What are Lyme Disease Symptoms
Written by Dr. Diane Mueller
- One of the most common Lyme Disease symptoms is pain. Most commonly, pain migrates and moves, but this is not always the case.
- Fibromyalgia is a very common to see in Lyme Disease patients. What happens with fibromylagia, is that the nervous system begins to sense pain at a much lower threshold. This is what triggers the body to be so reactive.
- In this blog we are going to mostly focus on Fibromylagia. See our other blog called symptoms of Lyme Disease for a bigger symptom list!
What are Lyme Disease Symptoms:
Fibromyalgia (FM)
- Diagnosing FM is somewhat subjective, based on how the patient describes
their symptoms. FM is undiagnosed in as many as 75% of people with the
condition. - There is not a universally accepted diagnostic gold standard
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More on Fibromylagia (FM)
FM is a continuum of symptoms, and it can sometimes be an ambiguous disorder
Fibromyalgia is usually a diagnosis of exclusion. But most of the time, Lyme Disease is not tested. Even if it is tested, poorly validated tests are used and interpretation is often faulty. In our practice, we have seen many cases of Fibromyalgia disappear after identifying and
treating Lyme Disease.
A patient who has chronic pain should be screened for chronic widespread
pain or CWP. This is defined as pain in 4 out of 5 body regions. People who have CWP should be screened for other FM symptoms like non-restorative sleep and fatigue. A complete medical history and physical exam can help confirm a FM diagnosis.
A patient who has chronic pain should be screened for chronic widespread pain or CWP. This is defined as pain in 4 out of 5 body regions. People who have CWP should be screened for other FM symptoms like non-restorative sleep and fatigue. A complete medical history and physical exam can help confirm a FM diagnosis.
It is also important to rule out other diseases that can look like FM. Things to rule out include Rheumatoid Arthritis, depression, Multiple Sclerosis, other autoimmune conditions and bacterial infections such as LD.
The Causes or Mechanisms of Action (MOA)
Despite the sometimes-similar symptoms, the MOAs of these two conditions are very different:
- Lyme Disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii. Lyme is a bacterial infection.
- The cause of Fibro is much less clear and could involve genetic, hormonal or other factors. Gut health may play a role too. But the primary MOA is thought to be a dysfunction of pain sensitization. Lyme Disease can be a cause of FM as you will see below, however it is not the only cause.
- Fibromyalgia is often triggered by a stressful event, including an infection, trauma (due to an accident, serious injury or divorce) or major surgery. FM can actually be triggered by an infection like Lyme Disease.
What is the Link?
Similar Symptoms & Mis-Diagnosis
- FM can be mis-diagnosed as Lyme disease.
- Late-stage chronic Lyme disease can be mistaken for FM.
- Lyme Disease can trigger Fibromyalgia.
- Lyme Disease causes neuroinflammation which is part of the FM picture.
So how do we differentiate between LD and FM?
How do we untangle symptoms and identify a case of chronic Lyme disease vs post-infectious Fibromyalgia.
We need to do a thorough exam, the correct labs and a deep analysis of the overlapping symptoms. There are other things to look at to get a correct diagnosis.
Lyme Disease is pretty widespread as far as all of the different symptoms it will cause. Remember that FM always has a root cause. If it is not Lyme Disease, there is another cause. Proper lab testing will help to find whatever the underlying cause is. This is a hard thing to understand for many FM patients. Most people are told there is no cause and no real way of treating other than managing symptoms.
Luckily, for many people with FM, with the proper testing, you can find insect born infections as well as many other root causes. When you know the cause, you known the treatment!
For more information on topic of Lyme Disease Treatment See our Blog Below
References
- Ranque-Garnier S, Eldin C, Sault C, Raoult D, Donnet A. Management of patients presenting with generalized musculoskeletal pain and a suspicion of Lyme disease. Med Mal Infect. 2019 Mar;49(2):157-166. doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2019.01.008. Epub 2019 Feb 11. PMID: 30765287.
