Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
Some patients continue to experience Lyme symptoms, such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, musculoskeletal aches, and neurocognitive dysfunction after the infection has been cleared by standard antibiotic therapy. According the IDSA, these symptoms may be due to persisting inflammatory responses, by genetically predisposed individuals, to bacterial debris left in the body after the infection is cleared. Additionally, the initial infection can do irreversible damage to various parts of the body. A study by the IDSA showed that these symptoms decrease in severity and incidence over time, but some sufferers experienced them for up to 9 years.
The CDC refers to this condition as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, stating that between 10-20% of Lyme disease patients experience it to some degree. There is no consensus on how to treat it. The IDSA has put forth guidelines that prohibit doctors from treating with prolonged courses of antibiotics, but they offer no alternative. Patients are therefore treated to manage their symptoms instead of treating the syndrome itself. Their claim is any remaining symptoms are "autoimmune" in nature, not persistent infection.
While there is currently no known cure, various therapies are being investigated. The Columbia University Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center are conducting studies that involve the practice of meditation and yoga to help pain and fatigue associated with other chronic illnesses as well as to improve overall physical, mental, and emotional health.
The CDC refers to this condition as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, stating that between 10-20% of Lyme disease patients experience it to some degree. There is no consensus on how to treat it. The IDSA has put forth guidelines that prohibit doctors from treating with prolonged courses of antibiotics, but they offer no alternative. Patients are therefore treated to manage their symptoms instead of treating the syndrome itself. Their claim is any remaining symptoms are "autoimmune" in nature, not persistent infection.
While there is currently no known cure, various therapies are being investigated. The Columbia University Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center are conducting studies that involve the practice of meditation and yoga to help pain and fatigue associated with other chronic illnesses as well as to improve overall physical, mental, and emotional health.
This page was created for Marc Bousquet's English 363 course at Emory University as part of the Domain of One's Own Initiative.