Lyme Science Blog

Preventing Chronic Lyme Disease Preventing Chronic Lyme Disease: A Clinical Guide Can chronic Lyme disease be prevented? In many cases, yes. Early recognition, prompt treatment, and careful follow-up significantly reduce the risk of persistent symptoms—but prevention is not always straightforward. Preventing chronic Lyme disease has been a central focus of my clinical practice. I have […]

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 separation), and scalp psoriasis—leading to a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. For a full overview of Lyme arthritis, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, see our main guide. However, he did

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

Why do my Lyme disease patients feel stigmatized? Patients are aware that being diagnosed with Lyme disease can lead to Lyme disease skepticism from both the public and healthcare providers. Lyme disease skepticism can result in delayed treatment and inadequate care, exacerbating the patient’s suffering. Some articles and reports have been dismissive of compelling evidence