The Herxheimer reaction has always been for me a mysterious effect---hard to differentiate from a simple drug reaction.
In the book,
Arthritis and Autoimmune disease: The Infection Connection, the author writes this:
Quote:
"The Herxheimer effect may at first appear to be an allergic reaction to the drug itself, and the physician or patient may discontinue the antibiotic treatment for that reason. However, these two responses can be distinguished.
Allergic reactions to drugs are typically immediate and rapid, and involving different actions of cytokines, and may manifest as stomach upset, rash or headache.
On the other hand, a Herxheimer reaction is an exacerbation of the existing symptoms. It is caused by the rapid death of the colony of parasitic microorganisms releasing their internal toxic contents in situ.