Lyme and Associated Tick-Borne Disease

Many people with this disease may go to their primary care provider, and then to various specialists, trying to find out what is wrong with them.  They may be told that they are crazy.  They may be told there is nothing wrong with them, or they may be misdiagnosed with Fibromyalgia, ALS, MS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, Alzheimer’s, amytrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Gulllain-Barré. (these are the most common misdiagnoses).   The reason this happens is most likely because there are two schools of thought.  One is from the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), which states that if there is no known tick bite and a person tests negative on the standard lab test, they do not have Lyme disease.  This creates a lack of knowledge in the doctors who follow the IDSA guidelines.

The other school of thought is the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS), which realizes that there is adequate literature available to diagnose and treat this devastating disease, and they, too, have guidelines, which are very different from those of IDSA. 

Treatment should encompass a consultation and/or treatment from an ILADs trained health care provider.  I believe the practitioner should also have experience in Functional Medicine, and the teachings of Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD.

This illness can affect many body systems, or be predominantly in one system.  Symptoms can come and go.  Symptoms can change.  The following is a partial list of symptoms of Lyme and Tick-Borne disease: 

Short term memory loss, poor concentration, word finding difficulty, severe depression, OCD, panic, fear, anxiety, diagnosis of Bipolar disorder, rapid mood swings, tenderness on top of the head, numbness on any part (s) of the body, nightmares, shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, irregular heart beat, sweats, chills, fevers, sensations in the hands and/or feet, sensitivity to sound, light, ringing in ears, swollen glands, mild sore throat, dry cough, skin rashes, burning nerve pain, severe joint pain, weakness, fatigue, muscle pain, stiff neck, parts of the body that are sensitive to touch, poor sleep, frequent infections, delayed healing.  Symptoms that get worse before, during, or after menstruation.