Symptoms of Lyme disease can linger for months and even years after the initial treatment of the disease. About 10 percent of all Lyme disease patients develops Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, sometimes also referred to as chronic Lyme disease. It is unclear why some patients develop PTLDS, while others do not. A number of experts believes that the symptoms are caused by a persistent but undetectable infection. Others blame an auto-immune response, triggered by the initial infection.
Symptoms related to Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS):
- - A level of fatigue comparable to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia;
- - Arthritis and joint stiffness;
- - Headaches and cognitive problems;
- - Numbness / loss of feeling;
- - Heart problems.
Treatment of PTLDS:
When Lyme disease is detected at an early stage and treated with the right kind of antibiotics, related symptoms usually disappear within six months after treatment. Scientific evidence shows that prolonged treatment with antibiotics has no significant positive effects when symptoms persist and a patient has developed PTLDS. Since the cause of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome is unclear, there is no consensus on a recommended treatment for this particular condition.