Hi everyone! Linsy here. Today I want to share with you another great question we received from a reader in response to my blog post, The Benefits of Binders, and how, when added to your protocols, they can assist with the negative symptoms of detoxing (or “die-off” symptoms) including itching and hives.
If you haven’t yet read it, I highly recommend checking it out, as it’s chock full of valuable info if you’re struggling with taking anti-pathogens or detoxing, or you’re finding it a challenge to take anti-pathogens because it causes more negative symptoms.
Okay, so the question we received is…
“Has anyone experienced a deep itch in outer areas of their arms and legs while detoxing? Would binders help avoid that?”
To our reader I would first like to say: I’m so sorry to hear what you are experiencing! I have actually been there too.
When I read your comment it reminded me of all the times I was detoxing and purging certain things because every time I would break out in hives! It was so uncomfortable and irritating, so I can resonate with you and your situation.
From my experience with hives, I’ll be sharing a few tips and a few things that Jini has found when it comes to allergies and detoxing.
(2:23) – Herx = Herxheimer Reaction
(2:43) – Yes! I used binders to help with hives.
(3:33) – Biofilms protect bacteria, fungi, viruses from “attacks”
(3:50) – Examples: Antibiotics, Jini’s WOO Protocol
(4:52) – Reactions can be due to die-off + biofilms!
(5:54) – BCPH/binders at least 90 min away from meds, probiotics, anti-pathogens.
(6:24) – BCPH = Bentonite Clay Psyllium Husk — Shake recipe here
(7:04) – Glutathione
(8:06) – Increase anti-histamine regiment: Vitamin C
(8:22) – Increase anti-histamine regiment: Quercetin
(8:58) – Increase anti-histamine regiment: DAO = Diamine Oxidase
(11:11) – Treat the ROOT CAUSE
(11:53) – Skin issues always involve the gut
(12:04) – Natren Probiotics, Probiotic Cheat Sheet, I Want to Take Probiotics – Where Do I Start?
(12:33) – Cold Shower + Coconut Oil for temporary relief of itching
(15:18) – As a substitute for coconut oil: comfrey salve mixed with a few drops of wild oregano oil
A very typical HERX reaction (which is short for Herxheimer reaction) could include itching and hives, so depending on if you are using ANY anti-pathogens in your treatment, this can be a common response. So to answer your question – yes! When I broke out in hives I used binders to help alleviate my symptoms.
In my case, my body was severely reacting to the toxins released by bacteria and fungus when they were being killed by anti-pathogens. This is SUPER common when killing off candida, especially!
This moves us to the topic of Biofilms. Biofilms basically protect bacteria, fungus, and viruses within your body from an outside attack. This “attack” for example could be antibiotics, or Jini’s wild oregano protocol.
If you’ve ever seen plaque on your teeth, this is a great example of a biofilm! As that plaque has been considered a biofilm itself.
Since Biofilms protect the “bad guys” in our bodies, when we are detoxing or doing anti-pathogen treatments, these biofilms are released! So we are dealing with the “die off” of the pathogens and their biofilms. It’s no wonder most of us feel pretty awful at first on the protocol!
I wanted all of our listeners to understand this process, because the reactions we get could be from the die-off of the pathogens themselves or the biofilms – or possibly both! A double-whammy.
In either case, I used binders because these grab biofilms too. I like to use them at bedtime, so all night they can work on pulling out the toxins released during the day by an anti-pathogen treatment.
It’s recommended that anything with bentonite clay, psyllium, or other binders be taken at least 90 minutes away from any meds, probiotics, and anti-pathogens. In my case, however, I would get SO SICK after taking an anti-pathogen that I would have to drink a BCPH (bentonite and psyllium) shake 20 minutes afterward. I bent the rules to what worked best for my body because of the severity of my HERX. It’s important to listen to your gut!
NOTE: 1.84% of women over age 60 have heart palpitations caused by psyllium. Either due to an allergic reaction or due to psyllium slowing down the digestion/absorption of carbohydrates, thus resulting in low blood sugar and increased heart rate.
In addition to binders, glutathione can really help in releasing any Herx or reaction.
