Lyme Science Blog

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve seen older adults whose symptoms were dismissed as aging when infection was the cause. A woman in her late 60s was getting weaker. Her joints ached. Her memory was slipping. Her balance felt off. She woke up exhausted, sometimes with her heart racing. She was told it was […]

It’s one of the most emotional stories parents share. They tell me their child was once full of energy and curiosity—but suddenly began struggling. Fatigue, brain fog, dizzy spells, and even seizure-like episodes. Brain scans? Normal. EEGs? Clear. Yet the worry remained. “We were told they were functional seizures—just stress-related. No one believed our child

As a Lyme disease specialist, I’ve treated many patients who continue to suffer from persistent Lyme symptoms—even after completing a full course of antibiotics. They’re often told their fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, or headaches are simply “post-treatment Lyme disease” or stress-related. But that explanation doesn’t reflect what I see in my practice—or what my

A recent study published in Nature Microbiology has revealed how malaria parasites survive in the human body for years without causing symptoms—offering powerful insights into the Lyme disease persister theory. Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, including Dr. Kirk Deitsch, found that Plasmodium falciparum—the parasite responsible for malaria—can evade the immune system by silencing its var

After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve heard the same question countless times: should I rest or move during recovery? When you’re dealing with exhaustion, joint pain, or brain fog, rest may feel necessary—and sometimes it is. But many patients tell me that too much rest doesn’t help them recover. In fact, it often makes

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is often promoted as a way to relieve symptoms of chronic Lyme disease. Some patients seek it out when other treatments haven’t worked. But in my experience, HBOT doesn’t address the root problem—a persistent tick-borne infection. So let’s break it down—in the form of a clinical dialogue. 💬 A Clinical Dialogue

When It’s Not Long COVID—It’s Lyme In the wake of the pandemic, we’ve become more aware of how a virus can lead to long-term, multisystem illness. That’s been a good thing. Patients with brain fog, fatigue, and shortness of breath are no longer automatically dismissed. They’re told it might be Long COVID—and for many, that’s

Some infections go away on their own. Lyme disease is not one of them. Each year, I see patients who delayed treatment for Lyme disease—some because they didn’t recognize the symptoms, others because they were told their immune system would “take care of it.” But Lyme disease isn’t like a common cold or mild stomach

“What do you think about SOT?”She looked at me earnestly. She had already been through two rounds of antibiotics, herbal protocols, and a year of chronic symptoms.“I know it’s expensive, but people are saying it helps. Should I try it?” It wasn’t the first time I’d been asked. Patients often come to me with questions

“I finished my antibiotics. I did everything right. So why am I still sick?” That’s what one of my Lyme patients told me—months after treatment. Her fatigue hadn’t lifted. Her memory still slipped. Her symptoms weren’t improving.And she’s not alone. A landmark 20-year study of World Trade Center first responders—recently published in Nature Mental Health—offers