What is Lyme Disease?
Lyme Disease is classically defined as an infectious and inflammatory condition initially characterized by a rash, fever, chills, and headache potentially followed by arthritic, neurological, and cardiac disorders. While this is the most widely known series of symptoms, Lyme disease can present a variety of different ways which can make it difficult to identify.
Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete bacteria that is transmitted most commonly by ticks. Symptoms may occur days or months after exposure. Symptoms can include those listed above in the acute phase, however other symptoms may present themselves over time. If left untreated, patients have a greater likelihood of developing additional symptoms.
​
Symptoms may include, but are not limited to:
-
Joint and muscle pain, joint swelling and stiffness, TMJ
-
Chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations
-
Muscle twitching, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, dizziness, motion sickness, tremor, double or blurred vision
-
Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, brain fog
-
Increased sensitivity to light and sound, buzzing or ringing in the ears
-
Mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder
-
Nausea, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, irritable bladder
-
Fever, chills, sweats, weight change, fatigue, hair loss
Why is Lyme disease so hard to diagnose?
Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose, especially if your medical provider isn't well-educated when it comes to Lyme. The development of symptoms can be very different from one person to another, the diagnostic tests are incredibly unreliable, and there can be many comorbid conditions and complicating factors that make it difficult to identify.
​
Patients often suffer from associated conditions like POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), sleep disorders, MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome), food sensitivities, leaky gut/dysbiosis, chronic urinary infections, May Thurner Syndrome, mood changes, mold toxicity and more. When a patient is experiencing these complicating conditions, it can be difficult to sort through the symptoms to identify the underlying cause, Lyme disease.
How do you treat Lyme disease?
The Lyme bacteria can be difficult to eradicate given possible coinfections and various defense mechanisms it uses to persist in the body despite antibiotic therapy or immune system activity. Therefore, treatment is complex and requires thoughtful use of antimicrobial agents that target the responsible pathogens effectively.
​
Restorative Health & Wellness provides comprehensive, individualized, and effective care for patients suffering with Lyme disease. Our providers work hard to ensure that their patient's receive the best support and treatment possible.
​
We utilize pulsed antibiotic therapy where patients take antibiotics every other day for a couple weeks each month. This is to help kill bacteria, prevent overwhelming inflammation, limit stress on the gut, and to strengthen the immune system so that it can eventually learn to fight the infection on its own. In addition to antibiotics, we use supportive medications and supplements for symptomatic management, so that patients can regain functionality within their lives even before the infection is completely eradicated.
​
Restorative Health & Wellness offers IV antibiotics to treat Lyme disease for patients who require more rigorous treatment. Our providers work with patients to determine whether IV antibiotics are the best course of action, then formulate a comprehensive care plan with regular follow ups to monitor progress. IV antibiotics are helpful for patients who have chronic and disseminated the disease for which oral antibiotics are insufficient.