Incomplete Lyme Advice
Here is an interesting example of questionable Lyme information.
Dr. Martin Kafina, a Harvard Medical School instructor and rheumatologist who appears to be concerned about alerting the public to the dangers of Lyme disease, yet neglects to emphasize the inaccuracies of Lyme testing.
He also plugs his specialty by strongly stating:
“It’s also important not to confuse Lyme disease with other conditions such as fibromyalgia or Lupus, which can present similar symptoms. Testing for Lyme disease, with a physical exam and blood test, can determine if you have the disease. In some instances of late Lyme disease, there is a condition known as antibiotic-resistant Lyme disease. This can occur when the immune system is activated by molecular debris (e.g., dead spirochetal proteins), and can be treated by a rheumatologist with certain immunomodulatory medicines.”
Most of his facts in the article appear accurate, but to insinuate that an exam and blood test will conclusively determine if you have Lyme is misleading.
Please be aware that there are over 300 strains of Lyme disease and most labs only test the few strains recognized by the CDC.
Lyme Handbook 