Author Archive

Low Dose Naltrexone for Chronic Pain

https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/low-dose-naltrexone-for-chronic-pain

Low Dose Naltrexone for Chronic Pain

Low Dose Naltrexone for Chronic Pain

By: Chris Graf

11/7/22

Low doses of a drug that is commonly prescribed to recovering alcoholics and narcotic addicts is being used to help chronic pain sufferers find relief from a variety of pain conditions including fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel, Crohn’s disease, and complex regional pain syndrome.  The drug is called naltrexone.

What is naltrexone?

Naltrexone is a prescription medication used to suppress narcotic and alcohol cravings in recovering addicts. Naltrexone is used as just one part of an addict’s overall treatment plan. It is prescribed only after a person is no longer dependent on drugs or alcohol.

How does Naltrexone work?

Naltrexone blocks the euphoric sensations associated with narcotic and alcohol use. It is non-addictive and produces no narcotic-like effects.

Researchers believe that naltrexone also modulates the release of inflammatory chemicals in the central nervous system. The drug temporarily binds to and blocks the Mu opioid receptors (MORs) which are central to pain control. When these receptors are blocked, the body responds by producing more pain-relieving endorphins.

Dosage of naltrexone for addiction vs for pain relief

When used for the management of addiction, the typical daily dosage of naltrexone is 50–100 mg per day. For chronic pain relief, the dosage is typically less than 8 mg per day. Patients may start off with a dose as low as .01 mg. A more typical starting dose is 1.5 mg. On average, dosages of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) are approximately 1/10th of the typical addiction treatment dosage.

Prescriptions for LDN can be filled by compounding pharmacies that grind up the higher dose tablet into ultra-low doses.

Are there side effects of naltrexone?

Common side effects of naltrexone when used for addiction management include nausea, fatigue, and loss of appetite. While most side effects are mild, serious side effects are possible. The Mayo Clinic provides a comprehensive list of all possible side effects. Side effects are less likely to occur in patients taking low doses of the drug.

A 2014 review found that the use of LDN for pain relief was “well tolerated” by patients and that there was “low reported incidence of adverse side effects.”

Research on low-dose naltrexone for pain relief

  • Results of a review conducted in 2014 indicated that “Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been demonstrated to reduce symptom severity in conditions such as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and complex regional pain syndrome.” The review found Crohn’s disease to be the condition with the most scientific support when it comes to the efficacy of LDN for pain relief.
  •  A 2018 review found that “Clinical reports of LDN have demonstrated possible benefits in diseases such as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, complex-regional pain syndrome, Hailey-Hailey disease, and cancer.”
  • According to a 2020 review, “Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has shown promise to reduce symptoms related to chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel conditions, and multiple sclerosis.”
  • A systematic review conducted by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry concluded that “Low-dose naltrexone provides an alternative in medical management of chronic pain disorders as a novel anti-inflammatory and immunomodulator. It can offer additional management options, as orofacial pain conditions share characteristics with other chronic pain disorders.” Authors of the study consider the drug “a good option for patients with orofacial and chronic pain, without the risk of addiction.”

What pain management specialists say about LDN

According to an article published by Weill Cornell Medicine in September 2020, their pain management specialists have had success treating chronic pain patients with low-dose naltrexone. When interviewed, Dr. Neel Mehta, said, “Generally, my patients report pain relief greater than 50 percent, that they’re sleeping better, or can return to work. And some patients end up responding well to doses as low as 0.1 for reasons we don’t yet completely understand. Patients are experiencing good results with low harm in these early studies.”

In an article published by NPR, Dr. Bruce Vroorman, an associate professor at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the author of the above-mentioned 2018 review, was interviewed. According to the article, “Vrooman says that when it comes to treating some patients with complex chronic pain, low-dose naltrexone appears to be more effective and well-tolerated than the big-name opioids that dominated pain management for decades.” He said that LDN is a “game changer” for some chronic pain patients.

