Got a Tick Bite? This is How Lyme Disease is Treated
by Jason Martinez, IGeneX | 15 March 2022 | Lyme Disease Treatment Guide
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial infection, meaning the first-line treatment is antibiotics.
However, treating Lyme disease isn’t always as simple as a 10- to 14-day antibiotics course.
If Lyme disease goes undetected for too long, it can spread to multiple systems throughout the body, create complications, and thus become more challenging to treat.
Keep reading to learn how Lyme disease is treated at early vs. late stages, plus basic information on how the disease spreads and how to prevent severe illness.
# How does Lyme disease spread?
As mentioned, Lyme disease is the result of an infection by bacteria from the group Borrelia burgdorferi. There are dozens of known species and subspecies of B. burgdorferi, which are known as “spirochetes” because of their spiral shape.
But how do humans become infected with B. burgdorferi?
Through the bite of an infected tick. In North America, Lyme disease is spread in the Eastern U.S. by the Eastern blacklegged tick (also known as the deer tick), Ixodes scapularis; it is spread along the West Coast and in some Southwestern states by the Western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus.
A tick becomes infected with B. burgdorferi when it consumes a blood meal from an infected host, such as the white-footed mouse or gray squirrel.
(Note that both these species of tick also carry a type of Borrelia that spreads Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, a disease sharing some symptoms with Lyme but that will not show up on a Lyme disease test.)
Lyme disease is therefore not contagious; you cannot catch it from someone else who has Lyme. However, if you spend a lot of time outdoors or have found a tick on you at some point, you may have been exposed to Lyme or another tick-borne illness.
# Treatment depends on accurate diagnosis.
The most important factor in effectively treating Lyme disease is a timely diagnosis.
Unfortunately, many cases of Lyme disease go undetected and develop into chronic conditions.
Reasons range from problems with diagnostic testing, the timing of the test, the non-specificity of symptoms which can often mimic those of other diseases, and/or lack of experience with Lyme on the part of physicians, who may not recognise or take seriously some of the lesser known symptoms of Lyme.
Lyme disease tests are indirect tests, meaning they do not detect the actual bacteria in your system, but rather the antibodies your immune system has produced in response to the infection.
If you test too early or too late, you may not have enough antibodies to result in a positive test.
This is dangerous because of how challenging Lyme disease is to treat at later stages. So, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms or a bull’s eye rash, make an appointment with your doctor and get tested ASAP.
Typical example of a bull’s eye rash caused by Lyme Disease | © Medical News Today
# How is Lyme disease treated?
Antibiotics
Because it is a bacterial infection, the first-line treatment for Lyme is antibiotics. Many cases of Lyme resolve fully if treated with a 10- or 14- day antibiotic regimen during early stages of the disease.
The most commonly prescribed antibiotics for Lyme are doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime, which are typically taken orally but may also be given intravenously for severe cases.
Some physicians, particularly Lyme Literate Doctors (LLMDs), may recommend longer-term antibiotic courses for later stage or chronic Lyme. However, some doctors consider this a controversial practice, and as always, individual treatment regimens should be discussed with a trusted physician who understands your symptoms and medical history.
Treating complications
Some of the most common complications and variations of Lyme cited by the CDC are neurologic Lyme, Lyme carditis, and Lyme arthritis, which may require specialised treatment.
Neurologic Lyme - This is when the Lyme bacteria affects the peripheral or central nervous systems, leading to the types of nerve problems associated with some cases of Lyme, including Bell’s palsy, numbness, shooting pain or tingling in the limbs, light sensitivity, and stiff neck.
When these symptoms arise in early stages and are treated promptly with either oral or intravenous antibiotics, they may resolve, but can lead to permanent nerve damage if left untreated.
Lyme carditis - This rare complication occurs when Lyme affects the heart. Symptoms of Lyme carditis include irregular heartbeat and are usually referred to by physicians as “heart block,” which can vary in severity and change rapidly, according to the CDC. 14-21 days of antibiotics are the first-line treatment, but some patients may require a temporary pacemaker. In very rare cases, Lyme carditis can be fatal.
Lyme arthritis - This is the cause of the joint swelling and pain that some people experience with Lyme. The typical treatment is 4 weeks of antibiotics. However, as with the other complications on this list, patients who do not receive prompt treatment may experience permanent joint damage and chronic arthritic symptoms. It is also possible to experience post-treatment arthritis, possibly because of an autoimmune response triggered by the Lyme infection.
Treating late-stage and chronic Lyme
As mentioned, late-stage and chronic Lyme are more challenging to treat than early-stage Lyme because by this point, the disease has usually spread to multiple body systems, possibly causing permanent damage and/or triggering autoimmune responses. In these cases, an antibiotics course is usually not sufficient to address all of a patient’s symptoms.
Instead, the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) recommends that those with late-stage or chronic Lyme work with a trusted physician to create an individualized treatment plan that takes into consideration the severity of a patient’s particular symptoms.
These treatment strategies may include:
Long-term antibiotics
Holistic treatments, including herbal protocols, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc.
Dietary and lifestyle changes
If the Lyme infection has triggered an autoimmune disease or mental health problems such as anxiety or depression, those conditions will need to be addressed with specialised treatment as well.
Treating co-infections
Many Lyme patients are co-infected (i.e. simultaneously infected) with other tick-borne diseases that may not fully resolve unless detected and targeted with treatment alongside the Lyme treatment. Some of the most common Lyme co-infections include Babesiosis, Bartonellosis (Cat Scratch Disease), Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Rickettsiosis (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever).
If you’ve been treated for Lyme disease but are still experiencing symptoms consistent with tick-borne diseases, it is possible that you have an undiagnosed co-infection that may not have been eradicated by the Lyme treatment.
Lyme is serious, but treatable.
The good news is that Lyme disease is treatable. However, a positive prognosis requires accurate, timely testing and diagnosis.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease, don’t delay - seek testing and treatment immediately.
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