Chronic Fatigue and Lyme Disease

Interestingly, in my research regarding Lyme disease, I have made a discovery. This discovery may not be much to someone who is not fighting the battle of the disease. This discovery may not mean much to someone who is not fighting the battle to gain awareness for testing. However, with both of those battles in my lap, I feel the following linked article to be a great discovery.

www.chronicfatiguesupport.com

As you read the article, you begin to realize that someone is acknowledging factors that others are not willing to acknowledge.

First, this comes from Chronic Fatigue Support.com. They are acknowledging that Chronic Fatigue may actually be Lyme disease.

Second is a statement that I have gathered from many locations and sources into one and this link seems to sum it up rather profoundly.

"The incidence of asymptomatic infection has not been adequately delineated. There appear to be substantial numbers of patients who remain asymptomatic, but reactivate their disease a number of months or years later, following trauma, pregnancy, a medical illness for which an antibiotic is prescribed, or other stresses, including psychological stresses. The Lyme OspA vaccine has appeared to reactivate Lyme disease in a number of individuals who knew, but some who did not know, they had prior Lyme disease. The mechanisms responsible for the reactivation of the disease have not been defined, but may include both molecular mimicry and underlying infection."

Third, that many in the medical field don't recognize that there is Chronic Lyme disease or Late-Lyme disease. In this article, they are refuting those claims.

"That chronic Lyme Disease actually exists, and is likely the most common form of the disease, is supported by epidemiologic studies demonstrating that 30-50-% of treated and untreated patients go on to develop a multisymptom disorder typical of, and indistinguishable from, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue (1, 28). As with other multisymptom disorders, chronic Lyme disease is a clinical syndrome consisting of fatigue, arthralgias and myalgias,and other nervous system dysfunction(7).

Furthermore, the results of treatment studies appear to support the hypothesis that persistent infection is responsible for the chronic symptoms. It is likely that Lyme disease will serve as a useful model for other chronic multisymptom disorders. Whether the pathogenesis of "late" Lyme Disease differs from that of the chronic form of the disease remains to be established."

This last point is one that arguably could save the U.S. economy millions of dollars in healthcare costs, as well as saving lives and relieving stress of the individuals and families involved.

Sources:
Chronic Fatigue Support.com