February 22, 2026

Lyme Disease Can Make You Feel Older Than You Are Lyme disease can make you feel decades older than your actual age—through fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain that don’t match where you should be in life. “I’m 36, but I feel 76. My legs are heavy, my memory’s a mess, and I don’t even […]

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve seen how Anaplasmosis—a bacterial coinfection transmitted by the same ticks that carry Lyme disease—can transform what appears to be typical Lyme disease into an acute, severe illness with high fever, profound headache, and dangerously low white blood cell counts. Anaplasmosis occurs in approximately 5-10% of Lyme disease patients

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that Ehrlichiosis—like its close relative Anaplasmosis—can turn a typical Lyme disease presentation into a severe acute illness requiring immediate recognition and treatment. The same ticks that transmit Lyme disease also carry Ehrlichia bacteria, creating coinfections that produce high fever, severe headache, and dangerous blood count abnormalities. Ehrlichiosis

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that Babesia—a malaria-like parasite transmitted by the same ticks that carry Lyme disease—is often the reason patients don’t get better with standard Lyme treatment. It’s the most common and most debilitating Lyme coinfection, affecting 30-40% of Lyme patients in endemic areas. Babesia produces a distinct symptom pattern:

Complete guide to Lyme disease coinfections: Babesia, Bartonella, and more After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that Lyme coinfections are far more common than most doctors realize. The tick bite that transmits Borrelia burgdorferi rarely comes alone. In many cases, that same tick carries multiple pathogens—Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, or Powassan virus—creating layers

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that some of the most disabling symptoms patients experience don’t come from Lyme at all—they come from Bartonella, a coinfection that produces neuropsychiatric manifestations, burning pain, and vascular symptoms that standard Lyme treatment doesn’t address. Bartonella is transmitted by the same ticks that carry Lyme disease, and

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that while Powassan virus is rare compared to other coinfections like Babesia or Bartonella, it’s the most dangerous. This tick-borne viral infection can cause severe neurologic disease including encephalitis, permanent brain damage, and death—and unlike bacterial infections, there’s no specific treatment once infection occurs. Powassan virus is

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that the ticks carrying Borrelia burgdorferi transmit far more than just Lyme disease and the common coinfections like Babesia and Bartonella. A growing list of emerging and rare tick-borne infections—Borrelia miyamotoi, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Bourbon Virus, Heartland Virus, Borrelia mayonii, and STARI—adds complexity to diagnosis and

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that tick bites don’t just transmit infections—they can trigger life-altering allergic conditions. Alpha-gal Syndrome is a tick-induced allergy causing delayed reactions to red meat and mammalian products, fundamentally changing what patients can safely eat. Unlike typical food allergies that occur within minutes, Alpha-gal reactions develop 3-6 hours

“I wake up drenched every night.” “The sheets are soaked through.” “My doctor says it’s just menopause.” After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that night sweats are rarely “just” anything—and when they occur alongside tick-borne illness, they’re often the symptom that gets dismissed when it should be taken most seriously. Night sweats in