Act 1: A Missed Beginning Jake went from star athlete to unable to climb stairs without his heart racing. His parents searched for answers for two years before anyone mentioned Lyme disease. With no tick bite or rash, his parents and doctors didn’t recognize the early warning signs. Act 2: The Diagnostic Odyssey Jake’s family […]
His Parents Overlooked These Lyme Disease Clues Read More »
The Temptation to Stop Too Soon When patients begin to feel better, it’s natural to wonder: Do I really need to keep taking these medications? In Lyme disease, this question comes up often. After weeks or months of therapy, fatigue, joint pain, or brain fog may ease. Some patients feel stable enough to return to
Stopping Lyme Disease Treatment Too Soon Can Backfire Read More »
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 chronic Lyme disease is important for
Risk Factors for Chronic Lyme Disease Read More »
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. Originally developed as a treatment for opioid and alcohol dependence, naltrexone in much smaller doses appears to have immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory effects. For patients struggling with lingering
Low-Dose Naltrexone for Lyme: What We Know (and Don’t) Read More »
Most people think of the bull’s-eye rash or a swollen knee when they hear “Lyme disease.” But many patients never develop these classic signs. Instead, they struggle with a wide range of hidden Lyme disease symptoms that don’t fit the textbook picture — leading to missed diagnoses, delays in care, and years of unnecessary suffering.
30 Hidden Lyme Disease Symptoms Read More »
Chronic Pain in Lyme disease Doesn’t Follow the Rules Maria came to my office with a pain map that looked like a medical mystery. “It was in my knee last month, then my shoulder, now it’s in my ribs,” she explained, frustrated. “Every doctor thinks I’m making it up because nothing shows on X-rays.” This
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In medicine, Occam’s razor teaches that the simplest explanation is often the right one. But for chronic Lyme, this idea is sometimes used against patients. Ongoing symptoms are too quickly explained away with theories that don’t fit the real experience. The simplest answer—that the infection may not have been fully cleared—deserves more careful attention. The
Why “Occam’s Razor” Fails in Chronic Lyme Disease Read More »
The Winter Myth That Puts People at Risk Many assume freezing temperatures wipe out ticks. As a Lyme disease specialist, I can tell you this isn’t the case. Ticks survive winter in the Northeast by sheltering under leaves, soil, and snow, allowing them to reemerge as soon as conditions warm. This means Lyme disease is
Do Ticks Survive the Winter in the Northeast? Read More »
Why Lyme Antibiotic Resistance Matters Lyme antibiotic resistance is an emerging concern in patient care. While resistance is often discussed in the context of hospital-acquired infections or global health, it also affects those with tick-borne diseases. Patients with Lyme sometimes require multiple antibiotic courses, especially if the infection is diagnosed late or involves the nervous
Lyme Antibiotic Resistance: What to Know Read More »
Lyme disease in adolescents doesn’t always start with the classic bull’s-eye rash. Rashes can appear as solid red patches or unusual shapes, sometimes mistaken for spider bites, eczema, or skin infections. Teens may also show signs like fatigue, irritability, headaches, or limb pain. Because symptoms vary so much, misdiagnosis is common. That’s why healthcare providers
Lyme Symptoms in Adolescents Can Be Missed Read More »