In an interview with Michigan News, orofacial pain specialist Elizabeth Hatfield discussed the use of LDN. She said, “We found a reduction in pain intensity and improvement in quality of life, and a reduction in opioid use for patients with chronic pain.” She went on to say that it is best used on centralized pain disorders including fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, and TMJ.

Low-dose naltrexone may be a possible treatment for long COVID

According to a recent article published by Reuters, Dr. Jack Lambert, an infectious disease expert at University College Dublin School of Medicine, ran a pilot study on the use of LDN for long COVID. Lambert has reported previous success in using LDN to treat pain and fatigue associated with chronic Lyme disease.

After being treated with LDN for two months, the 38 pilot study participants reported improvement in energy, pain, concentration, insomnia and overall recovery from COVID-19.

Lambert is preparing to run a larger trial to confirm the results. He believes it is possible that LDN may work to repair the damage done to the body by the virus. 

Conclusion

Low-dose naltrexone appears to be safer and more effective for chronic pain than widely used opioids. It might be worth a try if you’re in chronic pain and want to avoid, reduce or eliminate the use of opioids. It’s important to find a knowledgeable healthcare provider who can guide you in terms of dosages and how to taper off of opioids safely.

Other options that involve oral administration of a substance in order to avoid, reduce or eliminate the use of opioids while safely improving pain relief include marijuana, CBD, kratom, an anti-inflammatory diet, nutritional supplements including vitamin D and magnesium.

Find an Alternative Pain Treatment Provider Near You

Find Natural Pain Relief Products

Christine Graf is a freelance writer who lives in Ballston Lake, New York. She is a regular contributor to several publications and has written extensively about health, mental health, and entrepreneurship.  

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Category:

Lyme, Pain Management, research, Treatment, Viruses

New Study & Leaked Docs Show Massive Government, Media, Big Tech Collusion to Censor Dissenters. Judge Rules Fauci et al. Can’t Slither Out of Depositions, Yet

**UPDATE**

Go here to listen to Senator Hawley rip into DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his agency’s collusion with Big Tech to suppress the speech of US citizens, as well as potentially targeting certain individuals as “domestic terrorists” for questioning COVID origins, “vaccine” safety, and other related controversial subjects.  Go here to stop this madness.

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/covid-narrative-big-tech-media-censorship-doctors

Groundbreaking: Study Details How Media, Big Tech Censored Doctors and Scientists Who Challenged COVID Narrative

A groundbreaking new scientific paper published Tuesday exposes the suppression and censorship of doctors and medical experts who opposed and challenged the official COVID-19 narrative.

Published in the sociological journal Minerva, “Censorship and Suppression of Covid-19 Heterodoxy: Tactics and Counter-Tactics,” details the experiences of medical professionals who spoke out against public health directives, and how they responded to efforts to suppress them.

The paper was co-authored by a team of Israeli and Australian scholars, including Yaffa Shir-Raz of the University of Haifa in Israel, Ety Elisha of The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College in Israel, Brian Martin of the University of Wollongong in Australia, Natti Ronel of Bar Ilan University in Israel, and Josh Guetzkow of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.

As noted by Dr. Robert Malone, himself an outspoken critic of COVID-19 “orthodoxy,” the publication of this article is particularly significant as Minerva is released by “mainstream academic publisher” Springer, a “Q1 journal in its subfield” of sociology with a “decent” research impact factor in the social sciences — meaning that it enjoys a strong reputation within its academic field.

