I do not believe in this whole Lyme’s syndrome/ chronic illness hypothesis. I live in tick country, can’t go outside without getting a dozen. Everyone in my family tests positive for Lyme’s, as I would guess does everyone in the rural parts of the county in which I live. Only one person I know ever had symptoms, which are pretty generic and could be attributed to many other potential causes. Likewise with our dogs, all that have been tested have postive antibodies to Lyme’s, only one ever had symptoms, which could have other causes. If there is something to this, it must be a very small sub-population that has a strong susceptability to this disease process that the majority of us do not share. Doctors and veternarians I have spoken to about this agreed; two of the doctors went so far as to say it is psychosomatic/mental illness— they believe real Lyme’s has always been easily and quickly treatable with a single course of anti-biotics and people who have lingering symptoms are delusional.
had that bulls-eye rash back in ‘78 in Taxachussetts.
I thought it was from the black chick I’d dated and slept with a few mos. earlier.
The rash went away, and so did the girl.
Of course it could be some people are just more susceptible to the complications due to their unique genome. Sorta like Poison ivy hits some harder than others....allergies, hay fever, list goes on and on.
RE: those with persistent Lyme disease symptoms are delusional -
Ignorant belief.
Lyme disease is often associated with a combination of up to six different bacteria, and accurate testing can be elusive.
My very healthy kids (one of which is a very tough athletic military officer) have had bouts with Lyme, and we’re not cured by “a single course of antibiotics”.
Revised treatment protocol now advised up to 90+ days of antibiotics.
Our US Servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan also were reported to have contracted debilitating Lyme like disease from sand fly bites.
Lyme disease is recognized by the international medical community to be a rapidly spreading global health threat.
Symptoms can range from mild, chronic and life threatening.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3879353/
Lyme Disease is very real; you wouldn’t mistake it for anything else. As for the long-term/chronic cases (usually caused by delayed treatment/misdiagnosis), the few cases I’m familiar with don’t involve anything to gain for the patients. I don’t envy them.
I was over it quickly with antibiotics, have occasional aches that may be caused by age or being out of shape, and feel lucky.
My daughter nearly died when she was a child when Lyme got into her brain and spinal cord. Started with a ‘bullseye’ rash and fever, then moved on from there.