What can I do as I have symptoms of Lyme Disease, yet all the tests keep coming back negative?

Published: August 24, 2013
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Hello Dr. T, I want to say your book Fatigue to Fantastic has been my bible for the last three years. I have seen 15 doctors and specialists over the past three years. I was initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome but with very liitle lab work to support this diagnosis. Needless , to say , I sat on the sidelines of my life and paced myself, not getting better but worse. When I read your book I started to unravel the mystery of CFS. I went to an infectious disease specialist who did a ton of blood work on me. He found out that I had a tick infection called babeesia. I got treatment for that, this past March and am feeling a bit better . My question to you is even though I have been tested many times for Lyme disease , I always have a negative result. , My symptoms are becoming neurological and I believe I need to be treated,, how do I get a Dr. to give me treatment without the positive test they require? 

Answer

Unfortunately, there is no testing that I yet find reliable for Lyme disease. Because of this, treatment needs to be made based on clinical findings. It is important to realize that many of the symptoms ascribed to Lyme disease are simply part of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, although some symptoms such as vertigo, are not part of CFS and more suggestive of Lyme or other conditions. If you're looking for a physician familiar with Lyme disease who recognizes the need to treat in some cases despite a negative test, see International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society . But be sure that you do the rest of the shine protocol with it, because the antibiotics by themselves are unlikely to be adequately effective.

L&B,
Dr. T

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD

is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.

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