ACP American College of Physicians - Internal Medicine - Doctors for Adults

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LYME DISEASE: A PATIENT'S GUIDE

Treatment

Lyme disease is treated with one of several antibiotics. Usually, these antibiotics are given by mouth, though they may need to be given intravenously in some severe cases of Lyme disease, especially if the nervous system is involved.

For most cases of early Lyme disease, antibiotics should cure the infection. In late stage Lyme disease, symptoms should improve but may not go away completely.

Even after treatment, a patient often still tests positive for anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. However, continuing to test positive for antibodies does not mean that the patient still has Lyme disease.

Antibodies, the body's defense system against infection, will not necessarily go away once all the Lyme disease-causing bacteria have been killed. If symptoms continue or worsen after treatment has ended, contact your doctor.

Pregnancy and Lyme Disease

There is currently no proof that Lyme disease causes birth defects. Therefore, a pregnant woman with Lyme disease will most likely have a normal pregnancy, but she will have to be treated with antibiotics that will not affect the pregnancy.

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