Lyme Science Blog

Can I Donate Blood After Lyme Disease—or Is It Unsafe? Lyme disease is not known to spread through blood transfusion. Most blood donation centers allow donation after treatment once patients are symptom-free and no longer taking antibiotics. The greater transfusion concern involves Babesia, a tick-borne parasite that can survive in stored blood. Can you donate […]

Brain Fog and Lyme Disease: The Overlooked Cognitive Symptom Brain fog is one of the most common and disabling cognitive symptoms in Lyme disease. It is frequently misattributed to stress, anxiety, or burnout rather than recognized as neurologic. Infection-driven neuroinflammation can disrupt memory, concentration, and processing speed even when tests appear normal. “I used to

Babesia Testing Errors Can Delay Treatment Babesia testing is not always reliable. False negatives can delay treatment. She came to my office exhausted after six months of fevers, sweats, and crushing fatigue. Her initial testing for Babesia was negative. It wasn’t confirmed until much later, after PCR and antibody testing were positive. But by then,

Painful Feet in Lyme Disease: Why Symptoms Worsen at Night Painful feet in Lyme disease are often caused by nerve irritation or small fiber neuropathy rather than a simple foot problem. You stand up to walk to the bathroom at night—and wince. The soles of your feet ache like you’re stepping on broken glass. By

Lyme Persisters: Why Symptoms Can Return After Treatment Finished treatment—but symptoms returned? Fatigue, pain, and brain fog may reflect persistence biology. Researchers are still investigating why recovery varies. You finished treatment. The antibiotics are done. Your doctor says you’re cured. So why do you still feel terrible? For some patients, the answer may involve Lyme

PANS in Teens: When Lyme Disease Triggers Sudden Change Lyme disease PANS can cause abrupt psychiatric and neurologic symptoms in previously healthy teenagers due to an autoimmune response affecting the brain. A healthy 16-year-old became unrecognizable within days. Once outgoing and confident, he suddenly developed anxiety, irritability, and repetitive rituals. Teachers noticed his handwriting deteriorated,

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 Three years after recovering from Lyme disease, Jennifer developed COVID-19. Months later, the same crushing fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain returned. Was it Long COVID — or Lyme again? This scenario is becoming increasingly common. Lyme disease and Long COVID can look remarkably similar, creating

Stopping Lyme Treatment Too Soon? Why Symptoms Return “I felt better—so I stopped treatment. Then everything came back.” This is a pattern many Lyme disease patients describe. Stopping Lyme treatment too soon can allow symptoms to return—sometimes weeks later and sometimes more intensely than before. When patients begin to improve, it is natural to wonder