Cat's Claw and Stiff Neck

Hi everyone! I am on Day 28 of the Buhner Protocol and yesterday I finally added in the Cat's Claw as it's the first immune remodulating herb. Within 15 minutes of taking the herb, I got a stiff neck that lasted all day. I am only taking 1/4 tsp of powder 3x per day. Today, it is less intense but I still have had a stiff neck all day long. I am noticing very small other things as well that has occurred since adding in the herb: slight wrist pain, knee joint pain, shoulder joint pain (though some of this could be due to rock climbing this morning), "stiff" fingers (sort of the feeling like when you get a pump form working out, only in my fingers). All of these are new symptoms (herx?) and they all started yesterday. None of these are unbearable. I almost kind of like it because it makes me feel like it's having a positive affect on the infection! Has anybody else experienced any of these things with Cat's Claw?

-Mav

While I didn't experience those symptoms specifically when I added in Cat's claw, those are most certainly herx symptoms.

I would encourage you to start off on smaller doses than you did, the next time you add in a new herb. Any herb taken 3 times a day has the potential to set off a herx, so start off with the 1/4 tsp only once a day to begin with. If you do well with that dose, then add in the second dose the next day and wait to see if you herx. If you do herx, hold that dose for a few days until it calms down, then add in the next dose. Keep working each dose up individually until you are at a good dose for you daily.

Also, increase your detoxing when you start herxing, as the herxing is hard on our bodies. It's because there are too many toxins in the bloodstream all at once for the body to cope with - and the stronger the herx means the more toxins that the body is trying to keep from doing damage. The best thing to do is to take it slow, help the body remove the 'extra' toxins and move your dose up slowly.

Best of luck!!

I noticed more stiffness when I started andrographis. It went away after a while, though