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Herxheimer Reaction, Homeopathic Aggravation, Healing Crises, Constantine Hering, Hering

 

Unfortunately, essentially nobody in our modern society has much of a notion as to what is involved with detoxification.  What are the signs and symptoms of a major detoxification?  Most of what we hear are rumors and philosophical opinions.  As a San Rafael Functional Medicine Doctor, I would like to set the record straight on the subject of detoxification and healing.  There is just too much confusion out there and we need to cut through all of the confusion and create some clarity.  What is the science behind detoxification?  How do you know whether or not the detoxification you are experiencing is healthy or unhealthy?  Detoxification signs and symptoms may include skin rash, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches and a number of other unpleasantries.

What goes in must come out. If you have taken antibiotics a few times per year or you have been on an anti-depressant for a few years or you have used birth control in the past for a period of 4 or more years, then you have collected all of the toxic residue in your system from those poisons and toxins. These medications are not health food. Nobody suffers from a birth control or a Prozac or a Viagra or a statin medication deficiency. These substances were initially only designed to be used for a very short period of time of just a month or two and then be discontinued. Their use was not supposed to be prolonged. With all due respect to all of the listeners, anti-depressants have been shown to cause long term brain damage. Their continued use, while common, is incredibly dangerous. They should especially be avoided by young people whose brains are still forming.

To reiterate, what goes in must come out.  If you have taken these types of medication for a prolonged period of time then the residue that they have left must come out during any thorough and complete detoxification process.  During this detoxification process your body odor will increase. You are likely to have black colored stool. You release poisons and toxins in your urine, your fecal material, your breath and even through your monthly cycle if you are a woman.  With this in mind, if you do not exercise properly, drink enough water, get enough sleep and get enough sunlight then you will likely have foul smelling bowel movements, foul smelling perspiration / sweat, foul smelling vagina and an odor to your breath, etc…  If you would like to improve your detoxification pathways and allow the process to go better then you should make sure to drink enough water to urinate the poisons and toxins and toxoids out. You need to eat enough protein and green leafy vegetables to excrete the poisons / toxoids / toxins / heavy metals / petro chemicals / vaccination biproducts, etc… in your fecal material.  You need to get enough physical exercise that causes you to sweat regularly that will allow you to excrete the poisons and toxins in your sweat. You need to get enough sunlight to be able to strengthen your immune system enough and help your small and large intestines to metabolize vitamin D properly in order to release the poisonous substances into your fecal material properly as well.  Without the right detoxification process under way, you end up with all sorts of nasty “healing crises” symptoms. These types of symptoms are also sometimes called a herxheimer reaction or a “homeopathic aggravation.” We also sometime refer to them as following in line with “Herings Law of Cure” or the Hahnemann philosophy of the “Law of Similars” or “Like Heals Like.” Most people who are undergoing healing feel much worse before they feel better.  They have such symptoms as headaches, throwing up poisons and/or toxins if they are not drinking enough water, feeling very thirsty; they have a runny nose. They have flu-like symptoms, etc… These are important things to keep in mind.

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