While outside this spring, it’s easy to forget about a small biting inconvenience. But May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about Lyme disease, its symptoms and the importance of tick bite prevention.
In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Lisa Najarian, she suffered for 16 years with symptoms and misdiagnosis before a blood test confirmed she had the disease.
- 0:00 Lyme disease symptoms
- 0:52 Lisa Najarian shares her Lyme disease diagnosis journey
- 1:59 Why is misdiagnosis so common for Lyme Disease?
- 3:27 Lyme disease testing and diagnosis
- 5:11 Lyme disease foundation
- 6:25 Tick awareness and prevention education
- 7:42 Message to those seeking a diagnosis
- 8:33 Is there a cure for Lyme disease?
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**Comment**
Yet another misdiagnosed patient who goes onto advocate for others. How many more will be misdiagnosed?
Question: Can you think of another disease (besides COVID) that has such horrifically inaccurate testing?
I was interested to hear Najarian’s shpeel on testing, and true to form she kind of froze, stumbled, and chose to switch topics to Lyme literate doctors.
I get it. I really do.
Testing for Lyme disease is a black hole without end.
I’m so jaded I personally don’t put any stock whatsoever into testing for tick-borne infections. They are a waste of time and money – particularly since chronic patients need to carefully plan where they decide to put their pennies as money will be flowing out their pockets for years.
If you want to understand testing, you must also understand the sordid Lyme disease vaccine history at Dearborn, Michigan: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/10/the-bitter-feud-over-lymerix/
In short, two Bb proteins OspA and OspB which are the most specific for Lyme disease were removed from testing due to the fact they interfered with Lyme vaccine development.
An issue that has NEVER been resolved.
Testing:
- https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/16/2-tier-lyme-testing-missed-85-7-of-patients-milford-hospital/
- https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/01/study-cdcs-2-tier-lyme-testing-inaccurate-in-more-than-70-of-cases/
- https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/12/lyme-testing-problems-solutions/
- https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/12/13/suppression-of-microscopy-for-lyme-diagnostics-professor-laane/
- https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2022/01/31/problematic-lyme-testing-shortchanges-patients-especially-children/
- https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/lyme-disease/diagnosis/
- https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2023/07/17/study-finds-classical-lyme-testing-does-not-aid-in-diagnosis-of-persistent-symptoms/
Madison Area Lyme Support Group 