Many people have this wonderful idea of how a detox will feel – they visualize they will feel light, energetic, and overall amazing. After all, the detox is all about getting rid of the bad stuff, right? While it’s true that a detox is intended to rid your body of harmful toxins and “bad stuff”, it isn’t always fun for everyone – at least during the detox process. Although the end result can feel amazing, the procedure of detoxing can come with some rough side effects due to the exiting of toxic waste.
When you detox, your body is purging itself of contaminations. You’ve been walking around with toxins from the air, your food, medications, and more, for who knows how long. Your body is used to it – this is its “normal mode”.
Am I Sick…. or Is It Detox Symptoms?
On occasion when detoxing, mainly during your first few detoxes, you may undergo some symptoms, often referred to as a healing crisis (Herxheimer’s reaction). When you disturb the normal, toxic state, you are sure to feel some not-so-great effects, many of which are due to the toxins being released into the bloodstream and digestive system, before they are expelled from the body. When an organism of an infection dies from within a cell, the cell will die. It will be packed with the organisms’ wastes and toxins. If you have infections you always have die-off whenever a microorganism dies naturally or when a detoxing agent is utilized.
While you are in the deep detoxification process, if many organisms die at once there WILL BE major DIE OFF which will cause what is known as a Herxheimer Reaction (Detox Reaction) or the above-mentioned Healing Crisis.
It is characterized by a brief increase in symptoms during the cleansing or detoxification process. Reactions, when they occur, are almost always mild, but in rare instances can be severe.
The Herxheimer Reaction – Feeling worse before feeling better.
The Herxheimer Reaction is a short-term (from days to a few weeks) detoxification response in the body. As the body detoxifies, it is not unusual to experience flu-like symptoms including headache, joint and muscle pain, body aches, sore throat, general malaise, sweating, chills, nausea or other symptoms.
This is a normal – and even healthy – reaction that indicates that parasites, fungus, viruses, bacteria or other pathogens are being effectively killed off.
What Is The Herxheimer Reaction?
The Herxheimer Reaction is an immune system reaction to the toxins (endotoxins) that are released when large amounts of pathogens are being killed off, and the body does not eliminate the toxins quickly enough. Simply stated, it is a reaction that occurs when the body is cleansing and the released toxins either aggravate the symptoms being treated or create their own symptoms.
Where do die-off toxins go?
Die-off goes into the interstitial fluid – that which surrounds a cell. This fluid is drawn into the lymphatic system, gets filtered through the lymph nodes and move on into the blood to all other detoxification systems; Liver, Lungs, Urinary, and Skin to be expelled from the body. To achieve this detoxification process successfully all pathways must be open.
There are three primary triggers for a detox reaction:
- Any largescale die-off of bacteria can release a significant amount of toxins present within the actual bacteria. The stronger those toxins are and the more bacteria present to release them, the stronger the cleansing reaction. Colon cleansing, the use of probiotics, digestive enzymes, immune enhancers, and pathogen destroyers can all trigger bacterial die-off.
- Any largescale die-off of bacteria can release a significant amount of toxins present within the actual bacteria. The stronger those toxins are and the more bacteria present to release them, the stronger the cleansing reaction. Colon cleansing, the use of probiotics, digestive enzymes, immune enhancers, and pathogen destroyers can all trigger bacterial die-off.
- Any detox that causes the organs of the body (particularly the liver, which is a storehouse of drug and poison residues) to purge their stored poisons and toxins, can trigger a cleansing reaction, as can the use of an herbal blood cleanser.
The important thing to note is that worsening symptoms do not indicate failure of the treatment in question; in fact, usually just the opposite. Therefore the biggest problem with the Herxheimer (detox) reaction is that people stop taking the supplement or medication (this way stop detox process) that is causing the reaction, and thus discontinue the very treatment that is helping to make them better.
Although the experience may not make you feel particularly good, the Herxheimer Reaction is actually a sign that healing is taking place.
Having an actual healing crisis is rarer than a cleansing reaction. A true healing crisis occurs when the body has been getting stronger and cleaner and is a true sign of progress. A healing crisis may mimic any disease or condition you have had in the past, but it’s abbreviated, typically lasting from a few hours to a few days.
In his book The Healing Crisis, Dr. Bruce Fife explains that the removal of disease-causing agents is the catalyst for both cleansing reactions and healing crises. He notes that,
“most any harmless method that strengthens the body’s natural healing processes can induce a healing crisis. This could involve switching to better quality foods, taking homeopathic medicines, cleansing the colon, fasting, juicing, using healing herbs, massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, vitamin therapy, exercise, etc.”
Dr. Fife states that when you enter a cleansing process,
“often chronic conditions from which you are suffering will temporarily get worse. If you suffer from arthritis, joint pain may increase. If you are troubled with chronic migraines, you may have terrible headaches. A psoriasis problem may run wild. Hemorrhoids may flair up. PMS may intensify. Allergies may get worse. Asthmatics may experience breathing difficulties. Blood pressure may increase. Any number of other symptoms may surface during this time that may appear unrelated to existing health conditions. Sometimes these conditions improve after the crisis. Sometimes it takes several crises to cleanse the offending toxins from the body and stimulate healing. At times, health problems can improve immediately after a crisis, and at other times, they improve gradually.”
Check the Important Signs You Are Detoxing and How to Ease Your Way Through The Healing Crises to learn more about symptoms.
Toxicity may be related to many health concerns.
Proper assessment is important to optimize your health.
You can use this QUESTIONNAIRE
You may also like:
The Detox Program or Cleanse – What’s the Difference?
How Do Toxins Affect Our Body? Six Phases Of Intoxication
The Most Common Ways Of Interacting With Toxins
