Lyme Science Blog

Subacute transverse myelitis is a neurologic syndrome caused by inflammation of the spinal cord.  It can be caused by various infections, including Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria causing Lyme disease. Immune system disorders, vascular and other inflammatory disorders can also trigger the condition which damages or destroys myelin, an insulating substance that surrounds nerves, including those in […]

When doctors dismiss your heart block as anxiety or assume you’re “too young” for cardiac problems, the SILC score for Lyme carditis gives you objective evidence to demand testing. This evidence-based scoring system assigns points for risk factors like outdoor work, endemic area residence, and tick exposure. A 20-year-old Wisconsin camp counselor scored 9 out

Treatment-resistant depression in teenagers rarely prompts Lyme disease testing—even when accompanied by cognitive decline, academic failure, and a history of tick exposure. Yet neuropsychiatric symptoms can be the primary manifestation of Lyme disease, and recovery is possible when the underlying infection is treated. A 16-year-old boy with long-standing depression suddenly worsened, developing suicidal thoughts, cognitive

Lyme disease can present with a broad range of symptoms. Many of them are familiar to clinicians. But in some cases, a patient may exhibit atypical symptoms, including rashes other than the well-known “bull’s eye” rash. These unique presentations of Lyme disease can make diagnosing the illness particularly difficult. For instance, Sharma reports, “Our case

POTS Brain Fog and Cognitive Deficits POTS brain fog is one of the most disabling symptoms reported by patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — and it is especially common in patients who also have Lyme disease. A study by Wells and colleagues confirms what many patients already know: POTS brain fog involves measurable impairments

In their article, “Unique Case of Gastroparesis in a Chronic Lyme Disease Patient,” Qasawa et al. discuss the case of a patient diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, who suffered from gastrointestinal complications including gastroparesis. Her symptoms were so severe that she required IV nutrition to maintain her weight—making gastroparesis an important Lyme disease symptom that

Hess and colleagues discuss 5 cases, reported in the literature, in which Lyme arthritis following an operation. [1] Case 1 The first case they cite involved a 38-year-old woman who had undergone knee surgery. She had a “bone-patellar tendon-bone reconstruction of her anterior cruciate ligament along with a staged autologous chondrocyte transplantation to repair a

POTS in Lyme Disease: An Autonomic Disorder POTS in Lyme disease is a form of autonomic dysfunction in which the heart rate rises abnormally when standing. The increase is typically at least 30 beats per minute in adults and 40 beats per minute in children when moving from a recumbent to an upright position. A

The authors cite studies with “high-level evidence” recommending prophylaxis treatment of tick bites during pregnancy with a single dose of 200 mg of doxycycline. The risk, they say, to the unborn baby is low. “Previously, doxycycline was avoided in pregnancy and in children under 8 years of age because of concerns about adverse effects similar

Babesia in dogs may help predict human risk. Investigators studied tick-transmitted diseases including Babesia in hunting dogs to determine potential risks to humans. Dogs exposed to ticks can serve as sentinels for tick-borne disease trends. Hunting dogs, specifically, were tracked as they are exposed to ticks more often than pet dogs. And they are more