Is Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome Treatable?
30—iPain Living Magazine
by Centers For Disease Control and Prevenon
Lyme disease is caused by infection
with the bacterium
Borrelia burgdorferi. Although
most cases of Lyme disease
can be cured with a 2- to 4-
week course of oral antibiotics,
patients can sometimes have
symptoms of pain, fatigue, or
difficulty thinking that lasts
for more than 6 months after
they finish treatment. This
condition is called Post-
Treatment Lyme Disease
Syndrome (PTLDS).
Why some patients experience
PTLDS is not known. Some experts
believe that Borrelia
burgdorferi can trigger an “auto
-immune” response causing
symptoms that last well after the
infection itself is gone. Auto–
immune responses are known to
occur following other infections,
including campylobacter
(Guillain-Barré syndrome),
chlamydia (Reiter’s syndrome),
and strep throat (rheumatic
heart disease).
Other experts hypothesize that
PTLDS results from a persistent
but difficult to detect infection.
Finally, some believe that the
symptoms of PTLDS are due to
other causes unrelated to the
patient’s Borrelia burgdorferi
infection.
Unfortunately, there is no proven
treatment for PTLDS. Although
short-term antibiotic
treatment is a proven treatment
for early Lyme disease, studies
external icon funded by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
have found that long-term outcomes
are no better for patients
who received additional prolonged
antibiotic treatment than
for patients who received placebo.
Long-term antibiotic treatment
for Lyme disease has been associated
with serious, sometimes
deadly complications, as described
in the links below. Yet
many PTLDS patients choose
this treatment when they can get
access to it. Here in AZ there is
legislation going through the
bill process currently to receive
access to this exact
care.
Patients with PTLDS
usually get better over
time, but it can take
many months to feel
completely well. If you
have been treated for Lyme
disease and still feel unwell, see
your healthcare provider to discuss
additional options for managing
your symptoms.
If you are considering long-term
antibiotic treatment for ongoing
symptoms associated with a
Lyme disease infection, please
talk to your healthcare provider
about the possible risks of such
treatment before making your
decision.
Content source: Centers for Disease Control
and Prevenon, Naonal Center for
Emerging and Zoonoc Infecous Diseases
(NCEZID), Division of Vector-Borne Diseases
(DVBD), Nov. 2019