In 2012, I dropped off the planet. A round of steroids given to me to treat chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia caused me to tank and land flat on my back in bed; the fatigue was crippling. New symptoms emerged–I couldn’t sleep, tolerate sound or light, and my brain and spinal cord burned with a ruthless intensity. Eventually, the sound sensitivity escalated to the point where I could no longer talk on the phone–not even to my mother. For months, I lay in a dark, silent room believing the symptoms would likely fade away. But I was wrong. I was 33 years old, lonely, isolated, and living in my bedroom. Eighteen months later, I would be diagnosed with Lyme disease and begin a grueling treatment program that still continues today.
Over the …show more content…
Testing for Lyme disease is highly inaccurate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are approximately 329,000 people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. To date, testing remains unreliable–causing another roadblock for patients trying to receive a proper diagnosis and prompt treatment. As stated on the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) website, “The common Elisa test you receive at your doctor’s office misses 35% of culture proven Lyme disease. Some studies indicate up to 50% of the patients tested for Lyme disease receive false negative results.”
With up to 50 percent of people infected receiving false negatives, why are physicians still using this test? “A Lot of what we, meaning mainstream medicine, know about Lyme disease and testing hasn’t been updated or changed since it was first described in 1974 in Lyme, Connecticut. That’s the information that’s being published in textbooks and taught in medical schools today,” says Frid. “Really, [Lyme disease] is a clinical diagnosis. A lot of the testing that is available, including neurologic testing such as MRI, SPECT scans, and various other tools, should be an extension of a doctor’s clinical exam, and not a replacement for it,” she
Over the …show more content…
Testing for Lyme disease is highly inaccurate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are approximately 329,000 people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. To date, testing remains unreliable–causing another roadblock for patients trying to receive a proper diagnosis and prompt treatment. As stated on the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) website, “The common Elisa test you receive at your doctor’s office misses 35% of culture proven Lyme disease. Some studies indicate up to 50% of the patients tested for Lyme disease receive false negative results.”
With up to 50 percent of people infected receiving false negatives, why are physicians still using this test? “A Lot of what we, meaning mainstream medicine, know about Lyme disease and testing hasn’t been updated or changed since it was first described in 1974 in Lyme, Connecticut. That’s the information that’s being published in textbooks and taught in medical schools today,” says Frid. “Really, [Lyme disease] is a clinical diagnosis. A lot of the testing that is available, including neurologic testing such as MRI, SPECT scans, and various other tools, should be an extension of a doctor’s clinical exam, and not a replacement for it,” she