A healing crisis is characterized by a temporary increase in symptoms during the cleansing or detox process, here you have the opportunity to review reactions and understand the implications.
On occasion when detoxing, particularly during your first few detoxes, you may experience some symptoms, often referred to as a healing crisis (Herxheimer reaction). It is characterized by a temporary increase in symptoms during the cleansing or detoxification process. Reactions, when they occur, are almost always mild, but on rare occasions can be severe.
There are three primary triggers for a detox reaction.
- Any large-scale die-off of bacteria can release a significant amount of toxins present within the actual bacteria. The stronger those toxins are and the more bacteria present to release them, the stronger the cleansing reaction. Colon cleansing, the use of probiotics, digestive enzymes, immune enhancers, and pathogen destroyers can all trigger bacterial die-off.
- Any detox that causes the organs of the body (particularly the liver, which is a storehouse of drug and poison residues) to purge their stored poisons and toxins, can trigger a cleansing reaction, as can the use of an herbal blood cleanser.
- Any program, such as fasting or the use of weight-loss herbs, that causes a rapid breakdown of fat cells (which are a storehouse for toxins) can be accompanied by a detox reaction.
The bottom line is that the body must go through an elimination process to achieve good health. There will be ups and downs. Symptoms, if they appear, are usually mild, but in some cases can be severe. Understand, the symptoms you experience are indicative of the cleansing, purifying process that is underway. Go as slowly as your body needs to so that your elimination is gradual and comfortable. Also, keep in mind that this is not an endurance contest. If symptoms become too severe, stop the detox and regroup. You can always restart the detox again at a later date.
Easing Your Way through the Healing Crisis
- Drink plenty of fresh water, juices, and herbal teas to flush the body of toxins.
- Use a colon stimulation formula to make sure that you are eliminating waste promptly. Symptoms frequently disappear immediately after a good bowel movement.
- Use psyllium seed husks, ground flaxseed, or oat bran daily to absorb toxins and to help speed their transit through the system.
- On occasion, a good enema or colon irrigation can provide relief.
- Sometimes, rest is the best therapy.
- And, on rare occasions, a reduction of the dosage or temporary cessation may be required.
The follow story comes from an actual letter I received from a competitive cyclist who went through a healing crisis while detoxing. His reactions were on the severe side to be sure, but it’s instructive to see how the crisis ended.
The 30 day colon cleanse went without a hitch. I lost 10-15 lbs, maybe more. This is excellent news for a competitive cyclist because weight loss without losing muscle mass is a win-win situation.
After I was done with the colon cleanse I began the liver/gallbladder detox. The first day I had some cravings for food and that night I dreamed I was at a banquet stuffing my face. I thought, “Oh no I’m supposed to be fasting,” and then woke up and realized I hadn’t broken my fast. I had interesting dreams almost every night of the five days.
The second day I had a headache in the morning and, when I got home around 4PM, the headache still persisted. I tried to make the potassium broth but the smallest tasks seemed monumental, and I lay down in bed and started to burp a little. I couldn’t sleep, the headache got worse and I began to feel as if I was going to be ill. Eventually, I ran to the toilet and had my first bout of vomiting and “dry heaves.”
The only way I can describe the next hour or so is that it was like how “going cold turkey” from heroin is portrayed in the movies. I had several sessions on my knees, hot and cold sweats, one of the worst headaches of my life and actually had to time my breaths between “puking my guts out.”
The first session was the carrot juice I had consumed or so it looked like. The second time around was what, in retrospect, may have been ancient maraschino cherries or tape worms (?) — chunks of red, but not blood.
Round three brought up some mucous like substance and some yellowish, bile like fluid. At this point the “heaves” were so bad that I was getting scared and thinking I might have to stop the detox. The final bout was the worst and brought up yellow bile (?) with red “blood” specks in it, seemingly from the deepest recesses possible (or that I had ever experienced).
Exhausted and not wanting to be too far from the toilet, I sat back in a reclining chair and fell asleep. I woke up in an hour and immediately noticed that my sinuses were clearer than I can ever remember. My headache was gone, and I felt like a million bucks. I called my chiropractor friend and he confirmed that it was probably the effects of toxins being released by my liver into my system and that I may have gotten rid of some bad stuff when I became ill.
