Chronic Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can be treated and cured with antibiotics if recognized early. In some cases, however, you may find that the symptoms persist for months or even years. This condition is referred to as chronic Lyme disease or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).

Symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease

Chronic Lyme disease is associated with a large range of symptoms that may include any of the following:

Every individual is unique in their genetic makeup, medical history, and environmental exposures, and each of these factors can affect how chronic Lyme disease manifests itself in your body. In addition, chronic Lyme disease shares symptoms with other chronic illnesses, which can complicate the process of diagnosing and treating the disease. For example, chronic Lyme is frequently misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Celiac disease, and other autoimmune disorders. Finally, testing sometimes reveals that a patient is suffering from more than one serious health issue, a situation that can undermine attempts to treat the Lyme infection.

If you experience some symptoms of Lyme and have a high risk of exposure to ticks because you spend time outdoors in the warmer months or own outdoor pets, a helpful first step is the Horowtiz Lyme-MSIDS (Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome) Questionnaire.

Developed by Lyme expert, Dr. Richard Horowitz, this test should not replace medical advice from your physician but can be a useful tool to determine the likelihood of Lyme or other tick-borne illnesses. The only way to confirm or rule out a Lyme diagnosis is with a blood test.

How We Can Help

At The Kaplan Center, our providers have years of experience diagnosing and treating patients with complex, chronic conditions such as chronic Lyme disease.

At your first visit, your Kaplan physician will take time exploring the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your symptoms and the overall status of your health. You’ll also be asked about the medications and therapies you’ve tried in the past, and what has and hasn’t worked for you. To gather additional information about your condition, specialized diagnostic laboratory testing may be necessary.

After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your physician will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis and working with you to create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan that addresses not only your immediate symptoms but also any possible underlying or co-existing conditions that also may be causing or contributing to your symptoms.

We offer a multitude of effective treatment options, including:

• Acupuncture
• Biotoxicity/Neurotoxicity Protocol
• Intravenous Supplementation
• Meditation Training for Stress Management
• Nutritional Counseling
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Physical Therapy
• Prescription Medication
• Sleep Evaluation & Management

Additional Resources: