many times, but since things changed frequently and so many different things happened quite often, some good, but some bad-different though than the bad stuff that led me to suspect gluten in the first place, and the first 4 months or so gluten free I felt I was on some wild roller coaster. I actually started believing in detox, healing crisis theories, and all of that, because the changes were so weird, dramatic and unpredictable.

Now, though, at 9 1/'2 months and counting, I am so glad I went through this, because now I am so much better. I never want to go back to gluten again, because I would never want to go through another year like what 2006 has been for me!!!! Glad I'm here now, though...everything is finally settling down!

I don't know anything about the treatment you're on, but I do definitely now believe in detox and healing crisis and all of that. I think I'm finally starting to see the difference between the healing crisis and truly getting exposed to gluten, because it seems the whole crazy healing process I went through those months repeats itself within about 2 weeks when I accidentally get some gluten in me. I'm still new at all of this, but I think that's how it's working out. I was kind of surprised, because I expected to just get better, consistently, after stopping the gluten; it was much crazier than that for me, though...took a while.

BRUMI1968 Collaborator
BRUMI1968
Posted

I went on a yeast-killing sugarless diet, and had herxheimer quite badly. I could barely get out of bed. So I added back some starchy veggies, and that helped. Nonetheless, I usually feel like I'm on a seesaw with stuff like healing, and with exercising -- like I go to far too fast, though I never know where that cutoff is going to be --- and then have to swing back. I think finding the balance is key, and that takes time no matter what you're talking about.

good luck.

rinne Apprentice
rinne
Posted

I am familiar with herxing, I have Lyme disease and have been doing a salt and Vitamin C treatment that causes herxes.

I think it is interesting that you bring it up in the context of going gluten free, I did have more night sweats when I first went gluten free last May and at that point I didn't know about the Lyme or herxing. <_<

I think it is important to detoxify the body in as many ways as we can, I am also going for infrared saunas and taking epsom salt baths in addition to the Noni and Samento I take. I agree with Bully4You that we need to be gentle with ourselves, I'm glad your naturapath had you back off a bit.

I hope you are feeling better soon. :)

lindalee Enthusiast
lindalee
Posted

Did anyone have the itching with this?

Marlene Contributor
Marlene
Posted
  • Author

Well, I am going to stop taking these homeopathic drops. I was doing soooo good and had not had diahrea for over 2 months. Now I am back to watery diahrea, pain after I eat, pain if I don't eat, etc etc. I was only doing 3 drops of this stuff a day -- obviously I just can't handle it. I have done a candida detox about 10 years ago (before I knew I was gluten intolerant) and I felt "off" for about a week but nothing like this. I can't deal with this on an emotional level either. I am so depressed. Finally, after months of feeling perfectly awful I was starting to feel half normal again and now I feel like I am back at square one. It's not worth it. Maybe I will try again in 6 months or so.

Marlene

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


bluejeangirl Contributor
bluejeangirl
Posted
Well, I am going to stop taking these homeopathic drops. I was doing soooo good and had not had diahrea for over 2 months. Now I am back to watery diahrea, pain after I eat, pain if I don't eat, etc etc. I was only doing 3 drops of this stuff a day -- obviously I just can't handle it. I have done a candida detox about 10 years ago (before I knew I was gluten intolerant) and I felt "off" for about a week but nothing like this. I can't deal with this on an emotional level either. I am so depressed. Finally, after months of feeling perfectly awful I was starting to feel half normal again and now I feel like I am back at square one. It's not worth it. Maybe I will try again in 6 months or so.

Marlene

Don't feel bad about it Marlene. I won't take any anti fungals anymore because I just can't handle how you feel. I personally feel if you just take a good probionic the good bacteria will start to thrive and beat up the bad ones. I would try to stick to a diet thats very low in carbs too. Thats all I do and it works for me. I also heard from a very good Doctor who started his own line of digestive enzyems say the same thing. He works with my husband to sell his line called enzyme formulations (for Chiropractors to sell.) His web site is enzymeformulations.com.

take care,

gail

nanafur Newbie
nanafur
Posted

Wow, that is super interesting. I just posted on a "tell your story" thread that I got really sick when I first went gluten free. I mean really sick, extreme fatigue, dizzyness, heart palpitations, nausea and horrible shaking cold sweats. I ended up in the emergency room for dehydration and they told me they didn't know what it was. (the ER staff talked to my doc who likely said I was somatic). They diagnosed me with lymphodemia because my glands were swollen, but had no explaination. I feel like I may finally have the answer. Thank you... I've never heard of such a thing before.

  • 3 years later...
echopod Newbie
echopod
Posted

I just wanted to add what's happened to me. I stopped eating gluten about 2 months ago, and my digestion has been better than ever after about 2 weeks and just keeps improving, and has remained that way - I can actually run outside without taking toilet paper and a plan.