Why in the world would anyone
Why would anyone be rushing to do a liver detox after reading this? This sounds scary!
At the Baseline of Health
At the Baseline of Health Foundation, we want to give as much information as possible so that you can make “informed” decisions. Some people have no reactions at all. Others, if they have any toxic build-up in the body, will have more of a reaction such as mild headaches and fatigue. And a few have stronger reactions. Simply put, the more toxins you have, the higher chance of a "healing crisis" reaction. That does not mean you should not try a detox. Would you rather keep the toxins inside, slowly poisoning you years after year? Quite simply, people put up with the side-effects that may or may not occur when detoxing because of the end-result benefits. Keep in mind the cyclist’s description of where he ended up after the detox. “I woke up in an hour and immediately noticed that my sinuses were clearer than I can ever remember. My headache was gone, and I felt like a million bucks.” As a result, he became a regular, and dedicated detoxer – and never again experienced a similar reaction.
To the two people who wrote
To the two people who wrote about not wanting to try the detox, what a mistake! There is NO ESCAPE from bad health. You are either going to suffer from the side effects of your bad diet now when you detox, or later from either cancer, heart disease, MS, and on and on. What is worse: years of suffering from chemotherapy or a bad week with a headache on a detox? Don’t you people get it? I have a family member going through chemotherapy. He refused to do a detox, now he suffers ENDLESSLY with cancer and other health issues. If only he would have listened. Sure, he tried to eat healthy, but with the toxins today, that was not enough! I tried to warm him. What is nice about this site is they tell you the truth. If a detox was easy, then it means it is not DOING ANYTHING. Also, if you are healthy, you shouldn’t have these side effects. My first detox was hard, now it is nothing.
In reading the above comments
In reading the above comments from those that decidec not to do a detox, is there any way you can detox in increments that would make
it easier were it to become a rough detox? A little at a time? And by the way, my email IS valid.
Currently I am on a metal
Currently I am on a metal detox, as I am having amalgams removed. I have done several colon and metal detoxes in the past and it is possible to go slower – currently I take 2 capsules instead of 6 for the metal cleanse, more the day and a few after I get fillings changed out. I feel better going slower with it.
My colon initially was a mess as was I, I fought parasites almost 2 years, but havent seen any for over a year and none out of the last colon cleanse. For years I was Ill and did not know I was gluten intolerant, another reason I was in poor health, dx lyme, chronic epstein, then erlichia, myoclonins (tics) memory problems, anxiety and depression.
My health has improved greatly besides finding the right medicine, from cleansing and the right supplements. 15 years of medicine alone was not enough, in fact last year I had to stop medicines due to low white blood counts. My memeory is now better and tics have all disappeared with supplementing more vitamins for kryptopyrolouria B 6 B 12 Biotin Niacin Zinc and others. I also supplement some grapefruit seed extract for candida control with probiotics and with juicing, miracle reds and macro greens.
It might sound strange but I
It might sound strange but I am looking forward to the liver flush. I’m currently almost finished the 30 colon cleanse/metal detox. Once in awhile I will get a detox symptom, but for the most part it has been pretty uneventful. There are plenty of things keeping me from feeling like a million bucks…I hope I can say I get that back!
I must be crazy, but reading
I must be crazy, but reading about this person’s experience makes me want to do a liver detox!!!
Start at a low dose and move
Start at a low dose and move up gradually. I thought I was dying and had to stop due to being so weak at work.
Do you recommend cleansing
Do you recommend cleansing for me? I’m 69 years old, 100 lbs. overweight, diabetic, have hypertension, chemically-induced asthma, have NASH/cirrhosis, scarcoidosis, type 2 diabetes, low thyroid. On meds for diabetes, low thyroid, hypertension. I need your help; what do you recommend?
Thanks for your help!
For obvious legal reasons, we
For obvious legal reasons, we cannot diagnose or prescribe for specific medical conditions—merely provide information. With that in mind, many senior citizens with severe medical problems have used the Baseline of Health program to significantly improve their health and dramatically or even completely eliminate their prescription medicines. Check with your doctor to see if he/she will work with you to incorporate elements of the Baseline program into your own life.
I went through the colon
I went through the colon first and lost a lot of old fecal matter(wow)! To think this cramp is in our body for years. No wonder most people walk around so grumpy:)! I did not have any side effects.
Than I did the liver gallbladder cleanse. This one wasn’t as a walk n the park. I had headaches, sweats, and on my last day I broke out in rashes and felt very faint. All apart of the cleanse.. I recommend doing a few cleanses on the bowel first so that at least your clean there and maybe the process won’t be as toxic. So I’m on day 2 of my second bowel cleanse 🙂 best of health to everyone!
Do you have to do the full
Do you have to do the full body cleanse or can you just do one certain cleanse you wish
.
It depends on what cleanse
It depends on what cleanse you are going to do. You should always do the colon cleanse before the liver detox. However, the heavy metal detox can be done by itself or as part of the full body cleanse. Same with the kidney detox. Make sure to read the section in Jon’s book about detoxing. Just click on “Free Book” above.
i can hardly wait to try..i
i can hardly wait to try..i did do a liver cleanse years ago..w yes..a headache to die for..but when i woke up the next morning i felt soo much better..i cant wait to precleanse w the colon one first..then i will do the other two..i have never cleansed the kidneys..wondering if that will help w lower back “stiffness.” cant wait..but i will take it slow and do it right!
That is the best attitude to
That is the best attitude to have! As for relieving low back stiffness, it all depends on why you are having low back pain in the first place, but it is possible.
I did the three-stage detox
I did the three-stage detox about 4 years ago. I’ve been wanting to do it again, and convinced my wife to do it for the first time. We are in the first 10 days of the colon cleanse and are also doing the blood chelation with metal magic. I personally had some light headedness the first time I did it, but nothing except generally foggy (it just went away yesterday). But my wife had a severe reaction. The night before, she woke up at 3AM and her arm, hand, part of her leg, and lower jaw were numb. She got very nervous thinking it could be a heart attack or stroke. She went to the emergency room. Did an ECG, which was clear. Blood work, fine. They said she was dehydrated, gave her an IV. Wanted to do a cat scan, she refused. Still had the numbness, but thought the fluids would clear it up. She came home, slept for a while, woke up, still numb. She got nervous, went back to the Emergency room. They did an MRI, all clear. Got home, slept the whole night and she feels fine this morning. She’s going to give it a day or two, but wants to go back on the detox. By the way, she noticed on the discharge paper work they gave her that it said paresthesia, which one cause is heavy metal poisoning. Very interesting, given that is one of the main uses of the detox is to rid the body of heavy metals.
Hi Keith,
Hi Keith,
We’ve never head of this particular situation before, but it’s not surprising. As Jon makes clear when talking about detoxing, strong reactions may not be common, but they do happen for some people. The scenario, as presented, is quite plausible. If your wife’s body was indeed packed with an abundance of heavy metals, then doing the heavy metal detox would stir them up, and it’s quite possible they could produce some side effects on their way out.
With that in mind, you might want to have your wife separate the intestinal detox and the heavy metal cleanse. Do the intestinal detox first so that she will know whether or not that contributed to her numbness. If that proves clear, then she can start the metal cleanse again, but this time start slowly and build gradually to allow the heavy metals to clear at a slower pace to minimize the chances of a detox reaction. For example, start with one dropper, three times a day, for a week. Then double it to two droppers, three times a day for the next week. Then three. Then four droppers, three times a day from week three on.
The good news is that once she gets through the detox with no significant side effects at the end, it means that she has cleared enough so that it is unlikely she will ever have that problem again. Also, if her body was carrying that much heavy metal, then it’s likely her health has been compromised for some time—just at a low enough level that she had come to accept it as normal. Once she clears those metals, she is likely to feel a whole lot better and realize what normal truly is.
No, I am glad you have come
No, I am glad you have come clean about the healing crisis, and all the potential reactions. I would respect you more if you give me all the facts, and let me decide for myself. Especially if you have a line of products to sell.
At least this way, I know you are putting your clients/friends/followers first and profit last, this makes me perceive you as a genuine person, and I thank you for that.
