Lyme Disease
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About Lyme
Lyme is called "the great imitator" or "master mimic" because its symptoms mimic many other diseases and almost any part of the body can be affected, even years later.
Patients suffer an average of 5 years before being diagnosed
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- ADHD
- Mental Health Disorders
- Parkinsons
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Lupus/Rheumatoid Arthritis
22 Reasons Why Lyme Tests are Challenging to Interpret
1. A recent infection has occurred and is tested before the immune cells produce Borrelia antibodies
2. Taking antibiotics before Lyme testing, which co-opted an antibody response
3. Long term antibiotic use for a concurrent illness
4. Free Borrelia antibodies were not present and detectable in blood because they bind to Borrelia bacteria's outer surface proteins
5. Spirochetes are protected and hiding inside a biofilm colony
6. Spirochetes were burrowed deep inside the cartilage, connective tissue, and organs
7. Only small blebs were present, not whole bacteria which are needed for PCR
8. No free spirochetes in the blood on the day of testing
9. Genetic heterogeneity- there are over 300 strains of spirochete bacteria which cause Lyme in the US alone. The test may not detect the particular strain
10. Antigen variability- Borrelia can change its outer surface proteins to suit its environment so the test will detect a non-Lyme specific antibody
11. Spirochetes are in dormancy phase (L-form) without cell walls, so the immune system has nothing to attack
12. Borrelia surface antigens can change body temperature, thus denaturing active immune recognition
13. Pre-existing Immune deficiency
14. Recent anti-inflammatory treatment which suppresses the immune system
15. Co-infections like Babesia will cause Immune suppression
16. Downregulation of immune system by body's own cytokines
17. Lab errors or poor technician capability and training to detect valid results
18. Lab test is not standardized for detecting late-stage Lyme
19. Lab test approved for investigational use only
20. Lack of adequate reference values (do not use enough strains)
21. The revised Western Blot criteria fails to include correct antibody bands
22. CDC testing criteria is designed for epidemiology studies only, not clinical diagnostics
