when you herx without having increased dosages...

Let's see, you could have a virus -- that always makes symptoms worse. Could be the normal life cycle of Babesia or Lyme. Laying off you meds could have "stirred things up" or you could have had a biofilm or cyst bust open. Or it could be a delayed reaction from the medications you are taking: the arrival of a herx can be anytime after you take your medicine.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks so much for the replies. They are so precious amidst all the suffering and confusion!

It helps me so much to have an explanation, I guess like I'm in some kind of control.

I realized a few weeks ago I'd been treating too aggressively, I just kept increasing dosages and making myself really ill, like it's a sprint not a marathon, like I can take anything. So I decided to hold at 19 drops for the foreseeable future and stabilize. So yeah then it's totally confusing a week in to have a major herx.

But I'm taking it to mean that the increase to 19 drops is still operating... And I'm taking it as affirmation of my choice to stop increasing so much. I've got to let 19 really play itself out before I increase to 20. I think I've been increasing before each notch has played itself out and that's why I'm getting worse not better.

Okay so that's the explanation I'm going with!! Right or wrong lol

I feel so grateful to all of you for helping me think this through. It's been a lonely day and it means a lot.