Chronic Lyme Disease Study

The majority of people with acute Lyme disease are diagnosed and treated and become well. Unfortunately, a small percentage continue to have symptoms that can include nerve pain, problems with short term memory, as well as severe muscle and joint pain.

A new study will investigate the effects of antibiotics on chronic Lyme disease. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is being conducted by New England Medical Center.

Participation is free and includes a thorough medical evaluation and free antibiotic treatment. Those who are in the placebo group will receive the treatment at no cost at the end of the study if results show that it is effective.

How it works:

Participants will receive a month of intravenous antibiotic or a placebo, followed by 2 months of oral antibiotic or a placebo. Treatment is done in the home under the care of a home infusion therapy nurse. Patient evaluations are conducted at New England Medical Center and include 5 visits of about 4 hours each over 6 months.

Partcipants must:

Be over the age of 18
Have acquired Lyme disease within the last 12 years
Have been diagnosed with Lyme disease by a physician
Have been treated with at least 2 weeks of antibiotics for the disease
Have symptoms that began within 6 months of their initial treatment and that have continued to the present

For information, call 617-636-4893 or 1-888-596-3287 (toll-free).

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