My top treatment approaches for Lyme disease

Unfortunately, there simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment protocol for patients infected with Lyme disease and/or co-infections. This is why it's critical for physicians treating Lyme disease to invest time with patients, thoroughly understand their medical history, and closely monitor symptoms and treatment response.

With that in mind, there are currently two different treatment approaches for Lyme disease. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) have each published their own set of evidence-based treatment guidelines. IDSA guidelines recommend a short course of antibiotics, typically 14 to 30 days.

IDSA argues that the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria do not persist in a patient beyond this timeframe and that lingering symptoms are the result of an ongoing immune response and not an active infection. It also cites scientific evidence claiming treatments beyond 30 days are ineffective, unnecessary, and even dangerous. IDSA physicians will stop treatment after 30 days, even if symptoms remain. They advise an additional 30 days of treatment recommended for patients with Lyme arthritis. 

On the contrary, ILADS offers its own scientific data to show that a additional treatment with antibiotics is required to eradicate the bacteria. ILADS recognizes that a month of treatment may be sufficient for patients in the acute stage of Lyme disease, but in cases where the spirochete has disseminated and the disease has advanced, a 30-day treatment regimen is inadequate.

ILADS guidelines recommend additional antibiotics until a patient's symptoms have been resolved. Treating Lyme disease in its advanced stage can be complicated based on the complexity of the organism itself, differences in each patient's immune system, the length of time infected, and the possible presence of other co-infections transmitted by the same tick.

There are several choices in treating Lyme disease, which include oral, intravenous, and intramuscular antibiotic options. Other options may include sequential antibiotic therapy, higher doses of antibiotics, taking antibiotics for a longer period of time, a combination of antibiotics, retreatment, as well as diagnosing and treating co-infections. Some specific antibiotics used in treating Lyme disease are doxycycline, minocycline, amoxicillin, cefuroxime, azithromycin, and clarithromycin.

Other tests include measures of blood counts, chemistries, liver function tests, ANA, dsDNA, RF, TSH, free T3, free T4, ESR may be helpful at ruling out other conditions.  Referral to specialist might help to rule out other conditions. 

I find shared decision with my patient helpful. I also find follow-up helpful to assess my patient's response to treatment to rule out other conditions.

There are additional protocols that may also aid in treating Lyme disease, such as avoiding alcohol, simple and processed sugars, exercising as tolerated, counseling for a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, managing symptoms, monitoring and reducing the risk of an adverse event, and reducing stress. However, there is a chance of side effects such as Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Probiotic have been prescribed with the hope of reducing the risk of developing CDAD.