Why do I look normal but feel so sick? Patients with Lyme disease often ask this question when they look normal but feel so sick every day. Even when they appear well to others, they may be struggling with exhaustion, brain fog, dizziness, pain, and a sense that their body is failing them. Lyme disease […]
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She had been ill for nearly two years when synovectomy for Lyme arthritis was recommended. Her knee remained swollen, painful, and limiting despite treatment for Lyme arthritis. She had completed antibiotic therapy. When the swelling persisted, she was told the infection had been treated and what remained was inflammation. Surgery was presented as the next
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When Lyme Symptoms Worsen After a Spinal Tap Lumbar puncture is sometimes performed in patients with suspected neurologic Lyme disease to aid diagnosis. However, the relationship between spinal tap leak and Lyme disease is often overlooked, particularly when symptoms worsen after testing. In some cases, the procedure itself may complicate the clinical picture rather than
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Visual Snow Syndrome: When the World Looks Like Static Visual snow syndrome is a neurologic condition in which people see constant visual static—often described as television-like noise—despite normal eye exams. Patients frequently struggle to explain what they see. Some describe graininess across their entire visual field. Others notice flickering dots, shimmering air, or a haze
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The Moment Everything Changed: Beginning Exercise in Lyme Disease My patient didn’t ask how to get back to running. She whispered, “I tried to do a little more… and now I can’t get off the couch.” Her experience is something I see often when patients try to exercise in Lyme disease—small movements feel enormous, and
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When Lyme vs Long COVID Feels Impossible to Tell Apart “Is this Lyme… or long COVID?” Patients ask me this with a mix of fear and exhaustion. They describe the same constellation of symptoms — the brain fog that makes conversations feel slippery, the dizziness that hits out of nowhere, the heart that races as
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Many Lyme patients tell me the same story: “I used to tolerate a glass of wine — now it wipes me out.” What was once an ordinary social experience becomes unpredictable and uncomfortable. This shift is a hallmark of Lyme alcohol intolerance — a physiological change that now brings flushing, dizziness, anxiety, nausea, or next-day
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Introduction: A Clinical Guide to Post-Exertional Malaise in Lyme Disease Patients often tell me they can complete a workout or a busy day without any immediate problem, only to crash hours later. This phenomenon—called post-exertional malaise Lyme patients frequently experience—is one of the most misunderstood patterns in post-infectious illness. Instead of symptoms appearing during exertion,
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A Case That Surprised Both Patient and Clinician One of my patients recently developed black teeth after taking antibiotics for Lyme disease. The discoloration appeared suddenly and was deeply alarming to her — dark streaks and patches that looked like severe decay or even necrosis. She feared something irreversible had happened. But when she visited
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Light feels sharper. Sound feels louder. Ordinary environments suddenly become overwhelming. For some Lyme disease patients, sensitivity to light and sound is one of the earliest and most disruptive neurologic symptoms. The brightness of the kitchen lights may feel blinding, and the sound of a spoon dropping can trigger a jolt of discomfort. Patients often
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