LymeNet Flash: Can Lyme infect new areas in the body?

LymeNet on Facebook

LymeNet on Twitter

Follow @LymeDiseaseNet

The Lyme Disease Network receives a commission from Amazon.com for each purchase originating from this site.

When purchasing from Amazon.com, please
click here first.

Thank you.

Dedicated to the Bachmann Family

LymeNet needs your help:
LymeNet 2020 fund drive

The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations.

»	LymeNet Flash » Questions and Discussion » Medical Questions » Can Lyme infect new areas in the body?

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Can Lyme infect new areas in the body?

shizuko
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 8213

posted

I am just curious:

1. Do Lyme bugs stay in the same areas once they infect certain areas of the body?

2. And whatever the symptoms in these areas may progress in severity over a period of time?

3. Or are they capable of moving around freely inside our bodies, infecting new areas?

4. So, the symptoms could not only "progress" in severity, but also "spread" to include other parts of the body (thus, different symptoms)?

5. Is it possible for Lyme to "progress/worsen" in certain symptoms or "spread" while being treated with ABX?

6. If so, how can we differentiate that (progression of Lyme) from herxing while on ABX?

The answers might be obvious/simple to you all, but I am fairly new to Lyme and don't have much clue.

Thanks.

shizuko

Posts: 110 | From Northern Virginia | Registered: Nov 2005 | IP: Logged |

Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374

posted

The Lyme bacteria does move around to different body parts. It can infect almost any organ or part of the body. That is one of the reasons Lyme is so complicated.

Many people not only have varying symptoms, the symptoms sometimes vary day by day.

The symptoms can definitely progress. At the same time, I have had symptoms wax and wane. I had severe knee problems in my adolescence from Lyme that no longer exist. The symptom stopped on its own, many years before my diagnosis. But it would reappear every once in a while.

If your Lyme is progressing on abx, then it suggests you are not on the right abx or that you are missing a coinfection. But, remember that Lyme has a 4 week cycle. So you could just be in the bad part of the cycle.

Differentiating between a herx and worsening is not always easy. I go by how quickly after starting abx the new symptom came, and if it gets any better as I continue the abx. If it starts 2 months after being on the same abx, probably not a herx.

--------------------
"When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison

Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged |

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:

The Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey
907 Pebble Creek Court, Pennington, NJ 08534 USA
http://www.lymenet.org/