Malone said the article also is notable because one of its authors, Yaffa Shir-Raz, “broke the story with video from the internal meeting at the Israeli ministry of health” on “how they hid many of the key findings regarding the Pfizer mRNA vaccine adverse effects.”  (See link for article)

SUMMARY:

  • Media, tech companies played a central role in stifling COVID debate
  • These companies used censorship and smear tactics to destroy the reputations & careers of dissenters
  • This suppression of scientific dissent has far-reaching implications for medicine, science and public health
  • The study interviewed scientists and doctors globally who have experienced this but remain anonymous
  • Results show that the media and the medical establishment both used censorship and suppression against dissenters including:
    • exclusion (media stopped interviewing and accepting opinion pieces from dissenters)
    • derogatory labeling (anti-vaxxers, COVID deniers, dis/misinformation spreaders, conspiracy theorists)
      • Bought-out “fact checkers” were used to publicly undermine dissenters & social media removed posts, tweets, videos and even deleted accounts claiming dissenters violated “community rules.”
    • hostile comments
    • threatening statements (dissenters weren’t allowed to identify themselves with their institution when being interviewed or when expressing their views – as a condition of renewing their contract)
    • dismissal by employers (defamation with intention to harm dissenter’s reputations & careers. Many were disqualified from prestigious positions without due process or transparency)
      • The media was then used to spread the negative information around
    • official inquiries (investigations with threats to withdraw medical licenses, lawsuits with financial claims, and police searches of private clinics)
      • Please read & watch a video about Dr. Jackie Stone from Zimbabwe & how she faced four charges & was found guilty of two.  Other persecuted doctors are listed as well.  **UPDATE** This article states Stone was fined on two charges but faces no jail sentence.  She plans to fight back.
    • revocation of medical licenses
    • lawsuits
    • retraction of scientific papers after publication (often without peer review or unprecedented time taken to publish the material)
      • Tactics are consistent with Jansen and Martin’s framework on the dynamics of censorship, where covering up, devaluing, reinterpreting, and censoring information through official channels while intimidating dissenters are used
      • Despite this persecution, which caused “shock and surprise,” respondents remained undeterred and decided to fight back using counter-tactics due to their strong belief in the freedom of speech and their concern for public health
        • Counter-tactics include use of alternative channels to get their information out, creating a parallel world to mainstream media and medicine (a lot like Lymeland). New journals and non-profits were created due to the failure of existing ones
    • Study authors contrasted their paper with “Online Conspiracy Groups: Micro-Bloggers, Bots, and Coronavirus Conspiracy Talk on Twitter.”

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https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/homeland-security-social-media-censorship

Leaked Documents Reveal Homeland Security’s ‘Expansive’ Influence Over Social Media Censorship

Internal U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memos, emails and public documents outline “an expansive effort” by DHS to influence tech platforms, despite the Biden administration’s failure earlier this year to launch a Disinformation Governance Board.

Leaked government documents reveal that U.S. government officials have access to a special portal through which they can directly flag Facebook and Instagram posts and request that the posts be “throttled or suppressed,” The Intercept reported Monday.

As of Oct. 31, the “content request system” at facebook.com/xtakedowns/login was still live despite the public uproar earlier this year when attorneys general in 20 states threatened legal action unless the Biden administration immediately disbanded the “Orwellian” Disinformation Governance Board.

Mark Crispin Miller, Ph.D., professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, told The Defender that collusion between the U.S. government and media companies to censor U.S. citizens is nothing new — but it’s become a “catastrophic trend.”  (See link for article)

For more:

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https://www.activistpost.com/2022/11/judge-hands-biden-admin-huge-setback-in-big-tech-government-censorship-case

Judge Hands Biden Admin Huge Setback In Big Tech-Government Censorship Case

November 4, 2022By Zachary Stieber

The Biden administration’s attempt to block depositions of several key officials was turned down Nov. 2 by a U.S. judge.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, rejected a request for a partial stay of his Oct. 21 order authorizing the depositions of eight officials, including President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Government lawyers asked the judge to impose the partial stay as an appeals court weighs a request to vacate the part of his order that enables the depositions of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a Biden appointee; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly, a Biden appointee; and Rob Flaherty, a deputy assistant to the president.

Absent a stay,

“high-ranking governmental officials would be diverted from their significant duties and burdened in both preparing and sitting for a deposition, all of which may ultimately prove to be unnecessary if the Court of Appeals grants” their request, the government said.

