What does a Lyme flare-up feel like? Ask the Lyme Doc.
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can lead to unpredictable disease flare-ups and remissions. The best know flare-up is called a Herxheimer reaction. A Herxheimer reaction was first identified in patients with syphilis and occurs when the body reacts to endotoxin-like products released by the death of bacteria in the body after starting an antibiotic. A flare-up may occur following a trigger or as part of the illness.
When a Lyme disease flare occurs, patients will notice a return of the symptoms they have experienced before or a worsening of existing symptoms. Some patients may also develop new symptoms. A flare-up can come and go and vary in intensity. What does a Lyme flare-up feel like? The symptoms of a flare-up can include:
- an increase in fatigue
- problems with memory and concentration, sometimes referred to as ‘brain fog’
- extreme sensitivity to bright lights, heat, cold, and noise
- muscle stiffness
- mood changes (including irritability)
- poor quality sleep
- dizziness
- numbness or tingling in hands and feet
- widespread muscle pain
- blurred vision
- general body pain
What triggers a flare-up?
One of the best ways to prevent a flare is to determine what might be causing it in the first place. These causes are called triggers. Triggers for Lyme disease vary by person, but they can include:
- emotional stress (such as a divorce, death in the family, or accidents)
- physical stress to the body (i.e., surgery, physical harm, concussion)
- life stress or stressful events
- infections, colds or viral illnesses
- exhaustion
- diets including processed sugars and alcohol
- menstrual period
- lack of sleep
- traveling and/or changes in schedule
- changes in treatment
How do you prevent a flare-up?
There are ways to help prevent a flare-up but most importantly, patients need to listen to their bodies and identify triggers that set off a flare in symptoms. Following are several ways to prevent a flare-up:
- Treat your Lyme disease
- Reduce your stress
- Get enough rest and sleep
- Stay away from foods that make you feel worse, including alcohol and processed sugars
- Learn to pace yourself to avoid doing too much when you are feeling well
- Keep up your health
- Stay hydrated
- Work with your doctor to get your symptoms under control
- Some people find ‘positive thinking’ helpful
- Try focusing on the things you can do, rather than those you can’t
- You might find a mental health provider helpful
Editor’s note. What does a Lyme flare-up feel like? Ask the Lyme doc sponsored by Dr. Cameron
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Shirl Breyfogle
01/05/2024 (4:07 am)
Had Lyme over 30 yrs ago. It was misdiagnosed for about 5 years. MD had me on antibiotics for over 3 yrs, and changed around the meds a lot so my body wouldn’t get used to it and render it ineffective. It went into remission but I believe it has flared up. Symptoms have gone on for awhile now but no one believes me.
Dr. Daniel Cameron
01/05/2024 (3:51 pm)
I hope you find a solution again.I find that treatment for Babesia has been helpful.
Nicole B
11/19/2023 (7:52 am)
I’m uninsured and at a loss for what to do right now. I was tested for lyme at patient first, it came back negative. I KNOW I have lyme. My f-ing dog tested positive and he only got bit once. I noticed before this flare up, that I think was triggered by a viral infection(come to think of it, I also drank a couple of days before too), the place where I was bit by a tick a year ago started to itch again. Anyone else notice that? Can you take another round of antibiotics for a flare up? Any advice is appreciated, I’m gonna try cutting out beef and processed sugar and it looks like it’s fish for dinner tonight. Thanks in advance for any insight or advice.
Dr. Daniel Cameron
11/19/2023 (8:46 am)
I have had Lyme disease patients who have had a flareup of their Lyme disease after a simple virus infection or COVID-19. I have also had patients whose flareup was due to a Herxheimer reaction after taking an antibiotics or an unrelated infection or for COVID pneumonia.
Taylor Enman
11/16/2023 (2:49 am)
Hi. I was diagnosed with Lyme a few weeks ago and have been sick for months. I’m 2 weeks through a 4 week antibiotic treatment. And had been feeling so much better but I got the stomach flu this last weekend and ever since my symptoms seem to have flared and it feels like my body is back on overdrive. Do you think this will be a constant thing anytime I get a cold or flu?
Also I have noticed the entire time that I get heart palpitations when doing physical exercises that are beyond walking or slow movements. When I got the stomach flu I had heart palpitations for basically the entire time my body was fighting the infection off (so like 2 days). Is this common? Should I be concerned?
Thank you!
Dr. Daniel Cameron
11/16/2023 (7:30 am)
My Lyme patients often have flare ups of symptoms after initial gains. In some cases these patients also have Babesia which is a tick borne infection requiring atovaquone. I also have patients who have autonomic issues (e.g. POTS) related to Lyme disease where they have tachycardia and stomach issues.
Jason McKay
11/07/2023 (1:38 am)
Hello, my name is Jason in 2008. I noticed a tick embedded underneath the head of my penis. I guess when I saw it I pulled it off not thinking nothing of it. I was working on the concrete industry then. One night in the shower few nights after I pulled it off. Well I developed a hard ring all the way around right under the head 1/8″x1/8″ I went to bed and then at 3?? In the morning I woke up in pain a rash everywhere. Didn’t have primary Dr. So hospital was my only help. Needless to say like clockwork every 3weeks at 3?? In the morning. Pain rash. Couldn’t move hardly. Well that went on. The 3weeks at 3in the morning. 3 months. Finally the hospital told me what I had was Lyme disease. From a deer tick. Well they gave the antibiotics and to follow up with my Dr. Well after the script of antibiotics. I didn’t get the flare up rash and the pain of it. But then in 2014. One night after working. I woke up at 330 400 am and I so much joint pain burning sensation, But no rash. So I went to pain management Dr. And he just said I had scar tissue irreversible damage to my hands and elbows. They my hands and arms felt like the skin was burning off of me. Tingle and itch. So now I’m 51 yrs old. And have been dealing with. My hands tingling hurt,fatigue ,shortness of breath, but I tolerate it, ughh , blurred vision every now and again. Neurological dizziness, brain fog, for which they called. Vertigo. What do I do I just watched a documentary on Lyme disease. I didn’t know that it could cause all those symptoms. And I wonder if the ringing in my ears is caused by it. But they called it tinnitus. Please I’m a little concerned now I never get concerned about my body. Because Its always naturally healed itself. And I’ve put it through more than what 20 people would put there body through in a lifetime. I always told everyone when they would ask me how did you heal how did you get over that? Because I never been to a regular Dr. Last time I was 13yrs. Old. Or a dentist. And I have all my heathy teeth. I just simply tell them I’m a genetic freak. But for real now I’m seriously need your thoughts and tell me where and what I should do, per I still don’t have a regular physician please. Thank you. Hope I hear from you.sooon. everything in this nothing is stretched exactly the way it happens
Pawlak Kris
10/30/2023 (5:15 am)
Hi I had same issues every 5 years lasting about a 1-3 months, fatige, small joint paint, knee pain, neck stiffness, headeaches, dizzyness, and very blurry vision on left eye, also i have memory and speach problems. However this year starting in September It was so bad I went to doc they run test Elisa and WBlot and IGM was present 21.7 and osp25 @56 and vise @6 I also went to hospital to get lumbar fluid tested and they did not find any igm or igg, I did not start any treatment yet, my question is Could that be a lyme disease that went untreated for years or is something else not Borelliosis !? I dont have iggs in blood.
Dr. Daniel Cameron
10/30/2023 (2:31 pm)
Some Lyme disease patients do not have a positive Western blot test. Only one in ten chronic neurologic Lyme disease patients had a positive lumbar puncture. There are tick borne infections including Babesia.