Lyme Science Blog

PANS in Teens: When Lyme Disease Triggers Sudden Change Lyme Disease and PANS: Sudden Psychiatric Symptoms in Teenagers A healthy 16-year-old became unrecognizable within days. Once outgoing and confident, he suddenly developed anxiety, irritability, and repetitive rituals. His handwriting deteriorated, grades plummeted, and he withdrew from friends. Lyme disease PANS can cause abrupt psychiatric and […]

Physician Reluctance in Lyme Treatment: Risks for Patients Dr. Sarah reviewed the file carefully. Her patient exhibited all the classic symptoms of Lyme disease and had been exposed to ticks. But the test was negative. She knew from experience that early Lyme tests miss up to 50% of cases, yet she hesitated to make the

Lyme or Long COVID? How to Tell the Difference Quick Answer: Lyme disease and Long COVID can cause nearly identical symptoms—including brain fog, fatigue, and joint pain—making diagnosis difficult. Treatment response and clinical history often provide the best clues. Clinical Insight: When symptoms overlap this closely, the challenge is not just identifying the illness—but recognizing

Stopping Lyme Treatment Too Soon? Why Symptoms Come Back “I felt better—so I stopped treatment. Then everything came back.” This is a pattern many Lyme disease patients experience. Stopping treatment too soon can allow symptoms to return—sometimes stronger than before. Key Insight: Lyme disease recovery is not always linear. Decisions about stopping treatment should be

Risk Factors for Chronic Lyme Disease While many people treated for Lyme disease recover completely, a significant number develop chronic Lyme disease with persistent symptoms that continue long after standard antibiotics. These patients often report having ongoing fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, neurological changes, and emotional strain that disrupts their lives. Understanding the risk factors for

Low-Dose Naltrexone for Lyme Disease: Benefits, Risks, and What We Know Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has gained growing attention as a potential supportive therapy for people with chronic Lyme disease and persistent symptoms that may not fully resolve with antibiotics. Low-dose naltrexone for Lyme disease is used off-label as a supportive therapy for persistent symptoms such

Lyme Disease Pain: Why It Moves and Feels Different Maria came to my office with a pain map that looked exactly that way. “It was in my knee last month, then my shoulder, now it’s in my ribs,” she explained. “Every doctor thinks I’m making it up because nothing shows on X-rays.” Lyme disease pain

Chronic Lyme Disease Misdiagnosis: When Occam’s Razor Fails In medicine, Occam’s razor teaches that the simplest explanation is often the right one. But chronic Lyme disease misdiagnosis often reflects a deeper problem: the simplest explanation may be overlooked. In chronic Lyme, this idea is sometimes used against patients. Ongoing symptoms are too quickly explained away

Do Ticks Survive the Winter in the Northeast? Quick Answer: Yes. Ticks survive winter in the Northeast by sheltering under leaves, soil, and snow. They can become active on mild days above 35–40°F, so Lyme disease risk continues year-round. The Winter Myth That Puts People at Risk Many assume freezing temperatures wipe out ticks. As