Lyme Disease Cure Rate After 14 Days of Amoxicillin
Most erythema migrans rashes cleared after treatment.
Some patients later developed persistent symptoms.
Researchers evaluated outcomes after a 14-day course of amoxicillin.
According to the authors, the 14-day course effectively cleared the patients’ erythema migrans (EM) rashes and “prevented the development of objective neurologic, cardiac, or rheumatologic manifestations.”
One patient was retreated with amoxicillin. Two others could not be evaluated at 1-year follow-up because they developed a recurrent erythema migrans rash.
But 4 out of the 24 patients went on to develop “Post-treatment Lyme disease Syndrome” (PTLDS).
Individuals with PTLDS had “subjective symptoms attributed to Lyme disease that had persisted continuously or intermittently for at least 6 months following completion of antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin,” writes Wormser from New York Medical College in the journal Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease.
Was the Lyme Disease Cure Rate High Enough?
This failure rate is arguably still too high for patients presenting with an EM rash.
The actual failure rate with a 14-day course of treatment may be higher in patients who experience delayed treatment, present with more severe symptoms, or have co-infections with other tick-borne pathogens.
These findings raise ongoing questions about Lyme disease treatment success rates, recovery patterns, and whether some patients require longer or individualized treatment approaches.
Persistent Symptoms After Lyme Disease Treatment
Persistent symptoms after Lyme disease treatment remain controversial and difficult to measure. Some patients report fatigue, pain, cognitive problems, or reduced function despite antibiotic therapy.
Editor’s note: “PTLDS” remains a controversial term that I do not endorse, given that there is no test to prove the Lyme infection has cleared.
FAQ: Lyme Disease Cure Rate and Amoxicillin
Can amoxicillin treat Lyme disease?
Yes. Amoxicillin is one of several antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat early Lyme disease, particularly erythema migrans rashes.
What was the Lyme disease treatment success rate in this study?
Most patients had resolution of their erythema migrans rash after a 14-day course of amoxicillin. However, several patients later experienced recurrent rash or persistent symptoms.
Can symptoms continue after Lyme disease antibiotics?
Yes. Some patients report persistent or fluctuating symptoms after treatment, including fatigue, pain, sleep problems, or cognitive difficulties.
Is 14 days of antibiotics enough for Lyme disease?
The optimal treatment duration for Lyme disease remains debated. Some clinicians believe certain patients may require longer or individualized treatment approaches depending on severity, timing of diagnosis, co-infections, and response to therapy.
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References:
- G.P. Wormser, K.C. Brady, M.S. Cho, et al. Efficacy of a 14-day course of amoxicillin for patients with erythema migrans. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease.
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
I honestly believe that Wormser and his cohorts are being paid way too much to make these type of statements and diagnosis. They are not uncovering the whole truth about their research nor how they arrived at this conclusion and that only hurts the Lyme community, no one else. I also believe they are in the pocket of the SSA as quack doctors that think it’s ok to Google Lyme for answers to an ALJ such as those in San Antonio and Austin Texas that are too lazy to do their own research