The difficulty with lyme diagnosis and treatment exists primarily due to two warring factions in the medical community...IDSA (Infectious Disease Society of America) does not recognize the existence of chronic Lyme disease. ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) is the main advocacy group established to oppose the IDSA and help those suffering from chronic Lyme. IDSA guidelines are the ones being followed by the majority of the medical community.

From their guidelines:

As in the past, the guidelines do not recommend ongoing antibiotic therapy for those with chronic symptoms who have completed the recommended initial course of treatment for Lyme disease.

Doctors who treat lyme 'beyond the initial course' are often persecuted and some have actually been removed from practicing medicine.

My doctor is also fearful of reprisal, so he treats me discreetly. He also has lyme, so he is committed to treating patients with the latest knowledge and resources-but he is careful about how he prescribes and lists diagnoses so as to avoid undue scrutiny.

I'm sorry to hear that getting treated and diagnosed is still so difficult. I went 36 years without being diagnosed myself, as doctor after doctor gave me meds for symptoms without actually looking for the real cause.

Welcome Breia Lee.

Hi Kitt! Thanks for the welcome!