(See link for article)

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To learn more, sign up for the FREE docuseries that starts Nov. 9, and goes until Nov. 17, 2022 titled:

Propaganda Exposed (Uncensored) The Truth About Health Freedom and Big Pharma

**Comment**

This case (Missouri v. Biden) is a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. government induced censorship of state officials and others on social media.  Altogether, 67 officials or agencies are accused of violating plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights by participating in a “censorship enterprise” through pressuring Big Tech firms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter to take action against users offering alleged misinformation.  Go here for a list of the defendants, and here for a list of the plaintiffs.

Evidence backing the claims has been produced in discovery, including exchanges between White House officials and Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and messages showing meetings between administration officials and the firms.

Regarding the partial stay, the judge ruled that the government failed to show how these government employees paid with our tax dollars would be harmed apart from being distracted from their “significant duties.” Anyone paying attention for the past two years has learned that those significant duties primarily consist of censoring, giving misinformation, attacking dissenters, lying, and funding fraudulent research that supports the accepted narrative.  Their narrative.  And yes, they’ve been feverishly busy without any oversight.

On the other hand, the plaintiffs according to the judge, would be irreparably harmed by a partial stay because they’ve alleged a violation of the First Amendment and the loss of Amendment freedoms.   

“The Court finds that both the public interest and the interest of the other parties in preserving free speech significantly outweighs the inconvenience the three deponents will have in preparing for and giving their depositions,” he added.

Finally, someone with a brain.

Fauci’s deposition is slated for this month (Nov.) and others follow in early December unless the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit approves the writ of mandamus.  The writ, predictably, would allow these crooks to slither back into their well protected holes from which they can continue to cause unprecedented mayhem far above the law.

For more:

“What we found in what the whistleblowers put out was that the government was actually engaged—and the White House—in directly communicating with Big Tech on stories and information that they either wanted suppressed or put out,” says Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.

This censorship is global and a favorite tactic of bullies and elites:

Category:

Activism, vaccines, Viruses

COVID Spreads Through Floors & Walls. COVID, Masks, & Shots Cause Low Oxygen & Blood Clotting So Why Are People Still Wearing Masks?

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/12/22-0666_article

Volume 28, Number 12—December 2022

Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021

Hsin-Yi Wei, Cheng-Ping Chang, Ming-Tsan Liu, Jung-Jung Mu, Yu-Ju Lin, Yu-Tung Dai, and Chia-ping Su
Author affiliations: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan (H.-Y. Wei, M.-T. Liu, J.-J. Mu, Y.-J. Lin, C.-p. Su); Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan (C.-P. Chang, Y.-T. Dai)

Abstract

We investigated a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a quarantine hotel in Taiwan in December 2021. The cluster involved 3 case patients who lived in nonadjacent rooms on different floors. They had no direct contact during their stay. By direct exploration of the space above the room ceilings, we found residual tunnels, wall defects, and truncated pipes between their rooms. We conducted a simplified tracer-gas experiment to assess the interconnection between rooms. Aerosol transmission through structural defects in floors and walls in this poorly ventilated hotel was the most likely route of virus transmission. This event demonstrates the high transmissibility of Omicron variants, even across rooms and floors, through structural defects. Our findings emphasize the importance of ventilation and integrity of building structure in quarantine facilities.

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https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/why-spike-protein-causes-abnormal-blood-clots-200-symptoms

Why Spike Protein Causes Abnormal, Foot-Long Blood Clots, 200 Symptoms

In this two-part paper, we aim to give an overview on COVID-19 related abnormal blood clots, how they form, how to detect them early, and how they’re being treated
Dr. Yuhong Dong and Dr. Jordan Vaughn
 
Nov 5 2022
 
Excerpts:
 
Physicians have summarized a list of unusual clinical observations of COVID-19 including but not limited to severely hypoxic (low oxygen) patients despite relatively normal lung compliance upon examination, thrombotic complications, and consistent autopsy findings of blood clots (thrombi) in the microcirculation of the lung.

