Lyme Disease
Favorite Lyme Blog Posts
Does Lyme disease exist in the South?
A Patient’s Story from the South My patient from Florida looked me straight in the eye and said, “But Lyme doesn’t exist down here, right?” That’s what she’d been...
What Happens if a Tick’s Mouthparts Stay in Your Skin?
It’s not uncommon for the mouthparts of a tick to break off and remain in the skin after removal. Fortunately, this rarely increases the risk of infection, including Lyme...
Lyme Disease and Joint Pain: Is It Debris—or a Missed Persistent Infection?
New research into Lyme arthritis (joint pain due to an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi) is challenging long-standing assumptions about what causes persistent symptoms after treatment. For years, many clinicians...
Can you have neurologic Lyme disease even if your spinal tap is normal?
🧠When a Patient Hears “Spinal Tap,” They Often Ask: “Do I really need one just to check for Lyme disease?” It’s a reasonable question. A spinal tap—more formally,...
Why I Treated Him for Lyme—Even When His Test Was Negative
Patients Deserve an Explanation One of the most common—and most important—questions I hear from patients is: “If my Lyme test is negative, why are you still treating me?” It’s...
Could Piperacillin Be the Lyme Disease Breakthrough We Need?
A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine by researchers at Northwestern University has generated cautious optimism in the Lyme disease community. The study found that an older antibiotic—piperacillin—was...
When Lyme Treatment Fails: Could It Be Babesia?
Babesia is increasingly recognized as a serious and sometimes overlooked tick-borne infection. While many patients and providers are aware of Lyme disease, they may not consider co-infections like Babesia—especially...
Do Ticks Wash Off in the Shower?
How a Shower Can Help Taking a shower after being outdoors is a smart habit, especially during tick season. It can help reduce your chances of getting bitten by...
Lyme Disease: One Teen’s Story of Struggle and Strength
A Patient’s Story Worth Sharing Today, I want to share a story that has stayed with me—a story about one of my teenage patients who faced overwhelming challenges after...