What scares me more than a healing crisis, is letting all the toxins/parasites/bacteria stay where they are and continue attacking my body on a cellular level. Kind regards…pat
Hi,
Hi,
I appreciate the info on this website and will definitely use some of it as I do my own detox. But I have to disagree quite strongly with your take on the healing crisis. I know it’s the norm to embrace the healing crisis as a reasonable part of detox, but in my opinion and that of many other healers, a so-called healing crisis is actually a very clear sign from your body that you are detoxing too fast. Sure, you may feel better after you purge, but to get this sick in the first place is more than a normal symptom of die-off – it’s a sign that you’ve released toxins into your body faster than your body can eliminate them. While you may vomit some of them out, your body will also re-absorb some of them, perhaps in ways that make you worse off in the long term. These toxins are stored as safely as our bodies can manage. When we detox, the toxins are circulating again. The goal is to release them gradually so that they eliminate, rather than being reabsorbed. Vomiting and diarrhea is a sign that normal elimination systems are overloaded – it is not a guarantee that the toxins are all being released. I suggest that before embracing any one “program”, people do lots of research and study their options. Lower supplement dosages, keep up a balanced diet and even take some days of the week or month off. Please reconsider the healing crisis paradigm, and take it slow.
Hi Yvette, I think we are in
Hi Yvette, I think we are in 100% agreement. The point of this article is to let people know what can happen–not that it will. Most websites push detox programs and never warn of the reactions that may occur during a detox. We decided to take a more cautious approach and share all the possibilities up front. The article above discusses the most severe reactions, and we find this to be very rare. But note what Jon says, “Understand, the symptoms you experience are indicative of the cleansing, purifying process that is underway. Go as slowly as your body needs to so that your elimination is gradual and comfortable. Also, keep in mind that this is not an endurance contest. If symptoms become too severe, stop the detox and regroup. You can always restart the detox again at a later date.” We find the most people can make it through Jon’s detox program, but some that are very toxic have to take it much slower. It depends on the individual. However, to tell everyone they have to “take it slow” would be wrong too. Everyone in our office detoxes regularly and we are all at the point where we show no symptoms at all. Clearly our staff does not need to take it slow (me included!) When I detox, I want the most intense program available. Sandy
I recently went through my
I recently went through my first detox and I experienced exactly what the cyclist experienced. What started out as a minor case of bronchitis (there is no minor case of bronchitis), ended up being the worst toxin experience of my life. Whatever that antibiotic was set off a chain reaction I would not wish on my worst enemy. Long story short, I was nauseous for more than two weeks, until my body started talking to me. I began the detox and on day 1, I thought I was going to die…headache, vomiting, no strength at all. But, by the second day, I was feeling much better. I never realized how toxic my body was until I started eating right. Another symptom I had that I don’t hear much about is the “shakes.” That’s the poison talking to you. Start out slow and best wishes!
I already take digestive
I already take digestive enzymes 2-3 times a day with main meals, two probiotic pills a day (I purchased mine from the website here), and I eat a smoothie daily that contains 3 T of mixed flax/chia seed, an apple or pear, avacodo, and about 1 cup of mixed pureed veggies (broccoli, power greens by Taylor Farms, butternut squash/carrots) with various fruits also and am regular with 2-3 BMs daily. I have already done a total body cleanse (first cleanse) by Renew Life. So I was wondering wouldn’t the colon detoxifier be enough for me or would someone like me still need the colon corrective?
As Jon Barron, frequently
As Jon Barron, frequently points out, the more you do right, the fewer supplements you need to use. It sounds like the only time you would need to use a colon corrective formula is when you are doing a colon detox and using a detoxifying powder with clay and charcoal, as they tend to be binding.
I recently began a candida
I recently began a candida cleanse and just days after I began I developed bronchitis like symptoms. A violent cough and coughing up yellow aND white phlegm. This has now been going on for over two weeks. Should I be concerned? I am contemplating getting a chest x-ray just to make sure that pnuemonia isn’t present, however I am not interested in antibiotics as they are the reason I am candida cleansing in the first place! In the beginning I a had a very low-grade fever. Now there is no fever but the cough is very persistent and I am constantly hacking. Any thoughts? Is this common of candida expelling itself from the lungs. Do the die off symptoms last for weeks? Thanks for your input!
This was back in February.