Spike Proteins trigger the clotting cascade

Spike Protein dysregulates RAAS, and competitively inhibits the bindings of antithrombin and heparin cofactor II, worsening the clotting

Spike Proteins directly disrupt the clot dissolving mechanism

Spike Proteins form amyloid-Like substance

The experimental COVID gene-therapy injections contain the spike protein and have caused clotting

Since blood vessels are in all our organs, clotting in the vessels would explain the wide range of symptoms experienced

(See link for article)

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**Comment**

Not to be Captain Obvious, but hopefully the knowledge that COVID can pass through floors and walls and consists of a spike protein that causes low oxygen and breathlessness, clearly shows the worthlessness and indeed danger of mask usage since masks also cause hypoxia.

An eleven month old just DIED from mask asphyxiation in Taiwan.

Don’t get me wrong. There are times to wear a mask for short periods of time, like when you are restoring furniture and kicking up saw dust when using a sander, or when you are dealing with scary chemicals that could damage your lungs. Please, by all means, wear a mask when you are participating in such endeavors!

However, if you still are under the false belief that a mask can stop a virus smaller than the pores in the mask, you are following pseudoscience and propaganda. Throw those suckers away and breathe. Deeply.

What the study should have emphasized is the fact you can not stop viruses. Period. They simply must run their course through a population. What you can productively do is make yourself a tougher target by taking appropriate action for creating a healthy immune system. You can also be prepared with safe, effective, cheap treatments to take early on, should you become ill.

Corrupt public health has made this quite difficult if not impossible by censoring, banning, and maligning anything that competes with their lucrative, vested interests with Big Pharma. These corrupt public health agencies have successfully frightened the public into taking an expensive, experimental, ineffective, and a dangerous gene therapy shot they own half the patent on.

For more on masks:

For more on how to protect against and treat COVID:

Live free and breathe deeply.

Category:

Activism, research, Transmission, Treatment, vaccines

Meningoencephalitis Due to Borrelia Miyamotoi

https://danielcameronmd.com/meningoencephalitis-borrelia-miyamotoi/

Meningoencephalitis due to Borrelia miyamotoi

Meningoencephalitis-Borrelia-miyamotoi
In their case report, Gandhi and colleagues, describe an immunocompetent patient who developed acute-onset, progressive encephalopathy due to an infection with Borrelia miyamotoi.

By Dr. Daniel Cameron

A 73-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a 16-day history of confusion and intermittent headaches. He was an avid gardener and reportedly had tick bites in the past but none that he noticed in the weeks prior to his symptoms.

Initially, he developed “right-sided facial droop and associated numbness, confusion, and word-finding difficulties,” the authors write in the article “Borrelia miyamotoi Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Patient.”¹

His symptoms, which had improved, were attributed to a mini-stroke.

However, “Over the next 2 weeks, he continued to feel numbness in his right face and developed worsening confusion, intermittent headaches, and excessive fatigue; he was afebrile throughout this time.”¹

The patient tested positive for Lyme disease by EIA but negative by Western blot.

He was “empirically treated with intravenous ceftriaxone for treatment of presumed Lyme meningoencephalitis, and his mental status rapidly improved,” the authors write.

READ MORE: What is Borrelia miyamotoi?

When repeat testing for Lyme disease was negative by Western blot, clinicians considered another tick-borne infection – Borrelia miyamotoi.

The man tested positive for B. miyamotoi and made a “nearly full neurological recovery with only residual intermittent right facial numbness” after anti-Borrelia antibiotic treatment.

