How To Stop Herxheimer, or Healing Detox Reactions

Stop the Herxing: Your 5 Step Emergency Action Plan

If the thought of doing a detox or kill protocol makes you a little nervous, for fear of herxing – not to worry – there are ways to minimize this reaction, should it occur. It’s all about having a plan!

What is Herxing?

Before we get started with the action plan, a little about herxheimer reactions, also known as herxing. You may also be familiar with these terms: detox reactions, die-off reactions, a healing crisis, or herx reactions. No matter the name, the experience is all the same – your body reacting poorly to the flood of toxins being released. This includes things like parasites, viruses, bacteria, mold, and any by-products these toxins produce.

When you are detoxing, you want these toxic products to be shuttled out of the body quickly. But if your drainage channels aren’t open and ready for the release, they can get stuck in the pathways and ultimately, be reabsorbed back into the body.

As a result, you may experience “die off” symptoms, such as:

• Flu-like symptoms
• Headaches
• Skin eruptions/rashes
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Skin flushing
• Inflammation
• Joint pain
• Congestion
• Or other adverse reaction

Here’s the thing – while herxheimer reactions can make you feel pretty miserable, it does not mean your protocol isn’t working. Instead, it is a signal from the body that it needs support and you may need to slow the detox down.

So what should you do if you experience the dreaded herx? 

Overall you’ll want to focus on three areas: drainage pathways, mitochondria support and binders. Follow the action plan below so you can calm the reactions, get back on your protocol, and achieve the healing you desire.

Your 5 Step Emergency Action Plan:

1. First, stop the “kill” products momentarily and let the reaction clear. Alternatively, you could continue on by reducing the “kill” products to see if that helps. If not, take a pause.
2. Next, identify your weak drainage pathway(s) and work on opening. You have the option to do this before starting the detox again OR if you think you are ready, you can continue the protocol, but add in more drainage supports to aid your body. This is where the Kill Bind Sweat method comes in very handy. Set your protocol up in this order, so that as you kill, you are binding up toxins and sweating them out. Your body will thank you and you will minimize those terrible reactions.
3. Self titrate your supplements once you begin again. You want to start again low and slow. This means begin each supplement one by one, at its lowest dosage, and work up to the highest therapeutic dosage recommended to you. If at any point you experience a reaction, go back to the dosage that no reaction occurred and stay there. This is the dosage that is right for your body at the moment.
4. Support your mitochondria function (energy at the cellular level). Detoxing is hard work and you need maximum power. Your mitochondria provide this power, but they can become fatigued. Adding in support supplements from CellCore like CT Minerals, MitoATP and Biomolecular Oxygen will provide more energy for the daily toxin clean up. Alternatively, you could look for mitochondrial restoration supplements that contain humic and fulvic acid extracts. Finally, sleep is one of the greatest gifts you can give your mitochondria. Get 7-8 hours of restorative sleep each night!

1. Finally, be sure to adjust your binders. Binders are your secret weapon. They mop up the toxins being released and can dramatically reduce die off reactions. CellCore binders specifically can clean up toxins both in the gut and systemically, going beyond what traditional binders can do.

If you notice a reaction brewing, simply increase your binder dosage. This dosage can also be adjusted, as needed, throughout your protocol. Just listen to what your body needs. If you notice constipation, that’s a sign you need to back down on the dosage. Find what works for you.   

Remember, detoxing does not have to be an unpleasant experience and you don’t have to suffer. But if you do start noticing die-off symptoms, follow this emergency action plan to get yourself back on track. And if you haven’t begun your detox just yet, first start by opening those drainage pathways – this will help minimize herxing all together.