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Lyme disease - early disseminated - Treatment

Alternative Names

Lyme disease - secondary or stage 2; Stage 2 Lyme disease, Bannwarth syndrome

Treatment:

The objective of treatment is to get rid of the infection with antibiotics. The medicines are given for up to 28 days. A second round of antibiotics may be needed. The most commonly used antibiotics are doxycycline, amoxicillin, cefuroxime and ceftriaxone.

Antibiotics given through a vein (intravenous) are needed for patients who develop serious nervous system-related complications or arthritis that does not get better with medicines taken by mouth.

Expectations (prognosis):

Symptoms of arthritis may not respond to treatment. Other symptoms should improve with treatment.

Rarely, a person will continue to have symptoms that can sometimes interfere with daily activities. Some people call this post-Lyme disease syndrome. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for this syndrome.

Complications:

Late persistent infection
Tertiary Lyme disease (Stage 2 Lyme disease)

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of this disorder.

Reviewed last on: 5/20/2008
Jatin M. Vyas, PHD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Wormser GP, Dattwyler RJ, Shapiro ED, Halperin JJ, Steere AC, Klempner MS, et al. The clinical assessment, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2006;43:1089-1134.

Feder HM Jr, Johnson BJ, O'Connell S, Shapiro ED, Steere AC, Wormser GP; Ad Hoc International Lyme Disease Group. A critical appraisal of "chronic Lyme disease." N Engl J Med. 2007 Oct 4;357(14):1422-30.

Halperin JJ, Shapiro ED, Logigian E, Belman AL, Dotevall L, Wormser GP, et al. Practice parameter: treatment of nervous system Lyme disease (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2007 Jul 3;69(1):91-102. Epub 2007 May 23.

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