The authors conclude:

  • “Our case therefore highlights the need to include B. miyamotoi disease in the differential diagnosis for any patient who presents with acute onset, progressive encephalopathy with culture-negative CSF in B. miyamotoi–endemic regions, not just those who are immunocompromised.”
  • “Our case highlights the importance of considering B. miyamotoi in clinically suspicious cases of meningoencephalitis, including when B. burgdorferi EIA results are positive but the WB is negative.”
Related Articles:

Could Borrelia miyamotoi infections explain persistent symptoms in Lyme disease patients?
Blood smear not reliable in diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi disease
Doctors face challenges in diagnosing Borrelia miyamotoi

References:
  1. Gandhi S, Narasimhan S, Workineh A, Mamula M, Yoon J, Krause PJ, Farhadian SF. Borrelia miyamotoi Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Patient. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Jun 13;9(7):ofac295. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac295. PMID: 35873293; PMCID: PMC9301576.

For more:

Category:

Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), research, Ticks

Lyme & Herxheimer Reactions: Your Guide to Feeling Well Again

Lyme + Herxheimer Reactions: Your Guide to Feeling Good Again

by Dr. Bill Rawls
Updated 8/18/22

It’s one of life’s cruel chronic illness jokes: You discover a new therapy for Lyme disease and are really optimistic about your odds of finally feeling better. Then, within a day or two of starting the regimen, your symptoms take a turn for the worse — intense fatigue, insomnia, and pain wash over you, and you feel like you did during your worst days of chronic illness. Could it be the dreaded Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction you keep hearing about from others undergoing Lyme treatment?

Unfortunately, answering that question is no easy feat. To help you better understand what’s happening, we’ll explain Herxheimer reactions and the best ways to differentiate them from other possible issues. Keep reading for advice, plus steps you can take now to feel better — without derailing your recovery.

Herxheimer Reactions, Defined

Herxheimer reactions were first observed in syphilis patients by dermatologists Adolf Jarisch and Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They noticed that their patients receiving treatment often got worse before they got better. The phenomenon was dubbed the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction and has since been shortened to Herxheimer reaction, herxing, or simply, herx.

“The classic explanation of a Herxheimer reaction in people with Lyme is that when borrelia bacteria are killed off by an antibiotic or herbal therapy, parts of dead bacteria called endotoxins are shed,” explains Dr. Rawls. “These endotoxins then circulate throughout the body and cause an intense whole-body inflammatory reaction. And that makes the war against microbes that’s already going on inside your body worse.”

In general, herx reactions are more common and more intense with conventional antibiotic use than with herbs, says Dr. Rawls. “With herbs, the bacterial die‐off is more gradual, and the immune response is less intense.”

Either way, the intensification of your symptoms can be disconcerting, and if you’re treating Lyme, the odds are good you’ll experience herxing: While there’s no clinical research on the prevalence of herxing, anecdotally, it seems the majority of Lyme patients experience it at some point. And provided it’s not too intense, that’s actually good news: “It’s often a sign that the therapy is working,” says Dr. Rawls.

How To Tell If It’s Herxing—Or Something Else

Herx reactions can throw you for a loop for a few reasons.

For starters, symptoms vary from person to person, says Dr. Rawls, and they’re easy to confuse with other health concerns that are also highly likely in those with chronic Lyme, including a disease flare-up, adverse reaction to a new Lyme treatment, or food sensitivities (digestive issues are highly common in people who have Lyme). What’s more, the timing of any of these issues can also overlap, making it difficult to track your symptoms to their source.

For help clearing up the confusion and determining what’s to blame for your symptoms, check out these helpful identifying characteristics:

HERX REACTION

Symptoms: Intensified fatigue, muscle pain, neurological symptoms, and flu‐like symptoms such as headache, nausea, and digestive distress. You may also experience symptoms not listed here; herx reactions are highly variable between individuals.

Onset: Symptoms intensify in tandem with starting a new therapy.

Telltale signs: Symptoms may gradually improve with the continuation of therapy and worsen again when you increase the dosage or add a new therapy.

LYME FLARE-UP

Symptoms: Intensification of fatigue, arthritis (joint pain, swelling, and stiffness), flu-like feelings, GI distress; there’s a recurrence of your usual Lyme symptoms.

