Lyme Science Blog

New research into Lyme arthritis is challenging long-standing assumptions about what causes persistent symptoms after treatment. For years, many clinicians believed that when patients continued to experience swollen joints, even after treatment with antibiotics, the inflammation was simply due to an overactive immune system. The body’s immune system was believed to be reacting to leftover […]

Babesia lyme treatment failure is more common than most patients realize. She wasn’t immunocompromised. So why was she still sick months after Lyme treatment? That was the question we kept coming back to. She’d been told Babesia wouldn’t be a problem—unless she had a weakened immune system. She didn’t. But she was still dealing with

When a patient walks into my office after a tick bite, they often ask: “Isn’t one dose of doxycycline enough to prevent Lyme disease?” That belief traces back to a 2001 study that has, unfortunately, shaped Lyme disease treatment guidelines. But what most people don’t realize is that the study only found that the single

He was ready to quit treatment. The antibiotics were making him feel worse, not better—nausea, fatigue, and a sense that his body was shutting down. He told me, “Doc, I don’t think I can keep doing this.” I knew we needed a new approach—but not necessarily a new medication. Instead, I asked:What if we adjusted

When Normal Test Results Hide Active Disease Neurologic Lyme disease spinal tap results are often normal even when patients have active nervous system infection. A landmark 1990 study of 27 chronic neurologic Lyme patients found only 2 had cerebrospinal fluid findings suggestive of Lyme disease — yet the majority improved significantly with IV antibiotics. This

It’s a fair concern. Steroids are widely used to reduce inflammation, but they come with significant risks when used during an active infection—especially Lyme disease. The conversation is often oversimplified or brushed aside. So today, let’s break it down—in the form of a clinical dialogue. A Clinical Dialogue on Steroids in Lyme Disease Cameron: One

Patients Deserve an Explanation This article is part of an ongoing series addressing persistent myths about Lyme disease. One of the most common—and most important—questions I hear from patients is: “If my Lyme test is negative, why are you still treating me?” It’s a fair question. And if you’re asking it, you deserve a clear

Allodynia is a neurological condition where non-painful stimuli—like a breeze, the pressure of clothing, or even light touch—cause pain. It’s often associated with central sensitization, where the brain and spinal cord become overly responsive to nerve signals. But sometimes, the trigger is more than just misfiring nerves. Sometimes, it’s caused by an infection such as

A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine by researchers at Northwestern University has generated cautious optimism in the Lyme disease community. The study found that an older antibiotic—piperacillin—was able to clear Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, in mice at doses 100 times lower than doxycycline. This is noteworthy. Doxycycline has long

A 23-year-old woman from Brooklyn, NY, presented to her primary care physician with bilateral knee swelling and pain three days after delivering a healthy baby girl. She rated the pain as 8 out of 10 in severity and reported that it worsened with walking. Case The patient recalled experiencing similar knee pain for two days