Lyme Science Blog

Lyme Disease Recovery and Long-Term Outlook Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) is a research-defined term used to describe persistent symptoms following recommended antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease when no alternative diagnosis explains the clinical picture. Researchers typically define PTLDS as symptoms lasting at least six months after recommended therapy. These symptoms may include fatigue, cognitive […]

Preventing Long-Term Lyme Disease Preventing Chronic Lyme Disease: A Clinical Guide Preventing chronic Lyme disease has been a central focus of my clinical practice for more than 37 years. I have treated thousands of patients with tick-borne illness, and the pattern is consistent: while many recover fully with early recognition and appropriate treatment, others—despite receiving

Lyme disease and herxheimer reaction in newborn In 2020, investigators published a case involving a 13-year-old boy with Lyme arthritis, a common manifestation of Lyme disease, who developed a Herxheimer reaction when treated with doxycycline. On the 7th day of treatment, the boy developed a low-grade fever and severe arthralgias with intense hip, ankle and

Woman develops Lyme disease symptoms after giving birth A 23-year-old woman, who lived in Brooklyn, NY, had visited her primary care doctor complaining of bilateral knee swelling and pain. Three days prior, she had delivered a healthy baby girl. The pain was reported as 8/10 in severity and was exacerbated by walking, according to the

Lyme disease triggers Guillian-Barre Syndrome Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves surrounding the brain and spinal cord. GBS symptoms typically include weakness and/or tingling sensations in the legs, which can spread to the arms and upper body. This patient also reported having three episodes

Lyme disease misdiagnosed as psoriatic arthritis The man, in his 70’s, presented with dactylitis (severe swelling of the fingers or toes), onycholysis of the nails (nail separates from the skin) and scalp psoriasis, which lead to the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. However, he did not respond to treatment with corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. “A

Lyme disease triggers neuropathy in the legs A case report by Lazaro and Butt, published in the International Medical Case Reports Journal, describes a 67-year-old patient with Lyme disease and femoral neuropathy. This is believed to be the first reported case of isolated femoral neuropathy triggered by Lyme disease. What Is Femoral Neuropathy? Femoral neuropathy,

Lyme Disease Rash: What Does It Really Look Like? Many people assume that a bull’s-eye or erythema migrans (EM) rash is a common manifestation of Lyme disease. And that the lack of a rash confirms a person does not have the disease. This is far from the truth. EM rash identification remains a challenge because

Lyme Disease Rash: What Does It Really Look Like? In their article “Lyme Disease and Papilledema: A Retrospective Study on Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes,” Vithayathil and colleagues, describe findings from a retrospective study involving 44 children who presented with vision complications and were later diagnosed with papilledema and Lyme disease. “Papilledema (optic disc swelling) secondary

Vision loss in teenager due to Lyme disease “We present a rare case of intracranial hypertension due to [Lyme disease] in a pediatric patient treated with EVD placement for CSF diversion and intravenous ceftriaxone, resulting in a significant improvement in symptoms,” including vision loss, the authors state. A 13-year-old boy was admitted to the emergency