Spirochetes (Bakterias) when killed produce a strong inflammatory reaction in the patient: Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction. This is the reason why chronic lyme-patients under antibiotics get worse, even more than befor the antibiotic treatment for quite a long time until improvement starts. Lyme-patients say “I am herxing”.
Herxheimer: Inflammation from Lipopolysaccharides
Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction is a strong release of cytokines in response to liberation of LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDES (LPS) from dying bacterias.
Inflammatory factors that are set free are
- Tumor-necrosis-Factor-alpha, IL1, IL6, IL8, CCL2 ….
- also in the brain starts an inflammatory response, the microglia (Astroglia) releases cytokines that lead to Apoptosis (cell death) of neurons, inflammation of dorsal-Ganglions, spinal-nerv-damage, radiculitis, ….
I have written a post “Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction revealed” (only in german, but the pubmed-studies are visible)
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Borrelia ?
Solution: control Cytokin-Release with several natural substances
I could identify several well known substances that could be used offlabel as neuro-protectors against LPS-Damage to reduce the BrainFag of Herxing just as extracerebral side effects of the LP/LPS – release during treatment.
See the conclusion first here
- Smoothie using organic lemon + lemon-peel + green tea + liposomal Curcumin and Resveratrol
- Low-Dose Cannabis
- Progesterone
- Gut Microbiology
- Stress-Reduction
- SSRI Antidepressiva – slow down biochemically brain inflammation
- Lecithin
1) Flavonoides block TNF-Alpha induced inflammation
Flavonoide are among my most favourite substances, as I see fantastic effects with my “Smoothie from Dr. Retzek“.
TNF-Alpha and inflammatory response via NF-KB are suppressable via Flavonoides.
For Lyme I couldnt find specific studies but you have many good studies regarding effectivity of Flavonoides for FMS and CFS (Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue syndrom), where identical mechanisms of inflammation-stimuli are present – and maybe very often borreliosis is the real cause.
- Citruspeel-Flavonoide: fantastic Studies
- EGCG (grean tee) 2011, 2010, good seeking term = 43 Studies
- Curcumin: super Studies, but problem of low bioavailablility –> solution: liposomal Curcumin
- Astragalus: searchterm Pubmed
- Olivenblatt-Extrakt: Searchterm Pubmed
- Genistein (Soja) – J.Neuroinflamm2014 | FullText

ad liposomal Curcumin, Resveratrol
Lymies are most often unable to work and bleeded out financially. They need options to make highly bioavailable natural substances themselves.
2.) THC – Cannabionides
Cannabis works great for cancer patients.
Also for Neuroinflammation and Neuroprotection Cannabinoids seem to be an important help

Especially “low-dose-Cannabinoid” could be helpfull. Following STudy from 2014 shows, that with Mini-Doses (0.004mg/kg) you can prevent successfully a Lipopolysaccharid-induced Brain/Nerv-Damage!
The study shows that through LPS at least 7 weeks lasting rise of the inflammatory encyme Cox2 will be induced in the brain of the test-mice which could be reduced via low-dose-Cannabinoids.
The study thus gives the example for the long lasting herxing / brainfag as well as the solution!
Another Review from 2014 presents the rising knowledge to the use of Cannabinoids against Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration and other inflammatory Processes, here the FullText Study.
Cannabionide for Lipopolysaccharid-induced inflammation
Incredible > 200 Studien show the influence of Cannabinoides on to inflammation triggered by bacterial cell membranes!
Studies covered following topics, I just always show recent study one as example
- joint inflammation (Studie 2015, 2014)
- nerval inflammation (many studiesm see above)
- cough, asthma, bronchitis (Studie 2015)
- Parkinson (zB Studie 2015)
- Sepsis (zB Studie 2014)
- interstitielle cystitis (cronic bladder inflammation, Studie 2014)
- Mitochondriopathia (Studie 2014)
- Uveitis (Studie 2014)
- experimentelle Autoimmune-Enzephalitis (MS-Modell, Study 2014 – FullText)
- …..
- …..
- …..
and many many more. I was astonised and excited about the therapeutic broadness of Cannabinoides, I can relate that with my expierence with THC in cancer patients.
in Future I will use Low-Dose Cannabinoides as fix part of my
- Brain-Support-Programm
- Lyme-Support
- Cancer-Support
Besides: for LDN in Lyme I have not found striking evidence! Anyone having positive expierience please send me an email or leave a comment here.