This was back in February. How are you feeling now? I’ve been fasting and losing weight and I’m not sure I’m going through a healing crisis or just sick but my symptoms are much like yours. I had chills for a couple days. The. I had to lay down for a random nap and was dizzy that morning. I broke my fast because I didn’t feel right. Then, I got a massive headache when I woke from my nap. Ever since, I’ve been coughing up disgusting phlegm for days. My lymph mods are terribly swollen. I’ve lost my voice. But it’s not like a normal cold and no one else has gotten sick so I’m thinking it’s a healing crisis.
I have started they call the
I have started they call the 28 day eating plan. I am on day 2 now and I woke up with the worst headache I have ever experienced and I literally got sick about 3 times during the morning already. I have now noticed that the headache is starting to lighten up and I am starting to feel a bit better. After reading this, I now realize that I obviously had some of the worst detox experiences and although it is really very bad, I must admit that I am glad I am getting rid of all these toxins in my body. I did not realize I had this much toxins taking into consideration how ill I am in the detox process. They say I will still feel some illness and headaches in the next two days, but the worst should be over by end of today. I am more motivated to see the 28 days through and even perhaps go for round 2 & 3 as loosing weight is an obvious bonus to the plan.
The healing crisis we
The healing crisis we reference above is when performing Jon Barron’s Liver Detox. We have integrated specials herbs and minerals to make sure you are getting enough potassium and other necessary minerals in your diet. So, your headache could be due to much more than a healing crisis mentioned. Just be careful.
I was curious as to your
I was curious as to your recommendation for thyroid issues. I know I was severely overexposed to fluoride as a child and growing up, which I’m pretty sure is a major factor in my hypothyroidism. How would I go about doing a detox for this kind of issue?
Most fluoride passes in your
Most fluoride passes in your urine, but some remains—and yes, especially in the thyroid. That said, nutrients and protocols used to detox fluoride include:
Health is not something you
Health is not something you rush unless you are in an extreme state of I’ll health! Then all you need to do is make an extreme lifestyle change! Detox programs like this are all crap! The body heals and restores itself naturally given the right conditions!
1. Eat properly for your body! Healthy Organic Chemical Free foods!
2. If you’re going to be a Vegan you better learn about Complete Sources of Protein!
3. Always drink plenty of good quality clean water throughout the day!
4. Get good sleep daily!
If you make a severe lifestyle change your body will naturally detox in time the way it’s meant to be done!
Detoxification taking all this crap companies try to sell you is only if you have a very serious health problem like cancer as example!
Remember if you’re not dying you don’t need this crap, what you need is a lifestyle change!
The body does heal and detoxify itself but you can’t rush the bodies own natural healing if you want true health!
Although we would absolutely
Although we would absolutely agree with your recommendation to live a healthy lifestyle, we would have to challenge pretty much everything else.
Look, does detoxing cure every disease? Of course not. Are all detox programs legitimate? Again, of course not.
But is detoxing “crap”? Well, you might want to ask the millions of people (yes, we’re talking millions of people worldwide and over the years) who have followed real detox programs to rid themselves of long-term illness that no medical procedure or dietary change had been able to help with. They would emphatically disagree with you. And if you’re looking for concrete, empirical, visible proof that at least some detox protocols work, you might want to talk to Chuck F. in Wisconsin who wrote to tell us that he went on the kidney flush protocol immediately after having been diagnosed with a large kidney stone—visibly verified in a scan. It took him one week to finish the detox, which he did just before going in for his scheduled lithotripsy. Upon arriving for his surgery, however, the medical team ran another scan to pinpoint the location of the stone—only to have it now show up as a dissolved smear. The procedure was cancelled. Just a guess, but we would tend to think that Chuck would disagree with you.
Again, you are correct: diet, sleep, and clean water are essential to good health. But your assertion that detoxing is “crap” (all puns aside), doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
After about 3 days into my
After about 3 days into my transition to a Whole Foods Plant Based Diet (WFPBD), my asthma symptoms increased. I was afraid that I was reacting to something in the new diet. Anyone heard of this happening before? FYI, I also cut out salt, sugar, oil, and all grains (for the gluten).
Well, I got liver cirrosis,
Well, I got liver cirrosis, do I have to do the colon detox too, please let me know, thanks
If you want to do a liver
If you want to do a liver detox, then you should do a colon detox in advance — or you will be trying to dump toxins out of your body into a clogged pipe (your colon) and cause the toxins to reabsorb back into the body….not good.
