Lyme Science Blog

Lyme Disease and Early Menopause Lyme disease can mimic menopause symptoms in women—fatigue, night sweats, and mood swings aren’t always hormonal. One of my patients came to me in her late 30s, convinced she was going through early menopause. She had all the classic symptoms—intense fatigue, night sweats, brain fog, anxiety, irregular periods, and mood […]

Alcohol and Lyme Disease: When One Drink Hurts After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve learned that alcohol and Lyme disease don’t mix—and for many patients, even one drink can stall recovery. In my practice, I’ve seen this pattern often. A patient is making progress, then suddenly crashes after what seemed like a harmless toast

Delayed Lyme Treatment: Why Waiting Can Be the Wrong Call In my clinical experience, some of the most difficult cases I’ve seen began with one decision: “Let’s wait and see.” Delayed Lyme treatment is often framed as cautious or conservative. But for many patients, it’s the start of a long, complicated illness. Let’s look at

Babesiosis Treatment: My Go To Clinical Tips Babesiosis treatment is often overlooked—especially in patients who also have Lyme disease. Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells. It’s frequently found alongside Lyme, but just as often, it’s missed. Unlike Lyme, which is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, babesiosis

Chronic Lyme disease controversy Our public health system has faced enormous pressure in recent years. Between emerging diseases, evolving science, and the challenge of clear communication, it’s no surprise that public trust has become strained. But for many Lyme disease patients, that mistrust didn’t start with the pandemic. It began with a deeper, longer-running problem:

Lyme disease misdiagnosed as Long COVID After 37 years treating Lyme disease, I’ve seen an increasing number of patients diagnosed with Long COVID when infection was the underlying cause. A woman was told her fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, and poor sleep were just viral aftereffects. Some reassured her it would fade. Others told her it

Tick Bite Treatment Options: What to Know and When to Treat If you’ve been bitten by a tick, one of the first questions that comes up is: What should I do now? There are different tick bite treatment options, and in my practice, I walk patients through two main approaches: watchful waiting or 3–4 weeks

Tick Bite Ethical Concerns: Rethinking the single dose of doxycycline This article reflects broader ethical issues in medical diagnosis when certainty is lacking—especially in early tick-borne illness. Tick Bite Ethical Concerns Start with False Reassurance A woman walked into my clinic six weeks after a tick bite. She’d been given a single dose of doxycycline

Autonomic Dysfunction in Lyme Disease In clinical practice, autonomic dysfunction frequently emerges as a central contributor to prolonged or fluctuating Lyme disease symptoms. While many patients recover steadily, others experience variability in heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature tolerance, sleep, cognition, and stress resilience that does not follow a simple inflammatory or infectious pattern. This

Traveling with Lyme Disease: Realistic Strategies for Summer As a Lyme disease expert, I often hear the same concern: “Is traveling with Lyme disease even possible?” The answer depends on the person—but with the right mindset and preparation, many patients can travel while honoring their body’s limits. Whether you’re dealing with fatigue, POTS, food restrictions,