The Herxheimer Reaction - Why You Can Feel Worse Before You Feel Better When You Detoxify
If given the choice, I would assume that the average person would want to get better as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Who wants to feel worse before they get better? Not I for one, but the reality for some people going through detoxification, their symptoms or other symptoms may get worse. The Herxheimer Reaction is a reaction by the immune system in response to endotoxin or toxin release from microorganisms like fungus, parasites, viruses, bacteria, amoebas, rickettsia, protozoa, etc., when they die off. It is also a reaction from toxin release of any kind, like heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, drugs etc.. Detoxification draws out these toxins from different parts of the body, especially fat cells, and the organs of elimination can be overburdened with trying to get rid of them fast enough. Some detoxification symptoms or Herxheimer Reactions include headaches, lethargy, muscle aches, mucus or other discharge, a coated pasty tongue, flu-like symptom