Onset: Symptoms are often precipitated by any extra stress to your system (including emotional stress, poor diet, toxin exposure, physical stress, lack of sleep, or a new tick bite). Symptoms are not related to starting a new therapy, though the two may coincide if you experienced stress just before starting the therapy.

Telltale signs: Your best clue is timing: A Lyme relapse typically occurs while taking a stable dose of treatment and in reaction to some type of stress, so look for recent lifestyle changes (i.e., diet changes, travel, sleep deprivation, relationships trouble, mold exposure).

ADVERSE TREATMENT REACTION

Symptoms: An allergic-like reaction (hives, itching, skin rash, runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing). This is common in people with chronic Lyme disease, whose entire immune system is in disarray and more easily activated.

Onset: Symptoms develop within about an hour of taking a new medication or herb

Telltale signs: Your symptoms get better when you take an allergy remedy such as an antihistamine. *See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience signs or symptoms of a drug allergy. Call 911 if you experience signs of a severe reaction or suspect an anaphylaxis after taking a medication.

FOOD SENSITIVITY

Symptoms: Fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, general achiness, brain fog, irritability

Onset: Symptoms occur within hours to a couple of days after an offending food is consumed.

Telltale signs: Your symptoms get better when you eliminate the food(s) from your diet. Doctors can order testing for food sensitivity and heavy metal toxicity, however, the best determinant of food sensitivities is an elimination diet.

If these guidelines don’t describe your experience with herxing exactly, take heart. In the beginning, you may go back and forth between knowing whether what you’re experiencing is a herx reaction or something else, but with time, you will become better at distinguishing herxing and discover ways to ride it out.

It’s Herxing. When Will It End?

If you’ve determined (or strongly suspect) that you’re herxing, your next question is likely: How long will it last?

Unfortunately, there’s no cut-and-dry answer — everyone’s experience is individual, says Dr. Rawls. Some may feel better after a few days or a few weeks; others may experience herxing for as long as two to three months(though symptoms tend to wax and wane throughout that time).

The good news is, there’s a lot you can do to help ease a herx reaction and move beyond the symptoms more quickly. The quickest solution would be to discontinue your Lyme treatment. But that’s not necessarily the best option, says Dr. Rawls.

“Fundamental advice with herxing is to continue therapy at whatever dose you can tolerate. Sometimes you will have to reduce the dose to stay comfortable, but you can increase again later,” says Dr. Rawls. “If your symptoms improve over days to a couple of weeks, that suggests confirmation that it’s a herx. And as your symptoms ease up, you can gradually increase the dose until the desired therapeutic dose is reached.”

If your symptoms do not improve, it may be an indication that the therapy is not working. In this case, Dr. Rawls suggests either increasing the dose or adding other herbs or other therapies. If symptoms gradually start getting better, then you know you’re on the right track.

That said, if your symptoms are debilitating, back off on your treatment dosage or even stop altogether, advises Dr. Rawls. Then, once your symptoms are tolerable, you can gradually increase your dosage again.

6 Smart Ways to Ease Herxing

The number one way to find relief from herxing is to address the underlying cause for needing Lyme treatment in the first place: Factors that stress your cells and impair your immune function.

“Stressed cells are what makes people vulnerable to chronic Lyme,” explains Dr. Rawls. “Restore the health of your cells, and not only will your immune system be better at battling Lyme microbes, your body will be stronger at withstanding the side effects of treatment and overcoming herxing as well.”

To begin, work your way through what Dr. Rawls calls “Cellular Stress Factors,” which contribute to inflammation and intensify either a herx reaction or a Lyme relapse. These include poor nutrition, emotional stress, environmental toxins like air pollutants and mold, physical stress, and excessive exposure to radiation from modern sources like computers, cell phones, and microwave towers.

Once you’ve begun to take the pressure off your cells by decreasing your exposure to these disruptors, your body will be better equipped to handle both microbes and the endotoxins they create as they die off. The result: You start to feel better.