Anyway, everything else aside from that has been MISERABLE. ITCHING so intense it was making me angry and mean. Hives and rashes so bad my doctor put me on Prednisone, which worked great until I went off of it, and then my whole world exploded. The worst acne breakout I've ever had by far. I had to work from home for an entire week. Fever. So exhausted I slept for an entire weekend, and joints so painful I couldn't run, even with my brand new stomach.

I finally went to my chiropractor who suggested I was detoxing. It makes sense - there's years of poison (to me) in there that is working its way out now that I'm not putting it back in and my intestines are healing. The same thing happened to me when I quit smoking, I felt worse and was hacking up terrible things for a few weeks before I started to feel better.

I'm on a probiotic specifically for candida along with some vitamins. I got much worse before I'm finally starting to feel a bit better. The Prednisone was AWESOME at the time, but I think it just prolonged my detox symptoms and maybe made them worse.

Good luck to anyone who has to go through all this! I'm so glad I found this thread...I've been feeling very alone the past month!

ClevelandGuy Rookie
ClevelandGuy
Posted

Hello,

I went to see my Naturopathic doctor on Saturday and she started me on some homeopathic drops as part of my healing process.

Marlene

I'd be very suspicious of any kind of homepathic "medicine": Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,972
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Carolyn Yocum
    Newest Member
    Carolyn Yocum
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Waterdance
      Diagnosed gluten allergy but not Celiac

      By Waterdance · Posted

      It is addictive. The dopamine hit I get from a sandwich after being gluten free for a while is insane and I immediately crave more. Maybe if I think of it more like an addiction I'll be able to beat it in the future. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Diagnosed gluten allergy but not Celiac

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Undiagnosed Celiac Disease was your root cause.  As you heal and adress nutritional deficiencies you'll see lifetime symptoms disapear, some you don't even realize you have.     Until 1951 no one knew the cause.  Around 1900 it was also called "Infantilism", you outgrew it or died.  Dr Hass around 1920 was the first to come up with a treatment with close to 100% survival.  At 63 I followed his diet for a while and it helped me past the early stage of recovery.  Even then it was only considered a childhood disease, eventually the child outgrew it.  Once outgrown the child was reintroduced to wheat.  After that any symptoms that arose were attributed to whatever was popular, gall bladder, allergy, endometriosis, etc.  Often the final diagnosis is "we do not know the cause, it is just normal for some people, but we have medications that will treat your symptoms."   I was bloated, and always colicky.  When my son was born in 1976, my mother commented "You got what you gave."  I pointed out to my wife that he looked like a Biafra baby from the Biafra famine in 1970.  One of the first successful sales of modern wheat was to replace the rice the Biafran Aid Society supplied.  After searching the state where we lived (pop. 6 million) we found the one child gastroenterologist familiar with Celiac.  He only had 13 other children dianosed with the disease under his care and after several endoscopies my son was diagnosed, put on GFD and immediately thrived.  The doctor also suggested my wife and I also do gluten free.  We declined, not having any gastro problems.  That remains my only regret in my life. THE VALUE OF THE BANANA IN THE TREATMENT OF CELIAC DISEASE  Dr Hass' 1924 puplication with diet. There are over 300 symptoms related to celiac disease I believe that if you have the genes, you have Celiac Disease, but your immune system is strong enough to keep it subdued, or your symptoms are misdiagnosed as something not wheat.  Until something happens to weaken the immune system, and symptoms, often misdiagnosed and wrongly treated, until eventually you die, never knowing or you get lucky and end up eating gluten free.  To me it explains the late onset of acute symptoms, many are "just normal for you". Ever wonder why people get so angry if you suggest they may have Celiac Disease.  Wheat is a cultural and economic staple of our lives.  And it is addictive, it numbs our body.  Suddenly, gluten free, all the other irritants are no longer suppressed.  
    • trents
      Diagnosed gluten allergy but not Celiac

      By trents · Posted

      I don't think we can say that just one thing, whether vitamin D deficiency or emotional trauma, or a viral infection, or what ever is always what triggers the onset of celiac disease. We do know there is a genetic component to it and there is increasing evidence that factors creating gut dysbiosis (such as overuse of antibiotics and preservatives and environmental toxins) are major players. Hybridizing of heirloom wheat strains to increase the gluten content by multiples may also be a factor.
    • trents
      Blood results

      By trents · Posted

      Thanks for the follow-up correction. Yes, so not 10x normal and the biopsy is therefore totally appropriate to rule out a false positive or the unlikely but still possible situation of the elevated lab test number being caused by something besides celiac disease. 
    • Waterdance
      Diagnosed gluten allergy but not Celiac

      By Waterdance · Posted

      Thanks. I believe I can trace my gluten and milk allergies to specific traumas in my life. I've had some quite severe traumas over my lifetime. Mostly in my history I was so out of sorts surviving that diagnosing gluten sensitivity/allergy/celiac was just not on the table for such a survival mode existence. Vitamin D makes sense too. Now I take very good care of myself, I have a rock solid stability and I do take 1,500 IU of D daily. It's more obvious to me now what's causing problems and so most of the time I only eat protein and vegetables. I cheat sometimes. I end up paying for it though. 
×
×
  • Create New...