Lyme Science Blog

When It’s Hard to Breathe: Could it be Lyme? Shortness of breath can feel frightening — especially when it strikes without warning or a clear cause. While heart and lung conditions are common culprits, there’s another, often-overlooked possibility: Lyme disease. This tick-borne infection doesn’t just cause joint pain and fatigue—it can also affect the nervous […]

Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) may involve a persistent Lyme infection — not just a lingering immune response. Yet many patients are never told this is possible. When symptoms persist after antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease, most patients are reassured that their illness is “resolved.” For some people (between 10-20%), symptoms like fatigue, brain fog,

When 10 Days Isn’t Enough In my clinical experience, Babesia treatment duration often needs to go beyond the standard 7–10 days. I recently treated a patient who failed a 10-day course of atovaquone and azithromycin. He still had fatigue, sweats, and brain fog. We extended therapy based on symptoms—not the calendar—and he improved. We considered

As we continue to grapple with the long-term effects of COVID-19 and deepen our understanding of post-infectious syndromes like Long COVID, it’s become increasingly clear: not all infections resolve cleanly. Some linger, disrupt multiple systems, and defy simplistic explanations. Lyme disease is one of those conditions. For years, Lyme has presented primary care clinicians with

Dismissed Lyme Symptoms: When Listening Matters More Than Testing In my practice, I’ve seen patients suffer for years—not just from Lyme disease, but from being told their symptoms weren’t real. They weren’t looking for sympathy. They were looking for answers. Instead, they were dismissed. Lyme disease and medical gaslighting often go hand in hand—fueling misdiagnosis,

Lyme Disease but You Look Good: Justin Timberlake and the Myth Lyme disease but you look good—it’s a phrase many patients hear, and few forget. When Justin Timberlake revealed his Lyme disease diagnosis, fans were stunned. He had been touring. Performing. Smiling for the cameras. He looked fine. But that’s exactly the problem. In the

Restarting Lyme treatment after C. diff infection is one of the most delicate moments in Lyme care—because the treatment that helps can also harm. Some of my sickest Lyme disease patients didn’t worsen because of the infection itself—but because of what happened when treatment had to stop. One patient had been slowly improving after months

When Standard Lyme Treatment Falls Short Some patients respond well to a short course of antibiotics for Lyme disease. Others don’t. That’s when precision Lyme treatment becomes essential. They’re left with fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, dizziness, or POTS-like symptoms. Many are told they have “Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome” (PTLDS), but not what to

Timberlake Had a Platform. Most Lyme Patients Don’t. When Justin Timberlake announced that he had been battling Lyme disease during his global tour, he called it “relentlessly debilitating.” He described performing through nerve pain, fatigue, and recurrent illness—conditions that many Lyme patients know intimately. Timberlake had the support of a tour crew, the flexibility to

When Headaches Hide Missed Lyme Disease In my practice, I’ve seen patients suffer for months—sometimes years—with headaches that don’t respond to migraine treatments. They’re told it’s hormonal. Or due to stress or lack of sleep. In some cases, however, the deeper issue is missed Lyme disease—especially when the symptoms extend beyond the head. Missed Lyme