Because Lyme is so common, doctors often assume it is the sole problem in patients with tickborne infection, not recognizing newer diseases, says Durham’s doctor, Daniel J. Cameron, M.D., an internist and epidemiologist in Mount Kisco, New York, and past president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. It’s possible that undetected coinfections could help explain the medical mystery that is known as category 4, or "chronic," Lyme. Some sufferers contend their symptoms continue to affect them after the standard treatment of two to four weeks, but not all doctors believe Lyme persists. What if some of these patients continue to struggle because they have another tick-borne infection? "You have to examine whether you have prescribed appropriate antibiotics for each infection that might have been in that tick," Dr. Cameron says. "The problem is that doctors are reluctant to treat any more than the bare minimum, and they lose the opportunity to treat people in a timely manner."
Read the entire article at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41973641/ns/health-infectious_diseases/
2 Comments
Thank you Turn the Corner Foundation. They’ve traced my Lyme back to 1975 and I was only diagnosed last year. My chances of survival? Slim-to-none. I’ve spent more than $225K just getting diagnosed and now have no money left for treatments. I wish I could win the lottery to give you all that you need to help save the others. Keep up the good work. There are thousands of us waiting.
I think what so many fellow Lyme Disease tend to neglect is exercise. Easy enough to understand since Lyme can be a very disabling condition. Thanks to this blog and the example Chronic Triathlete has set for all of us, I’ve realized how important exercise is in maintaining, as well as improving, my health while I fight this disease. As difficult as it has been, exercise has probably helped me more than any MD or bottle of pills ever will. I’ve been battling this problem since June 2008 and although I haven’t beat it, I feel like I’ve probably got it on the run. Thanks again Chronic Triathlete!