February 18, 2026

Why Many Doctors Don’t Believe Chronic Lyme Disease “My doctor told me it’s all in my head.” If you have been told your persistent symptoms are imaginary, exaggerated, or unrelated to Lyme disease—you are not alone. The dismissal many patients experience is real. Not all physicians dismiss persistent Lyme symptoms. Many are working within training

Exercise Intolerance in Lyme Disease: Why Activity Triggers Post-Exertional Malaise Exercise intolerance in Lyme disease occurs when physical or mental activity leads to worsening fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, pain, or flu-like symptoms after exertion. For many patients, symptoms do not worsen during activity itself. Instead, the crash may occur hours or even days later—a pattern

How Long Does Lyme Disease Last? Duration by Stage Lyme disease recovery timelines vary widely. Some patients improve within weeks, while others recover more gradually over months or longer. Early diagnosis and treatment often shorten recovery time. After treating Lyme disease for decades, I have seen some patients recover in weeks while others struggle with

How I Became a Lyme Disease Doctor I didn’t originally plan to become a doctor. And I certainly did not expect to spend much of my career caring for patients with Lyme disease and co-infections. My original goal was biomedical engineering. I was fascinated by the mechanics of the human body and wanted to design

Lyme Guidelines Conflict: IDSA vs ILADS Explained My patient had been sick for two years, caught between conflicting Lyme guidelines that left her doubting her own experience. One specialist told her, “You’re cured—what you’re experiencing now is psychological.” Another said, “You still have active infection and need continued treatment.” She didn’t know which doctor to

Babesia Symptoms Often Missed: Why This Coinfection Is Easy to Misdiagnose Babesia is a malaria-like parasite spread by ticks and commonly found alongside Lyme disease. Unlike Lyme disease, which is caused by a bacterium, Babesia infects red blood cells—leading to systemic, fluctuating symptoms that are frequently misattributed. For a complete overview of symptoms, testing, and

When Does Lyme Disease Become Chronic? Chronic Lyme disease is generally considered present when symptoms persist well beyond the expected recovery period and continue interfering with daily function. It’s one of the most debated questions I hear in clinic: When does Lyme become chronic? Is it after a few months? A year? Or when antibiotics

Individualized Lyme Disease Treatment: Why It Matters Individualized Lyme disease treatment may improve long-term recovery. Persistent symptoms can reflect coinfections, neurologic involvement, or delayed care. Early recognition and proactive treatment decisions may reduce chronic illness risk. Proactive individualized Lyme treatment can be the difference between full recovery and chronic illness. In my practice, I’ve seen