“Am I getting better, or am I just having a good day?” Patients ask this constantly—because Lyme disease recovery doesn’t announce itself with clear milestones. There’s no finish line, no lab test that confirms “you’re healed,” no doctor’s appointment where someone declares you’re officially better. Instead, recovery creeps in slowly. A week with slightly more […]
Signs You’re Recovering From Lyme Disease Read More »
After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve seen patients dragging themselves to work with active infection, barely functioning but terrified to stop. Financial survival versus physical survival. Supporting their family versus protecting their health. There was no good choice. Some pushed through and gradually improved. Others couldn’t—their bodies gave out, and they lost their jobs,
Working With Lyme Disease: The Impossible Math Read More »
After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’m often asked: has anyone survived Lyme disease? Yes—absolutely. Surviving Lyme disease is possible, and many people have gone on to live full, healthy lives after infection. Some recover quickly, especially when Lyme disease is identified and treated early. Others face a longer, more complicated journey. But in my
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A panic attack without anxiety can appear suddenly, with waves of fear accompanied by chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, or a sense of impending doom — despite no worries, stressors, or anxious thinking. This phenomenon reflects limbic system–driven panic, in which the sensation of fear is generated before conscious awareness has time to
Panic Attack Without Anxiety: When the Body Reacts First Read More »
Intrusive thoughts and derealization in Lyme disease can make thoughts feel unfamiliar and the world feel unreal. If you are experiencing intrusive thoughts, depersonalization, or derealization related to Lyme disease, you are not imagining it — and you are not losing control. Some patients with Lyme disease describe a deeply unsettling change in how they
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A woman with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) underwent routine dental extraction of four molars. Despite an uneventful surgery and aggressive multimodal pain management, the procedure triggered severe, widespread full-body pain that required ICU admission. Lim from the University of California in San Francisco documented this case, which illustrates the extraordinary pain vulnerability that PTLDS
After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that misdiagnosis isn’t the exception—it’s often the rule. Patients are labeled with MS, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue syndrome, bipolar disorder, or a dozen other conditions before Lyme disease is even considered. The consequences are devastating: delayed treatment, progression to chronic illness, loss of trust in medicine, and years
Lyme Disease Misdiagnosis: Why It Happens & What to Know Read More »
Lyme Disease Recovery: Timeline, Challenges, and Long-Term Outlook Lyme disease recovery is achievable—but it rarely follows a straight line. When infection is recognized early and treated appropriately, improvement may occur within weeks. When diagnosis is delayed, recovery often becomes a longer, more individualized process. Recovery depends on accurate recognition of the full spectrum of Lyme
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Why Doctors Dismiss Chronic Lyme Disease If you have been told your persistent symptoms are “all in your head,” that “Lyme disease doesn’t last that long,” or that you simply need to “accept” your diagnosis of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) and move on—you are not imagining the dismissal you are experiencing. Over 37 years
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Exercise and Physical Activity During Lyme Disease Recovery “Should I push through and exercise, or will it set me back?” It’s one of the most confusing questions in Lyme disease recovery. Some patients are told “exercise will help you feel better”—only to crash for days after a short walk. Others are told “you just need
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