Lyme Science Blog

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

Risk Factors for Chronic Lyme Disease: Who Is Most at Risk? TREATED FOR LYME—BUT STILL SICK? SYMPTOMS NOT GOING AWAY? WHY DO SOME PATIENTS DEVELOP CHRONIC ILLNESS? Risk factors for chronic Lyme disease help explain why some patients recover fully while others develop persistent symptoms that last for months or years. “I thought treatment would

Low-Dose Naltrexone for Lyme Disease: Benefits, Risks, and What We Know Low-dose naltrexone for Lyme disease has gained attention as a supportive option for patients with persistent pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and inflammatory symptoms. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) is best understood as a supportive therapy that may influence inflammation, immune signaling, and pain sensitivity—not as a

Why Lyme Disease Pain 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.” Chronic pain in Lyme

Occam’s Razor and Chronic Lyme: Are We Missing the Simplest Answer? The simplest answer may be ignored Symptoms are often reinterpreted Alternative labels replace diagnosis Persistent infection may be missed Occam’s razor in chronic Lyme disease is often misapplied. Instead of identifying the simplest unifying cause, persistent symptoms are frequently explained away with theories that

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. Ticks survive winter beneath snow and leaf litter. They can become active during mild winter days.

Lyme Antibiotic Resistance: Why Treatment Isn’t Always Simple Lyme disease often responds to antibiotics. But not every patient recovers the same way. And resistance concerns are growing. Lyme antibiotic resistance is an emerging concern in patient care—especially as treatment decisions become more complex. While antibiotic resistance is often discussed in hospital infections or global health,

Lyme Disease in Teens: Why Symptoms Are Often Missed Lyme disease in teens doesn’t always look typical. Symptoms can be subtle, shifting, or misleading. And diagnosis is often delayed. Lyme disease in teens does not always begin with the classic bull’s-eye rash. Rashes may appear as solid red patches or unusual shapes and can be