Lyme disease and chronic infections

Vector-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease and related co-infections, represent an emerging global pandemic. This rise is being driven by climate change and human encroachment into natural ecosystems. These infections are now increasingly recognized as underlying causes of many chronic health conditions—ranging from fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases to psychiatric disorders, chronic pain syndromes, and neurodegenerative illnesses. Lyme is often called “the great imitator” because its symptoms are diverse, affect multiple systems, and frequently mimic other diseases, making it difficult to diagnose with conventional tools.

My personal commitment to this field began when several close family members were finally diagnosed with multiple vector-borne infections after years of living with unexplained fatigue, chronic pain, and symptoms that conventional medicine failed to address. Their experiences motivated me to pursue advanced training and a deeper understanding of diagnosis and treatment options for these complex infections. I also have personal experience navigating this terrain and know firsthand how overwhelming and confusing the path to recovery can be.

As part of my practice, I make it a priority to test patients with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions, long COVID, and other unexplained or “mystery illness” presentations. What I’m finding is widespread and often undiagnosed infections in these populations. It’s now widely accepted that viral illnesses like COVID-19 can reactivate latent infections, including Epstein-Barr virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and we are increasingly seeing the same pattern with vector-borne infections like Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia.

If you’re dealing with persistent symptoms that remain unexplained—or if you’ve been told you have post-treatment Lyme syndrome after receiving a short course of antibiotics—it’s possible that active infection was never fully treated. Most conventional protocols do not assess for co-infections, and many patients are left with debilitating symptoms because key organisms like Babesia and Bartonella were never identified or addressed.

Lyme complex illness is rarely just Lyme. It typically involves a mix of pathogens such as Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella, tick-borne relapsing fever species, Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Brucella, and others. These microbes can remain dormant in the body for years, triggered later by stress, trauma, or viral illness. Standard testing often fails to detect them, which is why clinical diagnosis and specialty labs are sometimes necessary.

I work with patients across a spectrum of needs and comfort levels, using a wide range of tools—from gentle herbal protocols and naturopathic support to more intensive pharmaceutical regimens. My approach includes evidence-based botanical medicine, antimicrobial herbs, immune support, and pharmaceutical treatments, including Dr. Richard Horowitz’s High Dose Dapsone Combination Therapy for those with persistent, resistant, or neurologic Lyme. Each protocol is tailored to the individual based on their history, labs, symptoms, and tolerance.

These infections are complex, but they are also treatable. Healing begins with looking in the right places—and having a plan that meets the unique needs of each patient.