What is a Herxheimer reaction?
Jarisch-Herxheimer’s reactions (herx) often occur during antibiotic therapy for spirochetal infections and may be fatal in some cases. A ‘herx’ occurs when the spirochetes die off and produce toxins which can overwhelm the system. Patient’s symptoms may become much worse during the reaction. Due to the replication cycle of the spirochete, treatment for Lyme should continue for several months after all Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions have ceased and all symptoms have cleared, or the patient is very likely to relapse.
