Cleansing reaction is not necessarily the same as getting sick, though you may not feel well. A cleansing reaction results from a large amount of toxins moving through your bloodstream. During a cleansing reaction, you may experience the following symptoms: sluggish bowels, temporary headache, irritability, food cravings, flu-like symptoms such as runny nose, exhaustion, dizziness, nausea, overall weakness, or a reappearance of past symptoms.