Are your friends/family afraid of getting Lyme disease?

[cave76]

People should be afraid of contracting Lyme disease---- not only is it not diagnosed early enough (if ever) then it's often under-treated.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/12/opinion/weintraub-lyme-disease/index.html

Editor's note: Pamela Weintraub is the author of "Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic" (St. Martin's Press), winner of the 2009 American Medical Writers Association book award, and executive editor of Discover magazine.


Snips:
"[...] spend the next decade struggling to get well. Along the way, we had to navigate one of the most vitriolic fights in medicine. As the scientific community fought over the very nature of Lyme disease, debating everything from who actually had it to what treatment worked best, misdiagnosed patients were left to wander the medical outback without a compass or any clear path back to health."

"When doctors attuned to the CDC's rigorous definition resist diagnosing any but the most classic patients -- those with an obvious Lyme rash or highly positive test -- it means patients are left to advance to later, harder-to-treat stages of the disease."

[Claire_MHModerator]

Hi, folks,

Just a reminder to carefully evaluate any web content you come across, whether it's a post on MedHelp or an article on the web.  

Claire
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[JackieCalifornia]

The post above says:  "People should be afraid of contracting Lyme disease---- not only is it not diagnosed early enough (if ever) then it's often under-treated."

People, do NOT be afraid of Lyme.  It is an infection carried by tiny ticks, and it IS curable.  The statement above is simply wrong.  

1 -- Do NOT be 'afraid' of Lyme.  It's treatable, and the sooner the better.

2 -- It is NOT true that Lyme 'is not diagnosed early enough' -- sometimes diagnosis is delayed, but a flat statement that it IS NOT diagnosed early enough is wrong.  Even late diagnosis does not prevent effective treatment.  I had Lyme for several years before getting diagnosed and treated, and I am well today.

3 -- It is NOT true that Lyme is 'often' undertreated.  It CAN be undertreated by MDs who are not familiar with Lyme, and that's the reason to find an MD who is experienced and knowledgeable in Lyme diagnosis and treatment.

To anyone reading this thinking you may have Lyme:

                   -- Lyme is treatable and curable. --  

The trick is finding an MD who is knowlegeable and trained in Lyme diagnosis and treatment.  It is a fast-developing field of medicine, and some docs are not up to date, but there are many who are.

We do NOT post MD's names in public on this site, but if you need help finding an MD who understands Lyme, please post here that you are looking for one OR email to
      
                      contact   [at]    ILADS   [dot]   org

and tell them what geographic area you are in  ("near Toledo"; "in southwestern Missouri") and how far you can travel.  They can send you the names of MDs who think more progressive thoughts about Lyme diagnosis and treatment than other docs who haven't caught up yet.

ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) is the main voluntary group for MD who think more progressive thoughts about Lyme.

Let us know if you have any questions -- we've all been where you are.  Don't give up!