Lyme Disease

Treating Lyme Disease

Several antibiotics may be used in the treatment of Lyme disease.  Doxycycline, cefuroxime axetil, amoxicillin, erythromycin , or another antibiotic is usually taken orally for a period of a few weeks, but is sometimes given intravenously, especially in more severe cases.  It is recommended that children under nine and pregnant or breast feeding women receive cefuroxime axetil, amoxicillin, or penicillin for Lyme disease treatment.  Often, treatment will be dependent on the development of symptoms, and will vary for patients who experience arthritic, cardiac, and neurological symptoms.

Patients who receive treatment during the early period of their infection usually experience a full and rapid recovery, and many patients respond well to antibiotic treatment in later stages of the disease.  However, some patients require lengthy antibiotic treatment.  In some cases, the disease will recur, causing persistent symptoms, after treatment and the patient will require additional treatment.  If a patient does not receive treatment until the very late stages of infection, they may endure permanent pain, arthritis, and neurological damage even after recovery.

Treatment Links:

• Lyme Clinic at RI Hospital for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease
• Centers for Disease Control: How is Lyme Disease Treated?
• National Institutes of Health: Lyme Disease: The Facts, the Challenges
• American College of Physicians Lyme Patient Guide: Treatment  
• Guidelines for the Infectious Diseases Society of America – Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Lyme Disease (2000)