Excellent rebut!!!
Excellent rebut!!!
Over a year ago, I did
Over a year ago, I did Medical Medium’s 28-Day Cleanse. I only got half way thru when I got really sick. My symptoms became worse (I think I over-did the Chaga tea), and have continued that way ever since (some days worse than others). For a long time, I thought this must be the Herxheimer Reaction. But now, after a year, I’m beginning to wonder what the hell is really going on. I seem to have become extremely sensitive to just about everything-even slightly bad air quality, paint fumes, slight physical stress, slight emotional stress-all of which cause tingling, dizziness, pain, seizure like feelings throughout the body. I went thru larger than normal doses radiation and chemo over nine years ago, and I know I’m experiencing long-term side effects from that… Still, I feel I should be healing as I eat an extremely healthy, 95% plant-based, fat free diet, and have been for quite some time. At the moment I’m completely fat free because any amount of fat causes a flare-up of symptoms. Is it possible the chemo/radiation side effects are still getting worse? After all, they didn’t arise until 8 years after treatment. I’ve researched extensively, and cannot find any sound explanations for what’s wrong with me. I’m not interested in going to any medical professionals, because what can they suggest besides what I’m already doing? After the cancer treatment, I’m done with getting poked by needles, not to mention MRIs, xrays, etc. Nor do I take any prescription medications because they all have toxic effects on me. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks for writing in. Of
Thanks for writing in. Of course, for obvious legal reasons, we can not diagnose or prescribe. It looks like you found us in our Detox Program. Have you read through our full body detox? Each one describes how they work, with articles and videos. See top left-hand corner links.
Hi, I did a detox fast for 7
Hi, I did a detox fast for 7 days. My intention was to get rid of allergies since it seemed to become just more and more on what I am reacting. It was my first detox fast and I got the most information through websites. I drank lots of water tea and every evening I had a broth. After the first day it did not feel like everything is out of the bowel so I drank warm lemon water, which helped but I still wasn’t sure if everything is out. But I simply went on because it was over the Christmas holiday and I had to work from 7.1.again. Nearly every day I had an enema.
On my last evening I probably ate broth which wasn’t good anymore. The next day I felt awful, everything was cringing in me and I didn’t know how to move. I started eating again with honeymelon(no apple because I always had allergic reactions in my mouth) which helped so over the day I really felt better. I ate the other quarter of the melon as lunch and as dinner a selfmade tomato soup. The next day I ate the same amount and then slowly ate more the following days. I didn’t feel super strong, but alright. On the fifth day after the fast I started working. Everything seemed okay and I was going on with eating slowly and drinking heaps. Because of the allergies I wanted to do a Search Diet and just ate fruits, vegetables, rice, potatoes and I added peanuts out of energy reasons and linseeds for the bowel movement. And then there was a birthday cake piece just meant for me and just this one moment I wasn’t strong and not thinking too much. I ate the whole piece which was delicious but by eating it got conscious to me that it’ll include flour which I would have started 4 days later with as well as milk products which should be the last to try. Since then I felt very weak and all those symptoms chills, fever, low blood pressure, headache, and muscle pain appeared the next day and it is lasting now for 3 days and it seems not to get better. Is it a healing crisis at all?
Because I actually already have stopped the detox. How long this could last?
Since yesterday I eat eggs again to get some iron and I don’t really care about the allergies anymore now because I would like to become just healthy again. I am thankful for any thoughts.
Our liver detox, the only one
Our liver detox, the only one with any form of fasting, follows a very strict protocol. We are not sure what detox you did, but sounds like you didn’t have the proper herbal support to help your body heal while detoxing. Check out our protocol for more information (see top navigation links on the left-hand side).
I came here because I started
I came here because I started taking CBD oil for my anxiety and depression a month ago. Little did I know it has anti-toxic properties. The first week of taking CBD oil I felt great! I had energy, no panick attacks my neck and shoulder pain was gone. The second week I was feeling really depressed. Going into the third week is when I was feeling all the symptoms of my depression, fatigue, I was lathargic, my neck and shoulder tension came back, headache, as well I felt horrible. The worst was the sudden hits of vertigo to the point of vomiting. I learned to take less drops while I going through this faze, but going into the fourth week, I’m back in action!