Another thought that comes to mind regarding allergic reactions, and this thought may be new to many….sometimes we can actually develop allergies to the pathogens inside us, which then causes further allergic reactions when we attempt to get rid of those pathogens.
In this case, I bumped up my antihistamine regimen. Vitamin C is extremely helpful, and we carry many well-tolerated options in the LTYG shoppe. Another huge support, and the basis of Jini’s allergy protocol, is Quercetin. Quercetin is AMAZING for allergies, and it’s great for detoxing as well. When I was having any issues detoxing, I bumped up both my vitamin C and Quercetin.
We also recently added a fabulous product to the shoppe which contains DAO. It’s called Diem Histamine Digest with DAO, and it’s amazing for allergies. DAO stands for diamine oxidase, and when we don’t naturally make enough of it in our small intestine we can’t break down histamine!
I have a blog and video coming soon with details on DAO and how to use it, but in short, it delivers naturally derived diamine oxidase to the small intestine, where it acts directly on dietary histamine to defend against histamine-related reactions and digestive discomfort.
This is a MUST-have product! I take it daily and it abolished my allergies! When having an allergic reaction I took an extra dose – so at the onset of hives, I took a DAO capsule on an empty stomach and let the histamine die down.
Lastly, when it comes to skin issues, Jini always recommends treating the root cause. Because anything topical isn’t really treating the root cause, but rather just suppressing or soothing symptoms. We need to address the cause or imbalance in the body or we will never have true root-level healing.
Skin issues usually always involve the gut, so taking a potent probiotic is essential! Jini recommends using Natren brand probiotics, and Natren probiotics are a crucial part of many of her protocols.
Here’s a insider tip for temporary relief, though:
During the times I could not bear the itching any longer, I would take a cool shower and slather my body with coconut oil. We carry a fantastic brand in the LTYG shoppe, Dr. Bronner’s – just be cautious if you are allergic to coconut or have nut allergies. If you suspect you may, consult your doctor!
Coconut has so many fabulous properties – it contains monolaurin and lauric acid which have been used kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
I believe that it was so helpful for me because when I was Herxing, the toxins were being expressed and the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the coconut oil brought down the inflammation and killed any possible toxins that were coming out through my skin.
Now that’s just my personal thought on the matter and gut intuition – but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense! Coconut was the only topical remedy to give me that instant relief when I just couldn’t take the discomfort anymore. It’s also extremely hydrating, so if dry skin is in the mix at all, which can cause more discomfort, it also can provide relief.
If coconut oil doesn’t work for you, Jini recommends comfrey salve mixed with few drops of wild oregano oil – apply that to any itchy skin areas.
Alright! Well, L, I hope that answered your question! I know it was a lot of information, but everything I touched upon today is linked in this blog post.
I always love receiving questions from you all, so PLEASE continue to reach out with any you may have. 🙂
Until next time – happy healing, and always listen to your gut!
Can hives start when introducing certain foods?
I didn’t have hives on the full elemental diet until six weeks in when I started reintroducing foods. Specifically pureed pears and chicken. I’m getting a few random hives on my outer leg or upper arm that often appear after soaking in the tub or lying on my side. (I was taking baths with no issue on the full elemental diet.)
Is this something to be expected and will it resolve? Or should I eliminate foods? My gut has been feeling okay. I was eating rice for the past 3 weeks with no hives.
I also upped my probiotics recently. Not yet doing the oregano oil.
I’m feeling frustrated since I was feeling much better on the elemental diet after 6 weeks and thought I was ready to introduce foods but I guess my gut has other plans.
Thanks!
Hi Melissa – Absorb Plus can also be used to test food allergies, so it may be that pears and chicken just don’t do well with your body! If it were me personally, I would eliminate those two foods, as well as keep a note of which foods my body reacts to. If you find that you introduce others that also trigger hives, move on to another food in phase 1 of the reintroduction chart, and so on and so forth as you reintroduce solid foods.
Another thing that comes to mind is how are you cooking the chicken? Are you using any oils? Seasoning it with anything in particular? The culprit could be either of those, too.
Don’t be discouraged! Keep testing and trying, and listen to your gut/what your body wants. 🙂