What are the symptoms of Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome?
Doctors have known for years that they cannot rely on a physical exam to diagnose early Lyme disease unless they find an erythema migrans rash, Bell’s palsy, or heart block. Now, Rebman and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine acknowledge that doctors also cannot count on a physical exam to diagnose Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). [1]
In their article published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, the authors state, “Results from the physical exam and laboratory testing our sample of patients with PTLDS did not show a pattern of significant objective abnormalities.” However, “the most notable exception was the higher rate of diminished vibratory sensation on physical exam among participants with PTLDS.”
Following treatment for Lyme disease, it is uncommon to find “objective clinical manifestations” in patients with PTLDS, according to the researchers. In fact, “a much more likely scenario after treatment is the persistence or development of subjective symptoms without any residual or new objective manifestation.”
But the authors did discover a collection of symptoms among the Lyme disease patients which, when looked at as a whole, indicated the presence of problems post-treatment. For example, “Although only found in a small subset of our sample (3.4%), two participants met criteria for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, an autonomic condition that has been previously reported following Lyme disease.”
Meanwhile, nearly 32% of the PTLDS patients reported having “severe sleep difficulty,” 5% had “severe visual clarity issues” and 8.3% experienced photophobia.
In fact, researchers identified 19 diverse symptoms which they considered diagnostically and clinically relevant. Out of the 19 symptoms, 9 were especially significant and included fatigue, joint pain, focusing/concentration, muscle pain, memory, finding words, sleep, neck pain, and irritability.
The findings of severe fatigue, pain and cognitive complaints should not be surprising given that at least one of these symptoms was necessary to meet the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s (IDSA) criteria for Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. [2]
What is surprising is that no one in the control group had severe fatigue, pain or cognitive complaints. But 50% of PTLDS patients reported severe fatigue, 28.3% reported pain and 23.3% had cognitive complaints.
[bctt tweet=”50% of patients with Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome have severe fatigue. ” username=”DrDanielCameron”]
The remaining symptoms of PTLDS were paresthesias (tingling sensations), low back pain, headache, photophobia, dizziness, visual clarity, chills, coordination, sweats, fasciculations (muscle twitches), breathing difficulties, urination changes, and nausea.
This study supports what many Lyme treating doctors have found in their practices: patients who are treated for Lyme disease can suffer from a range of chronic, persistent and sometimes debilitating symptoms.
Related Articles:
Children in the Netherlands remain ill with Post-treatment Lyme borreliosis syndrome
Doctors say you are cured but you still feel the pain
Fatigue can be overlooked as a “sign” of Lyme disease
References:
- Rebman AW, Bechtold KT, Yang T, et al. The Clinical, Symptom, and Quality-of-Life Characterization of a Well-Defined Group of Patients with Posttreatment Lyme Disease Syndrome. Front Med (Lausanne). 2017;4:224.
- Wormser GP, Dattwyler RJ, Shapiro ED, et al. The clinical assessment, treatment, and prevention of lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;43(9):1089-1134.
Sherry Hedding
03/29/2018 (1:26 am)
I believe my eye issues are symptoms of PTLDS as the eye discomfort when looking down started with other neurological symptoms prior to treatment (at 10 months post infection) and still remains to some degree long after 3 weeks of doxy. Coupled with increased IOP, pupil abnormalities and possibly a mildly drooping lid.
Dr. Daniel Cameron
03/29/2018 (3:55 am)
I don’t like the term “Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome” also referred to as “PTLDS”. It implies that a persistent infection has been ruled out. A third of patients remain ill after 3 weeks of doxycycline at 6 months. You have been ill for 10 months. It is important to be evaluated by a neurologist and ophthalmologist in addition to looking at a tick borne illness.
Mindy
03/25/2018 (2:42 pm)
Hi,
You had treated my older son and me as well in the past and we greatly appreciate all your help!
My youngest son has been on doxycycline for 4 weeks, he is 14 years old. Originally he had a headache and nausea, at first we thought it was a stomach bug, but then went to the hospital to get antibiotics. We also ruled out a concussion. He was treated for 4 weeks and is on last pills . He was really feeling better and now he is having fatigue, he says he isn’t sleeping well. He has missed weeks of schoolCan the doxycycline be affecting his sleep? What should be our next step, should I be doing anything to help him with the antibiotics? Is there any way you could get in touch with me. We will be making an appointment, I haven’t slept in days myself and we are all really struggling If there is any way you can get in touch with me I would greatly appreciate it.
Dr. Daniel Cameron
03/26/2018 (1:24 am)
I am happy you and your son have done well. I am sorry to hear your 14 year old child is sick now. Give the office a call at 914 666 4665
Joan Daily
03/23/2018 (11:58 am)
I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2004. I was given antibiotics, which seemed to help. However, I still suffer from some of the symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, joint pain, and even neurological problems in controlling hand and leg movements. The inability to walk right etc, are temporary and generally happen when I am really tired and have been working hard. I lost touch with reality. Suspecting it was the medication I Went off the antibiotics (with the doctor’s knowledge) and started on Lyme disease natural herbal formula I ordered from GREEN HOUSE HERBAL CLINIC, I spoke to few people who used the treatment here in USA and they all gave a positive response, my symptoms totally declined over a 6 weeks use of the Green House Lyme disease natural herbal formula. I’m 70 now and doing very well, the disease is totally reversed! (Visit their website www . Greenhouseherbalclinic . com) I am thankful to nature, herbs are truly gift from God. I can now go about my daily activities and the pain is greatly diminished. Don’t give up hope, fellow sufferers. Share with friends!!
Billie
03/04/2018 (2:48 pm)
Barbara, I feel the same. Everyday different but the same. Thank you for posting. I feel if we could talk with each other about our symptoms that might help emotionally.
Rob Birchler
03/08/2018 (7:08 pm)
What a profound but accurate statement “Every day is different but the same. My issue is chronic fatigue, although it has been over 3 years I feel like I have never gotten my energy level back. I would welcome any sound advice or suggestions from anyone who has experienced this and has had success overcoming this ongoing feeling.
Barbara Cormack
02/18/2018 (3:49 pm)
I have all those symptons and I stopped treatment in 2013 after 2 1/2 years. I have good days and bad days and now learning to live with all this. Just keep my immune system boosted. I would love to wake up one morning and say I feel wonderful but know that isn’t going to happen. Barbara
Dr. Daniel Cameron
02/18/2018 (4:03 pm)
Sorry to hear you have some bad days. Too bad there is not a test to validate that a tick-borne infection has cleared.
Joseph F.
03/12/2018 (2:24 am)
The test is common sense, while we suffer everyone is running around making a nice living off our suffering. How come 20 years later I can take 3 months of Doxy and herx my butt off and after stopping I can feel pretty damn good for a few months before I
I start to tank again. Now no one will give me doxy cuz I have had runs of V-tach as part of my herx. No one will give me a defibrillator either to save me if I have a possible fatal event. So doxy helps chronic Lyme (post lyme syndrome) because I still have Lyme but Dr.”s on health insurance payrolls inform the government and public differently so they can make nice livings. Its B.S.!