Mitch55 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Hi all... I haven't started yet, am aiming for July 1 because I literally wouldn't remember if it was the 17th... I am wondering if anyone has experienced a Herxheimer reaction, AKA a healing crisis while doing the 30??? The description is below for those that don't know the term... I have had a few while trying radical cleanses, and although I know the 30 isn't a cleanse, there will be a lot of Physiological and Psychological changes going on... I hit the brick wall almost literally each time, and upon going back to pizza and beer, was in the clear, so to speak... Thanks for any input "The Herxheimer Reaction is a short-term (from days to a few weeks) detoxification reaction in the body. As the body detoxifies, it is not uncommon to experience flu-like symptoms including headache, joint and muscle pain, body aches, sore throat, general malaise, sweating, chills, nausea or other symptoms. This is a normal — and even healthy — reaction that indicates that parasites, fungus, viruses, bacteria or other pathogens are being effectively killed off." Quote: biovedawellness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted June 4, 2015 Moderators Share Posted June 4, 2015 I'm not sure whether it's really this exactly, but it's not unusual for people to experience headaches, tiredness, moodiness, and various digestive issues when starting a whole30. The best way to avoid this, for whole30 purposes, is to begin to eat more in line with whole30 now, before you actually start. Cut back on sugar, especially, but also start cutting back on grains and dairy. The level of unpleasantness you experience in the first week or so of W30 is very much related to how different it is from the way you were eating before you start your W30. The other thing that helps is to eat plenty of food when you do your W30. Follow the meal template (linked in my signature), and make sure you get at least the minimum amount of food listed, including pre and post workout meals if applicable. Add fat at every meal, and have at least one starchy vegetable each day. Salt your food to taste and drink plenty of water, about a half ounce per pound of body weight. Even doing everything right, you may have some unpleasant days at first as your body adjusts, but if you hang in there, it does get better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch55 Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Thanks, Shannon... I have a reaction to dairy now, so that won't be difficult to dump earlier... I don't forsee grains being difficult either... Working out is the problem, as I have what the VA calls COPD, but hopefully that will calm down a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschemm Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I had similar symptoms on Monday, which was my day 3. Super tired, my neck and shoulders ached, my body was absolutely exhausted, and I had a RAGING headache all day long. I felt like hell the entire day. I had already had slight headaches on day 1 and 2, so I was really bummed. However, Day 4 I magically woke up with NO headache! It's been the same each day since, and I'm on day 7. Now I'm going through blood sugar ups & downs, so still working on things. However, in general I feel pretty good! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch55 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 Good to hear it might be almost over, bschemm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Hi Mitch. I had headaches during the first few days, and then gas/bloat, occasional nausea, and heavy fatigue during the first few weeks. But nothing like what you're describing with aches and pains, sore throat, or chills. What helped me was to eat following the template, increase my protein servings, get in a starchy carb or two a day, and get plenty of sleep when I was tired, even if it meant canceling things. It's worth noting that the Whole30 isn't a detox diet or cleanse; while it's an elimination program that is meant to help you understand how foods affect you, and requires cutting a lot of things out of your diet for 30 days, you'll eat a lot of nutrient-dense food in place of the foods you cut out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch55 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 Hi chezjulie... I'm just wondering about the sugar part... I don't know of a day I have ever cut it completely... I forsee headaches, but I'll incorporate plenty of cayenne to take care of that... Increasing protein is easy for me, I could eat chicken every day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanamizu Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I've been wondering about this as well. I've had ongoing candida issues and after about a week of w30 I started seeing some symptoms of herxheimer reaction/candida die off. Those symptoms have mostly subsided but now I'm at day 16 and I feel a little bit like I got hit by a truck. My symptoms are sort of flu-like, nausea, brain fog, exhaustion, chills, feeling like my heart is racing. Yesterday I slept for almost 12 hours. I feel a little better today but still dizzy and sleepy. I've read that taking molybdenum can help so I think I'm going to give that a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch55 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Wow, Hanamizu... Hopefully it's over soon... Are you working with a Naturopath or anybody?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanamizu Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Thanks, Mitch. I'm not working with anyone at the moment. I just moved here and haven't even been able to set up a PCP yet. The good news is that I was feeling pretty bad but then I ate lunch and I'm feeling markedly better. Not 100% but I feel like I can make it through the day without passing out now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted June 30, 2015 Moderators Share Posted June 30, 2015 I've been wondering about this as well. I've had ongoing candida issues and after about a week of w30 I started seeing some symptoms of herxheimer reaction/candida die off. Those symptoms have mostly subsided but now I'm at day 16 and I feel a little bit like I got hit by a truck. My symptoms are sort of flu-like, nausea, brain fog, exhaustion, chills, feeling like my heart is racing. Yesterday I slept for almost 12 hours. I feel a little better today but still dizzy and sleepy. I've read that taking molybdenum can help so I think I'm going to give that a try. I'm sorry you're not feeling so great. I would think that by day 16 any of the early symptoms of a major dietary change should be, if not gone, at least greatly diminished. You might want to list a couple of days' worth of food and water intake, exercise, and sleep, and see if anyone notices anything that you could tweak to improve things. Some of your symptoms definitely sound like you might need more food -- dizzy and brain fog and exhaustion. It's also possible you've picked up a stomach bug, I know in some areas there's a pretty nasty one going around, and that might go more toward explaining chills and nausea. If it's food related, the most likely culprits are that you're not eating enough in general, or that you're not eating enough starchy vegetables (most people need at least one fist-size serving daily, and people who are active or those who are prone to depression or anxiety, not to mention women who are nursing or pregnant or in the week leading up to their period often find they need more than that. Some people also unconsciously skimp on their fat servings -- don't be afraid to add fat in addition to the fat you cook your foods in. Also make sure you're getting enough water (1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so if you weigh 120 lbs, go for at least 60 oz of water each day), and make sure you're salting your food to taste. Make sure your meals follow the meal template, and remember that the template mentions a range of serving sizes and is a bare minimum amount. If you need more, eat more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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