Herxing — Another Weird Part of Lyme

I promised you in my last post that I’d keep you updated on my second journey of battling Lyme disease. In my last post, I said I had debilitating fatigue, muscle aches/weakness, nausea, and some anxiety for about 3 days. Those symptoms are the Lyme disease reacting to the antibiotics, the disease fighting back against these invaders. This reaction is a positive sign that the antibiotics are working and is known as the Jarish-Herxheimer reaction. Commonly this name is abbreviated to herxheimer, “herxing,” or simply “herx.”

What is known about Lyme disease herxheimers are based heavily on the reactions seen in syphilis. This is due to the fact both diseases are caused by a bacteria known as a spirochete, the former being Treponema pallidum, the latter Borrelia burgdoferi (Bb). However the herxheimer reactions in Lyme disease are not identical to those seen in syphilis. Bet you never thought you’d see a discussion of syphilis with one on Lyme Disease!

A herxheimer occurs because the Bb bacteria, under attack from the antibiotics, start to break up and die, releasing toxins and other harmful debris as they do so. This, in turn, causes the body’s immune system to temporarily go into overdrive in order to cope with the abrupt deluge of toxins and debris.

A herxheimer can last from a few days to two weeks or more, depending on how disseminated the Bb bacteria is in the body. The greater the dissemination, generally the longer a Herxheimer will last. During this time, in addition to the temporary worsening of previous Lyme symptoms, one may also experience chills, low-grade fever, headache, increased joint or muscle pain, nausea, a drop in blood pressure levels, rash, and hives.

In some patients they occur only once or twice (if at all) and with others continue throughout the course of treatment, usually lessening in severity. They can occur and are more often described in cycles (example: every 4 weeks) and have been reported to last from days to weeks. The good news is that the herxheimer is thought to indicate that the antibiotics are indeed working and that following each worsening may bring about more improvement.

Well, I am on my second herxheimer reaction and am typing this from what is becoming a familiar place to me…our sofa recliner, wrapped in heat wraps. For a woman going through heat flashes, this is NOT good (lol)! The first time I herxed, I missed 1 full day of work and a few hours the next morning. On this herxing episode, I will be missing 3 days. The frustrating part is you never know when it’s coming. I felt fine all day Monday & Tuesday, and then Tuesday evening, I began to get body aches, a slight fever, and fatigue, and I knew I was beginning another herxing episode.

So what is God teaching me through these herxheimer episodes? First, I’m not in control; God is (which is a good thing!). Second, it’s easy  to get disappointed, helpless, needy, and self-centered. To combat this, I ask God to show me someone who needs encouragement and I call, text, email, or actually put a card in the mail (how novel, huh?). Since I am an extrovert, I also need to talk to people, so I pick up the phone and call someone. Third, because this disease and some other weird ailments I’ve had are hard for others to understand, God is allowing me to share in the sufferings of Christ. To know what it’s like to be misunderstood, to know what it’s like to be in pain, to know what loneliness.

But God also keeps me still so I can hear His voice, know there’s hope, and enjoy the beauty of His creation.