Lyme Science Blog

Ketamine for PTLDS Pain: Can It Help Refractory Lyme Symptoms? Ketamine PTLDS pain management may offer relief for patients with refractory symptoms when standard therapies fail. A 31-year-old woman with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) had pain that was refractory to radiofrequency ablation, vitamin infusion therapy, opioid analgesics, and other pharmacotherapies. Her pain began gradually […]

Lyme Disease Suicide Risk: An Underrecognized Patient Group Lyme disease suicide risk remains underrecognized despite growing evidence linking Lyme-associated diseases with psychiatric symptoms, including depression and suicidality. Bransfield’s colleagues from Howard University, Rush University Medical Center, and the University of North Dakota agree with his assessment, stating, “We would like to applaud the author for

Borrelia burgdorferi South America: Evidence Found in Brazil Borrelia burgdorferi South America findings provide important evidence supporting Lyme-like illness in Brazil and highlight gaps in surveillance. According to investigators, 2 of 35 Ixodes spp ticks tested positive for B. burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb s.l.). [1] This discovery was not entirely unexpected, given prior reports of

Chronic Lyme Disease Controversy: Doctors Seek Answers Chronic Lyme disease controversy continues as physicians debate the quality of evidence and the need for better treatment studies. Greenberg’s Letter to the Editor states, “The recently published article by Shapiro et al hoped to be topical in this age of ‘alternative facts’ but fell short, providing mainly

Pediatric PTLDS Symptoms: Children Remain Ill After Lyme Treatment Pediatric PTLDS symptoms can persist in some children after Lyme disease treatment, leaving families and clinicians searching for answers. The authors of a Netherlands study concluded that persistent symptoms were not due to active infection, largely because they lasted longer than 6 months. “As more than

Transfusion Transmitted Babesiosis in Non-Endemic States Transfusion transmitted babesiosis is an emerging risk even in regions where Babesia is not considered endemic, raising concerns about coinfections and blood supply safety. Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB) is a growing concern — even in states where Babesia isn’t endemic. Cases have been reported in Maryland, South Carolina, and Nebraska,

Autonomic Dysfunction Lyme Pain: Could It Explain CRPS? Autonomic dysfunction Lyme pain may help explain severe, unexplained pain syndromes such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in patients with Lyme disease. The article published in Clinical Autonomic Research cites several cases demonstrating how infections can affect the autonomic nervous system. In one case, a 46-year-old

Lyme Disease Suicidal Behaviors: Psychiatric Risks Explained Lyme disease suicidal behaviors have been reported in clinical studies, raising concern about the psychiatric impact of Lyme and associated diseases. In a 1990 report, Logigian and colleagues from Tufts University School of Medicine described rage and behavioral changes in patients with chronic neurologic Lyme disease symptoms. “Eight

Lyme Disease Uveitis: Steroid Resistance and Diagnostic Clues Lyme disease uveitis may be underrecognized and should be considered in patients with unexplained, steroid-resistant eye inflammation. A retrospective study of 430 patients with uveitis identified seven cases of Lyme-associated uveitis. All seven patients showed steroid resistance but responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment. The study included patients

Could Lyme Disease Be Linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome? Lyme disease Guillain-Barre syndrome may represent an underrecognized association, raising questions about whether infection can trigger immune-mediated neuropathy. In the case study Clinical association: Lyme disease and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the authors highlight Borrelia burgdorferi as a potential antecedent infection associated with the development of GBS. [1] The