28-year-old woman with a history of Lyme disease describes side effects following her COVID-19 vaccine – a case discussion

Dr. Cameron's latest Inside Lyme video podcast discusses the case of 28-year-old woman with a history of Lyme disease who shares the side effects she felt following her COVID-19 vaccine.

Case

A 28-year-old single white Latina woman with a history of a tick bite and erythema migrans rash who contracted Lyme disease while on vacation. She was not able to finish her college degree and was unemployed at the time of the survey. She had a positive IgG Western blot test for Lyme disease and was also treated clinically for Bartonella. She had been ill with Lyme disease since she was 16 years old. She was treated with Zithromax, Vancomycin, Levaquin, and IV ceftriaxone.

She had also been treated with vitamin C, fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, magnesium, glutathione, saunas and steam rooms, enemas, stem cells, and Zinc.

The woman remained ill despite treatment and reported having fatigue, insomnia, muscle pain, joint pain, migraines, seizures, general malaise, swollen glands, tachycardia, brain fog, concentration problems, mood swings, irritability, depression, as well as sensitivity to light, noise, and odors.

In May of 2021, she took the Pfizer vaccine. In response to the vaccination, she had a slight headache, some fatigue, and pain in her arm at the injection site. Her symptoms lasted less than 48 hours.

Her symptom burden is captured by the General Symptom Questionnaire-30 (GSQ-30), with a score of 43 out of 120, which was higher than for patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) but lower than patients with depression and Post-Treatment Lyme disease Syndrome (PTLDS) (see below for interpretation of the GSQ-30 score).1

The worst symptoms on her GSQ-30 questionnaire were feeling fatigued or having low energy, trouble falling or staying asleep, needing more sleep than usual, not feeling rested on wakening, feeling worse after normal physical activity, back ache, muscle aches and pains, bladder discomfort or change in urination, feeling irritable, sad, or decreased pressure, feeling panicky, anxious, or worried, trouble finding words or retrieving words, trouble with memory, and slower speed of thinking.

She did not feel her Lyme disease had worsened as a result of the vaccine. She strongly encouraged others to take the vaccine.

Lyme disease patient describes side effects following COVID-19 vaccine

HIGHLIGHTS

Question: Some individuals with a history of Lyme disease have expressed concerns that their Lyme disease symptom burden would increase if they were vaccinated for COVID-19. What is the clinical presentation of someone with a history of Lyme disease who has taken the COVID-19 vaccine?

Findings: This cross-sectional study reveals a high symptom burden in 1,168 individuals with a history of Lyme Disease. The GSQ-30 measure of symptom burden for 616 individuals with a history of Lyme disease who were vaccinated against COVID-19 was significantly lower than the symptom burden for the 552 who were not vaccinated.

Meaning: Contrary to common concerns, the COVID-19 vaccine did not worsen the symptom burden for individuals with a history of Lyme disease. Instead, the symptom burden was significantly lower relative to those who were not vaccinated. However, it remains possible that a small number of individuals would have negative reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Links to Lyme and COVID-19 series


8 Replies to "28-year-old woman with a history of Lyme disease describes side effects following her COVID-19 vaccine - a case discussion"

  • Beth
    06/05/2023 (6:22 am)
    Reply

    So grateful I passed on this horrendous shot. Someone told me they know a Lyme dr that said all his patients that took the shot are in relapse and he has no idea what to do. This dr – Cameron – was pushing them. Him and Horowitz. Shameful.

  • Sylvia franklin
    04/25/2022 (12:53 pm)
    Reply

    Wow. People and groups will do anything to push this experimental injection onto people. I’m really disappointed in this take as there is much to be concerned about. this by all means it not a “one size fits all” experimental injection that modulates your DNA. With no proper testing. VAERS death reports have already exceeded all tested past vaccines combined so until there is factual time tested proof I will not be part of this experiment. I’ve read too many reports from the people who are pushing this multi billion dollar opportunity (for them) on the masses.

  • Monique
    04/22/2022 (10:36 pm)
    Reply

    I AGREE !

  • Melissa Leavell
    03/30/2022 (11:45 am)
    Reply

    The fact that vaccinated lyme patients were less ill than unvaccinated ones may just reflect the sicker patients’ inability to get out of the house to get vaccinated, or their lack of concern for contracting covid because they rarely leave their homes.

    • Dr. Daniel Cameron
      03/30/2022 (1:21 pm)
      Reply

      Great question. There were 616 individuals with a history of Lyme disease who were vaccinated. At least we know their experience. In other words, that group was at least not worse.

  • Mark MacDuff
    03/30/2022 (10:17 am)
    Reply

    The vaccine is harmful according to the release of side effects from the manufacture and its suppressed history thus far . Lyme patients have seen the CDC in action before with member charged over their conflict of interests. To endorse this vaccine at such a point in time only indicates we are at a very troubling point in time with medicine and big pharma .If you want to continue to be a puppet with cytokine storms and auto immune responses i would get it to .Its been 24 years for me with Lyme, the history of treatment that i have witnessed with my involvement in Occupational Health and Safety( corruption ) has educated me on how to follow the politics and this virus since day one. We had safe treatments other than the vax unfortunately like lyme disease it created an opportunity for investment and monetary reward rather than a humanitarian cure .The Theory of Plum Island is looking more feasible every day as humanity is plagued with greed and the need for power we are witnessing with a vaxxine that doesn’t work like any other vaxxine pushed upon the public . This article is disgrace ,Doctor Cameron .

    • Dr. Daniel Cameron
      03/30/2022 (11:06 am)
      Reply

      Thanks for raising your concerns. This COVID-19 and Lyme disease Survey merely shares the experience of individuals with Lyme disease who contracted covid, or taken the vaccine or refused the vaccine. The next blog will reflect the concern of individuals with Lyme disease who have been hesitant or refused to take the vaccine.

    • Sylvia franklin
      04/25/2022 (12:54 pm)
      Reply

      Well said


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