Hi @newbie475 From personal experience, lymphatic drainage can be both exhausting and painful. It’s actually very normal. After an intense massage such as lymphatic drainage, our body expends energy to detoxify and process the fluids that have been released during the massage. You can get headaches, the body feels exhausted while it’s trying to heal.

But hang in there! Usually within a day or so you’ll feel amazingly healthy and light again. It’s crucial to drink lots of water during this recovery time. It helps to flush the toxins out of your system.

I told my massage therapist at the next appointment that I felt so awful after my first session. That I felt like I’d gone through a round of chemo. She said basically, that’s what happened! The toxins from chemo treatments build up in our tissues and when they are finally released through lymph drainage or even gentle massage those toxins can give the same reaction. The good news is that your system has been purged. So drink plenty of room temp water. Maybe squeeze a little lemon in it for flavor. If necessary have a pain relief of your choice to take the edge off. But you should start feeling better in a day or so. I’d also recommended a followup massage in a couple of weeks. It will be less traumatic and will feel really good! I have massages monthly. We owe it to ourselves. ☺️

I just read another post to see that you had radiation for breast cancer. Have you completed these treatments now?