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 […]
Lyme vs Long COVID: The Overlap Doctors Need to See Read More »
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, light sensitivity in Lyme disease and sound sensitivity are among the earliest and most disruptive neurologic symptoms. The brightness of kitchen lights may feel blinding, and the sound of a spoon dropping can trigger a jolt of discomfort. Patients
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Patients often ask me whether Lyme disease can cause tinnitus or ear fullness. The answer is yes — Lyme tinnitus and ear fullness are well-recognized presentations. Many patients describe ringing or hissing sounds, fluctuating pressure, crackling sensations, a feeling of water trapped in the ear, distorted sound perception, and hypersensitivity to everyday noise. When examinations
Can Lyme Cause Tinnitus or Ear Fullness? Read More »
The electrical jolts started without warning. Every few minutes, Lisa felt a sudden shock run through her head, like a live wire had touched her brain. The sensation would shoot down her spine, leaving her briefly disoriented, as if her nervous system had misfired. “It feels like my brain is short-circuiting,” she told her doctor.
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Many patients come to me after months of bladder discomfort that no one can explain. They describe pelvic pressure, burning, or an overwhelming urge to urinate — yet every culture, scan, and exam has been normal. They tell me things like, “My bladder feels inflamed,” or “It feels like I have to go even when
Can Lyme Disease Cause Bladder Pain or Urgency? Read More »
Someof my patients recovering from Lyme disease describe a familiar pattern: they finally feel well enough to be active—maybe a short walk, a trip to the grocery store, an hour of work—then crash. The next day, fatigue deepens, pain flares, and concentration fades. This isn’t ordinary tiredness. It’s post-exertional malaise in Lyme disease (PEM)—a delayed
Post-Exertional Malaise in Lyme Disease: Why Pacing Matters Read More »
When Lyme Symptoms Worsen During Your Period Many women tell me the same thing: their Lyme symptoms get worse during their period, often in the exact same window every month. Fatigue deepens. Pain sharpens. Dizziness, palpitations, and air hunger return. What should be a predictable cycle becomes a predictable crash. Many women don’t realize that
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