3) Progesteron – important Protektor against LPS-Inflammation
overwhelmingly many studies for Progesteron x Lipopolysaccharide, but looking closer all of them deal with pregnancy situations, especially infections in utero.
Still I could find good evidence to use progesterons well known neuroprotective effect against Herxing.
- LPS leads to TNF-alpha inflammation in brain via Astroglia, Progesterone (and estrogen) are able to prevent that completely! (2007)
- Progesterone reduceds inflammatory Prostaglandine-Synthesis (April2015)
- Progesteron reduces inflammatory reaction of the microglia that damages nervs via NOS-radicals (Juli2014)
- inflammatory reaction in the brain from injected LPS – (via TLR4=typical Borrelia-mechanism) could be reduced significantly with Progesterone (Mai2014)
- Estrogen-Excess is pro-inflammatory when LPS come into play, Progesterone may normalize that (2013)
4) Probiotika – Gut Bioflora
Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory reaction is reduced massively when a good gut microflora is present. Searchterm finds 84 Studies .
Helpful germs are e.g.
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus , see also 2015
- Lactobacillus fermentum
- Lactobacillus casei Zhang
- Lactobacillus brevis
- Sacharomyces Boulardii tested in HIV-Patients
- …
- ….
and many more, all studies are clear: good gut microflora reduces markedly LPS induced inflammation
5) N-Acetyl-Cystein
this simple and cheap cough medication is one of my favorite substances. It does a lot and I have written extensively about NAC.
Several Studies show, that LPS induced inflammatory reaction can be decreased strongly using NAC.
Also in utero the mothers NAC prevents damage of the embryo from LPS induced inflammation.
6) Stress
LPS induces in the brain of stressed rats up to 50% Nerv cell death in specific brain regions but not in unstressed animals (Studie 2011)
7) Pioglithazone
Pioglithazone is a diabetes medication with explizit helpful effect on nervs, this is why it is used off label in ALS. Searchterm
8) SSRI Antidepressiva
It has showend that SSRI-Antidepressiva reduce Inflammation in the brain. It is even concluded that e.g. endogenous depression might be a virus-induced brain inflammation and that the proven activity of SSRI antidepressiva is enabled via their anti-inflammatory effect.
Some studies show even effectiveness of SSRI on LPS induced brain inflammation
Neuro-Inflammation is a general mechanism leading to FATIGUE. Review 2015. Especially in such contex SSRI show their pronounced effectivity
9) Lecithin
very simple with dramatic health support regarding liver, cell-membran ……
A study shows that all rats pretreated with lecithin survived experimental SEPSIS (high runoff LPS + TNF-alpha + NFkB + other inflammatory cytokines and increased SOD = Antioxidative Encyme). Study 2004
Remarks at last
Dear reader: I have used three days to search for better options against Herxheimer Reaction, for now that seems enough, we need to test these options now..
I have found many more studies for the SSRI but before I keep on searching I have to study my Horowitz.
HERXHEIMER and its treatment is just touched, I will stay close to this topic and especially include the big treasure of expierience of the Paracelsus-Clinic in Lustmühle / St. Gallen / CH (Dr. Thomas Rau), who treats Lyme successfully without antibiotics and with rather simple means.
These ideas have to be tested and further research has to be done, I am sure we will find a solution to the horrible herxing thing, I am sure that years long HERXing during Lyme – Treatment is no inevitable fate!
a final remark to the reader
whatever helped you, dear reader – please write an detailled email or a comment!
my Lyme-Disclaimer
Disclaimer: I was accused by ILADS of “bragging and inflating my training and knowledge regarding Lyme ….. “.
I want to state her CLEARLY that I am NO LYME expert and have no formal training by ILADS, who have refused my training application.
My presentation here is pure pubmed research of serious scientific studies, just as the other around 1500 pages of my blog.
I may claim though that we are treating Lyme-Patients since about 20 years, most of the time successfully using homeopathy together with detox and biological medicine approach and simply have not been aware that this needs “special ILADS training”,
furthermore we are for many years in friendly cooperation with Dr. Friedrich Douwes, Bad Aibling regarding Lyme and cancer
and finally I am a regular speaker in Bad Aibling, Vienna, Salzburg, Baden Baden in Austrian and German CAM Meetings and I am Board Member of the German as well as the Austrian Society of Oncology.
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Bitte in Deutsch übersetzen danke
die deutsche version ist auch vorhanden, unter Herxheimer suchen