- Wormser GP, Weitzner E, McKenna D, Nadelman RB, Scavarda C, Farber S, Prakash P, Ash J, Nowakowski J. Long-Term Assessment of Fibromyalgia in Patients with Culture-Confirmed Lyme Disease. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015 Mar;67(3):837-839. doi: 10.1002/art.38972. Epub 2014 Dec 2. PMID: 25470117.
- Maffei ME. Fibromyalgia: Recent Advances in Diagnosis, Classification, Pharmacotherapy and Alternative Remedies. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Oct 23;21(21):7877. doi: 10.3390/ijms21217877. PMID: 33114203; PMCID: PMC7660651.
- Häuser W, Sarzi-Puttini P, Fitzcharles MA. Fibromyalgia syndrome: under-, over- and misdiagnosis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2019 Jan-Feb;37 Suppl 116(1):90-97. Epub 2019 Feb 8. PMID: 30747096.
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The Causes or Mechanisms of Action
Despite the sometimes-similar symptoms, the MOAs of these two conditions are very different:
- Lyme Disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii. Lyme is a bacterial infection.
- The cause of Fibro is much less clear and could involve genetic, hormonal or other factors. Gut health may play a role too. But the primary MOA is thought to be a dysfunction of pain sensitization. You can read more in our FM blog here.
- Fibromyalgia is often triggered by a stressful event, including an infection, trauma (due to an accident, serious injury or divorce) or major surgery. FM can actually be triggered by an infection like Lyme Disease.
What is the Link?
Similar Symptoms & Mis-Diagnosis
- FM can be mis-diagnosed as Lyme disease.
- Late-stage chronic Lyme disease can be mistaken for FM.
- Lyme Disease can trigger Fibromyalgia.
So how do we differentiate between LD and FM?
How do we untangle symptoms and identify a case of chronic Lyme disease vs post-infectious Fibromyalgia?
We need to do a thorough exam, the correct labs and a deep analysis of the overlapping symptoms. There are other things to look at to get a correct diagnosis. These include:
- A history of a bulls-eye rash, a tick bite or spending time in areas where Lyme Disease has been reported are good indicators that it could well be Lyme.
- Antibiotics should improve Lyme Disease symptoms, while they don’t help in the case of Fibromyalgia.
- Pain in specific tender points is associated with Fibromyalgia more than other illnesses.
- Stiffness in Lyme Disease occurs mainly in the neck and joints. In Fibromyalgia, it is usually widespread pain.
- Lyme Disease can cause arthritis symptoms and swollen joints, especially in the knees. Fibromyalgia causes pain and stiffness but doesn’t typically involve swelling or damage to the joints.
In our clinic, we have expertise in treating a range of complicated, difficult-to-diagnose conditions like Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease. We look for the root causes in our patients to identify what could be causing the symptoms. We regularly treat and resolve Lyme, chronic infections and other complex conditions in patients in our Functional Medicine clinic.
Have Lyme Disease or suspect that you do?
We have helped thousands of
people restore their health
and quality of life by diagnosing
and treating their Lyme Disease.
“Dr. Mueller’s approach to medicine is refreshing! There is only so much you can do with western medicine and in my life I was needing a new approach. By addressing the whole body, nutritional diet factors, environmental factors, blood work, and incorporating ideas I had not previously known, I was able to break through with my conditions. I am not only experiencing less pain in my life, but through the process of healing guided by Dr. Diane Mueller, I am now happy to say I have more consciousness surrounding how I eat, what to eat and when things are appropriate. Living by example Dr. Mueller has a vibrancy that makes you want to learn and know more about your body and overall health. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for new answers, a new approach to health, or in need of freedom from pain and limitations.”
-Storie S.
Kihei, HI
Lyme Disease is Often Misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Depression,
or Other Illnesses
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