There are so many variations to die-off that it is not relevant to compare or expect your reactions to be like someone else's. Some people will experience a tremendous amount of symptoms-nausea, headache, fatigue, cloudy urination, sore throat. While someone else may experience a little loose stool, a little gas, but otherwise feel an increase in energy and increase in well being.
Other people may have lots of acne, while some experience an improvement in skin right away. Some experience hair loss, while others none at all. Some lose weight, others don't shift in weight, and in some cases there is weight gain, although, that is less common.
One person may get tired from a remedy that makes the other person want to get up and go. This is because the issues creating the imbalance in the first place are different and therefor will react differently to these different supplements.
The journey from being sick to well-balanced can be really hard won and sometimes it is very slow and all consuming and in other cases effortless. What is important to know is your experience is relative to you and no one else. So, please, don't be concerned because you are not feeling what someone else is feeling-that is irrelevant.
If anyone wants to add to this, please post here.
Comments
Emotional Die Off
I have found that during treatment I have had a lot of severe emotional die off. I don't know really how to explain it other than as stuff started to come out of my body physically, I started to release emotionally. When I would go through a physical die off, I would become scared and angry. I felt like I could not "do" it anymore...I started to examine my feelings as to why I felt this way... Heck... Lance Armstrong beat testicular cancer that spread to his brain! That is hardcore! What was it that he had that I did not? He had no fear... He had a winner's attitude... I did not... I had been in survival mode all my life. I was always the good girl and then I got pissed that I got afflicted with this disease... As more and more die off came I would raiionalize going back and cheating, falling off protocol etc. I really examined why I thought I did these things. I had a victim's attitude. Not a good attitude if you are going to beat something right? I am still learning how to win, but in order to do that, I must work with myself and not against myself. I feel that IC has been a gift to me. All my life, I did not pay attention to myself... I was busy taking care of someone else and just struggling to keep my head above water...not really enjoying my life... I never understood quality of life vs. quantity. As I go through this, I try and keep a journal of all the things in the past that have been unresolved and develop compassion for those who have "wronged" me. i think this has been a result of my own die off.
Physcial Die Off
On the physical side of things I have experienced some weird stuff:
Vaginal discharge, really bad during ovulation... almost like thick rubber cement that I literally have to "birth" It is pretty gnarly.
Pain in my left intestine
Numbness in my left arm/armpit/shoulder/leg
Massive weight loss (I was not heavy though prior to getting IC)
Water weight gain (not nearly anything compared to my weight loss though)
Recently massive hairloss... I estimate now about 30-40%
Mood swings/anxiety (please contact Matia about this, she can help you! I wish I did earlier... I feel like I went off protocol too much because I did not identify that I was having disturbances)
constipation
joint aches (tightness in hips)
increase in urgency and frequency
loss of sexual desire
feelings of severe ugliness
lack of focus
loss of temper
cold hands and feet
night sweating
I have found it is very important to understand that your body is in control and knows what it is doing, so don't be scared of these things.... Connecting to the emotional side of it, you need ot have faith in your body... I would highly encourage the practice of yoga. It really teaches listening to your body (if you are not in tune with your body, I think it may be more challenging to heal from IC) Yoga also teaches respecting your body, which I had a hard time with.
Die-Off
J - Thank you for posting on your physical and emotional die-off. I am in an intense stage and was able to gain a great deal from your post. The victim attitude was especially helpful. This is something I need to come to terms with.Tammera