how long should herx last?

[Maciej P.]

Hi,

Sorry if my question is silly, but – how long should herx last? Is it matter of 2-3 days of being sick? or rather 2-3 weeks of feeling terrible?

I had 1 night of vomiting + 2 days of feeling exhausted/dizzy (felt like gentel flu + felt little hangover <I didn’t drink any alco>, and no fever) + few days of feeling tired that I simply had to sleep 2 hours afternoon.

Can it be defined as herx? Or herx is something more?

kind regards,
Maciej

March 2016:
31 y.o. male, Poland, Europe.
Diagnosed with RA (started as palindromic rheumatism) at age 28 (SED negative, RF negative, CRP negative, Lyme negative, Chlamydia negative, ANA highly positive, aCCP/ACPA higly positive.
Treated with sulfasalazine - no success. Chloroquine - no success. NSAID - no success.
Treated with MTX injections (10mg->15mg->20mg->15mg->12,5mg->10mg->5mg) for 2years. Almost total remission. 3 months after MTX quit - got RA again with trippled strength.

[lynnie_sydney]

Hi Maciej

FAQ#20 covers this topic:

https://www.roadback.org/faqs/?faq-category=35

A herx may be transitory, lasting only hours or days or, in some instances, may continue for a longer period of time in waxing and waning cycles of weeks or even months.

Duration of a herx can both vary from person to person and also vary if it occurs more than once. In my case, my first herx lasted around 4 weeks. It’s in my story on the site (Palindromic RA). My symptoms were similar to yours – except for vomiting, which I think is unusual. The other symptoms you describe are pretty classic (fatigue, flu-like feelings). I have had 2/3 since then when changing antibiotics and they have been of much shorter duration and often focused on different joints becoming inflamed for very short periods of time.

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Airen]

When I first started mino I herxed for 2-3 months and didn’t stop until I upped my dose to 100 mg daily from just 100 mg MWF. I have continued to improve as I have increased. Each herx is shorter and more tolerable. The first one was hell though…no flu like symptoms just increased RA pains everywhere and major fatigue. Keep going though…there is a light at the end…the beginning is the worst…

Diagnosed with RA in October 2014, pain started in February 2014
Started AP in June 2015
Taking daily: 32.5 mg WP thyroid 6 am, 100 mg mino 9 am, 16.25 mg WP thyroid 2 pm, B Complex for MTHFR mutation 3 pm, Multivitamin 3pm, 100 bil powdered probiotics 6 pm, 5-8,000 iu Vit D 6 pm, 100 mg mino 9 pm

[snowdog]

After I started taking minocycline in April 2015, I got significantly worse, for about 6 weeks. Then everything started to improve, and did not stop improving until it was gone. I took minocycline for 9 months total, at 200mg per day.

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