Lyme Science Blog

If left untreated, Lyme disease can progress causing heart block and other cardiac problems, such as cardiomyopathy and myocarditis “due to spirochete infiltration of cardiac and pericardial structures,” according to the authors of a newly published case report.¹ “Clinical suspicion of early disseminated Lyme carditis is essential in patients presenting with new-onset high-degree AV [heart] […]

One study found a high prevalence of depression in Lyme disease patients. Between January 2008 and December 2014, 1 in 5 patients treated at the Lyme Center Apeldoorn in the Netherlands was diagnosed with depression and Lyme disease. ¹ Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Bransfield, a psychiatrist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne illnesses, reports “In my

Lyme disease can present with a broad range of symptoms. Many of them are familiar to clinicians. But in some cases, a patient may exhibit atypical symptoms, including rashes other than the well-known “bull’s eye” rash. These unique presentations of Lyme disease can make diagnosing the illness particularly difficult. For instance, Sharma reports, “Our case

A recent study by Wells and colleagues ¹ confirms findings from previous studies which demonstrated that POTS patients with brain fog have impaired short-term memory and diminished alertness. POTS is characterized by a substantial increase in heart rate and sometimes a drop in blood pressure when the individual stands up. This can cause lightheadedness, heart

Hess and colleagues discuss 5 cases, reported in the literature, in which Lyme arthritis following an operation. [1] Case 1 The first case they cite involved a 38-year-old woman who had undergone knee surgery. She had a “bone-patellar tendon-bone reconstruction of her anterior cruciate ligament along with a staged autologous chondrocyte transplantation to repair a

In the journal Cureus , Tahir and colleagues describe the symptoms and treatment of POTS,¹  a condition often seen in Lyme disease, which causes the heart rate to rise by at least 30 beats per minute for adults and at least 40 points for children “when the person stands up from a recumbent position.” The

The authors cite studies with “high-level evidence” recommending prophylaxis treatment of tick bites during pregnancy with a single dose of 200 mg of doxycycline. The risk, they say, to the unborn baby is low. “Previously, doxycycline was avoided in pregnancy and in children under 8 years of age because of concerns about adverse effects similar

Investigators looked at several tick-transmitted diseases including Babesia, in dogs, to help determine potential risks to humans. Hunting dogs, specifically, were tracked as they are exposed to ticks more often than pet dogs. And they are more likely to be outdoors for long periods in tick habitats and less likely to be groomed for ticks

“One day, when traveling in California for a meeting, I received a call informing me that one of my sons, then aged 39, had been walking his dog when he collapsed into unconsciousness with a heart rate of 35/minute and had been taken to a local hospital,” writes Plotkin.¹ A Lyme infection was suspected. His

Patients with autoimmune disorders are at risk for POTS, along with individuals who have had a viral illness or a serious infection, such as Lyme disease. In fact, POTS and Lyme disease patients often present with similar symptoms. For instance, POTS patients frequently report having “brain fog,” also a common complaint among Lyme disease patients.