English

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Etymology

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Shortened from Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, which in turn derives from the names of Adolf Jarisch and Karl Herxheimer, physicians who separately described the reaction in syphilis patients.

Verb

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herxing

  1. present participle and gerund of herx (to experience Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction)

Noun

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herxing (uncountable)

  1. (medicine, informal) Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction, a negative reaction to antibiotic treatment.
    • 1997 February, Edward McSweegan, “TNF antibodies get new lease”, in Nature Medicine, volume 3, number 2, page 130:
      Brenner’s own experience with “herxing” (a common phrase among Lyme patients) started 2 or 3 hours after his first antibiotic treatment.
    • 2013 July, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Article Corrections”, in Gifted Child Today, volume 36, number 3, page 215:
      Moreover, the Jarish–Herxheimer reaction (sometimes referred to as “herxing”) is a rare syndrome seen within the first 48 hr of starting antibiotic treatment for some spirochetal diseases; the belief that “herxing” causes ongoing symptom flares in patients with Lyme disease is a fallacy for which there is no objective evidence.
    • 2019 July 22, Molly Fischer, “Maybe it’s Lyme”, in New York magazine:
      Herxes, or “herxing,” are a great bugbear in the world of chronic Lyme. The term is drawn from the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, originally identified in the context of syphilis. It refers to a brief, severe reaction that can take place within the first few days of antibiotic treatment; as bacteria die off and release endotoxins, a patient experiences fever, chills, and sometimes dangerously low blood pressure.
    • 2021 December, Sam Kriss, “It’s not all in your head”, in First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, page 12:
      He sets the machine to the frequency that’s supposed to kill the Lyme spirochete, turns it on, and immediately starts Herxing.

Usage notes

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The informal terms Herx and herxing are common in discussions of Lyme disease, especially among patients of the disease and their supporters.