From here, there are a number of additional lifestyle habits you can adopt to help alleviate a Herxheimer reaction — all of which also contribute to restoring cellular health and immune functions and thus contribute to Lyme recovery, says Dr. Rawls. Here are his recommendations:

1. Fresh Ginger Tea

In general, drinking a lot of liquids is a good idea, but fresh ginger tea, in particular, has potent systemic anti-inflammatory properties for reducing Herxheimer symptoms. Plus, it’s great to soothe digestive symptoms. You can make it from fresh ginger root or use organic tea bags.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Therapies

Some good ones to try:

Turmeric and Boswellia

As anti-inflammatory herbs, turmeric and boswellia are excellent for reducing systemic inflammation associated with Herxheimer reactions, and it’s hard to take too much of them either. Dr. Rawls recommends 175 mg of turmeric and 75 mg of Boswellia, twice daily.

Marine Source Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids offer anti-inflammatory support, especially for high-fat tissues such as the brain. Both fish oil and krill oil reduce inflammation, but krill is better absorbed and also contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which provides extra anti-inflammatory support. The suggested dose for krill oil is 500 mg, 1-3 times daily.

Red Root

Good for stimulating and clearing dead cellular debris from the lymphatic system, red root also supports a healthy liver and spleen, optimal immune function, and swollen lymph nodes.

Chlorella

A freshwater algae, chlorella does wonders for healing an irritated stomach and restoring digestive function. It’s also great for detoxing and healing in general. The typical maintenance dose is 5 to 7.5g total a day, and for additional support, we suggest 10g total a day. Chlorella can be taken any time of day. For best results, take it with food. (Avoid products that also contain spirulina, a blue-green algae that potentially contains toxins.)

Adaptogenic Herbs

These help reduce herxing and moderate the effects of stress. Some to try:

3. Proteolytic Enzymes

There are a variety of proteolytic enzymes that will work to help break down immune complexes and reduce inflammation. Bromelain (from pineapple) is a good choice; the dose is 500-1000 mg, one to two times daily. It’s sometimes found in combination supplements for joint health. Generally, it’s best to take enzymes on an empty stomach to absorb them directly.

4. Heat Therapy

Heat can be very soothing during herx reactions. A far infrared (FIR) sauna or a hot bath is excellent for removing toxins from the body. Adding Epsom salts to your bath can also help soothe muscles and joints.

5. Fresh Air

Forests and beaches or shores alongside open water are especially beneficial. Take your shoes off and walk barefoot: Called “grounding,” it’s a good practice for reducing inflammation in the body.

6. Relaxation Practices

Decreasing stress is key to normalizing the body’s adrenaline-cortisol response. But even when we feel unwell, most of us still try to push our limits. However, when you’re in the throes of a herx, don’t be afraid (or ashamed) to say “no” if you need to. Only agree to do what’s necessary, and let the rest go until you are back on your feet.

Need some extra help to bring on the calm? Use lavender essential oil. Research suggests it may be beneficial for easing insomnia, anxiety, and stress. Apply it to the bottoms of your feet before bed to help with sleep.

Thoughts on Herx Prevention

There’s a decent chance that if you increase the dosage of your current treatment or introduce a new one to your Lyme regimen, the herxing may return. It’s not entirely avoidable, says Dr. Rawls, but you can take steps to help fend off and reduce symptoms.

For instance, a few days before you change up your therapy, Dr. Rawls recommends adding some extra turmeric and krill oil to your daily routine; these help support a healthy immune and inflammatory response. He also suggests working to curb your mental and physical stress.

In general, the most successful approach to experiencing better health is to focus on reducing cellular stress and restoring healthy immune function. Do that, and you’ll rebound faster from herxing and begin to feel better.

REFERENCES

1. Dhakal A, Sbar E. Jarisch Herxheimer Reaction. [Updated 2022 Apr 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557820/
2. Koulivand PH, Khaleghi Ghadiri M, Gorji A. Lavender and the nervous system. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:681304. doi: 10.1155/2013/681304

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