Babesia Herx - what were your symptoms?

Since I started treatment for my Lyme about four months ago, it has definitely been a roller coaster. I am certainly having FAR more good days than I used to, though. I finally had my co-infections tested, and I turned up positive for Babesia. (not bart like we thought - although, i still might have (or have had) it)

I am on day ten of babesia treatment (herbals and new antibiotics). I had a HORRIBLE/INTENSE headache this past weekend, severe exhaustion, and i basically have NO short term memory. The headache has subsided and now I am just SO darn tired and out of it. I think I am coming out the other end of the herx, though, since the pain is better.

Anyway, I was just curious what other people's babesia herxes were like???

Did any of you suffer from intense exhaustion? I'm sleeping twelve hours a night (and could sleep more if I let myself). This is the worst my exhaustion has ever been.

Babesia herxes are very difficult. Sorry to hear you are having a hard time.

It took me about a month and half to get over my initial herx. It's what I would consider hell to be ( probably a lot of people in treatment can relate ) but I feel much better now than before the herx so it is not for nothing. And the herx DID pass.

My herx consisted of all the typical babesia symptoms but worse. Bad night sweats, air hunger, dry cough, hundreds of heart palpations, intense "ill" feeling on and off every 2 hours, and vein pain like I was getting a needle in the vain hundreds of times a day. It left me completely wiped out. I slept about 14-16 hours a day.

My LLMD wants me to give the babesia meds another "pulse" dose but I may have to do a half dose or slowly work up to them because it was very difficult and intense herxes are dangerous. DR said no reason to be a sadist to get better. Other med options are available which may be easier on your body but still kill babesia.

Post Edited (Jackie Moon) : 11/11/2014 2:19:39 AM (GMT-7)

Thanks for the reply Jackie Moon! Your herx sounds like it was similar to mine.

I found this herx to be VERY different than my initial herx. The night sweats are crazy and the "mush" brain is just out of control. My short term memory is still non existent. The exhaustion is also nuts - I feel like I am waking up from a long coma every morning. The weirdest thing was this sudden pounding headache that came out of nowhere, which, thankfully, disappeared in a few days.

Pain wise, everything has calmed down. I just feel super wiped out and spaced out at this point.

I think I am pretty lucky in that my really bad herxes usually only last about a week, then I am just out of it and tired for another week. I am finally coming out of this one. Still tired and spaced out, but the intense and painful symptoms and 14 hour sleep sessions are slowly (but surely) coming to an end.

Also, I felt the same way about detoxing and all the "new agey" stuff!! When my doc put me on all the herbals in the beginning, I was like, this all seems kind of excessive and unnecessary, but I was wrong. It has made a big difference, especially the magnesium. I no longer twitch AT ALL, and I used to twitch all the time. Also, my digestion/stomach issues have virtually disappeared, which is crazy considering all the meds I am on.

Do you take cholestyramine? That has helped speed up my herxes a TON.

Yeah, Cholestyramine is a powder you drink which binds and removes biotoxins and neurotoxins - basically speeds detox up. It's especially good if you have mold issues, but some LLMDs use it to help remove the bad stuff. If you have trouble detoxing, I'd check it out. It's a strong medication, though - not for everyone.

Lymebird,

You have to get a prescription for it from your LLMD. I'm not sure if they have it in the UK, but they most likely do! It's helped with my detox a ton.

Hey Stanislav,

IgeneX (in my opinion) does a the best babesia test. It's expensive, but worth it. Do you have an LLMD? If not, that's definitely the first step.

Also, there is no surefire test. For example, I tested positive for babesia, but not for bartonella, but my LLMD has a gut feeling I have that as well because of some of my symptoms.

Since starting to treat my babesia, I am getting SO much better. It's amazing really.

Stanislav

I agree with Lynn1980 about testing, etc.

I never tested positive for Babesia but I was "intensely" ill from the on set. Couple of visits to the ER with no answer. I can tell you specifically down to the exact day when it started because it was such severe sickness. Unbelievable how intensely ill I felt. The only respite at the time was not being conscious / sleeping. Just horrifying. My LLMD didn't even bother with testing because he felt it was clear that I had Babesia. Based on my reactions to Babesia medicine I would strongly agree with his diagnoses.

I have read Babesia affects many patients differently but haven't come in contact with someone that had a "mild" version. Maybe someone else could post to that extent?

This is DR BURRASCANO of Lyme Council list of Babesia symptoms. I had them all.

"Rapid onset of initial illness, often with sudden onset of high fever, severe headaches, sweats and
fatigue, thus it is easy to know when infection began.
Obvious sweats, usually at night, but can be day sweats as well.
Air hunger, need to sigh and take a deep breath; dry cough without apparent reason.
Headaches can be severe dull, global (involves the whole head, described like the head is in a vise).
Fatigue is prominent, does not clear with rest, and is made worse with exercise.
Mental dullness and slowing of reactions and responses.
Dizziness
more like a tippy feeling, and not vertigo or purely orthostasis.
Symptoms cycle rapidly, with flares every four to six days.
Hypercoaguable states are often associated with Babesia infections. Rarely, splenomegal
Very severe Lyme Disease can be a clue to Babesia infection."