"Listen to your patient — he is telling you the diagnosis." — Sir William Osler
If you've been told your symptoms are "in your head," "post-viral," or "just chronic fatigue" — and your gut tells you something else is going on — you are not imagining it. Chronic Lyme disease and the tick-borne co-infections that often accompany it are real, complex, and frequently missed by the conventional system.
I see patients who have spent years searching for answers. My role is to listen carefully, look at the whole picture, and use the tools that have a genuine evidence base in this space — herbal antimicrobials, nutritional medicine and Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM).
What is chronic Lyme — and why does it persist?
Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by ticks. When caught early and treated with antibiotics, most people recover. But for a meaningful minority — estimates range from 5–20% — symptoms persist or return long after treatment. This is variously called chronic Lyme, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), or chronic Lyme-like illness.
There are several reasons it persists:
- Borrelia can shift into dormant "persister" forms that standard antibiotics struggle to clear
- It's rarely alone — co-infections (Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia) ride alongside on the same tick
- The infection drives chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation and nervous system disturbance
- Mould exposure, viral reactivation (Epstein-Barr) and gut dysbiosis often complicate recovery
- The UK medical system rarely recognises post-treatment Lyme, which means patients are often left to navigate it alone
Symptoms I see most often
- Persistent fatigue and post-exertional malaise
- Migrating joint and muscle pain, sometimes severe
- Brain fog, memory issues, word-finding difficulties
- Headaches, light and sound sensitivity
- Tingling, numbness, neuropathic pain
- Heart palpitations, dysautonomia, POTS-like symptoms
- Mood changes — anxiety, depression, irritability
- Sleep disturbance and night sweats
- Recurrent infections, food and chemical sensitivities
Co-infections that often complicate the picture
Treating Lyme without addressing what travels with it is one of the commonest reasons for poor outcomes. I assess and address:
- Bartonella — bone pain, anxiety, skin striae, foot pain on waking
- Babesia — air hunger, drenching sweats, headaches
- Epstein-Barr & other reactivated viruses
- Mould-related illness (CIRS) — frequently underlying or perpetuating Lyme symptoms
- Mast cell activation, gut dysbiosis, methylation issues
My approach
I don't believe in a single protocol. Every Lyme picture is different. A typical plan combines:
Herbal antimicrobials — the heart of the work
Herbal medicine is where the strongest evidence in this space now sits. Tinctures of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Japanese knotweed, Cat's claw, Sweet wormwood, Black walnut, Cistus and Chinese skullcap have shown laboratory activity against persister-form Borrelia — in some cases stronger than doxycycline. Prescriptions are individualised to your symptom pattern and co-infections.
Nutritional medicine — rebuilding the terrain
Targeted nutraceuticals for immune resilience, mitochondrial recovery, methylation and detoxification: vitamin D, zinc, NAC, glutathione, B vitamins, CoQ10, mineral repletion. Practitioner-only food-state supplements at clinical doses.
FSM — calming the nervous system
Frequency Specific Microcurrent protocols for the vagus nerve, neuroinflammation and post-Lyme nervous system disturbance. Often the missing piece for patients with persistent fatigue, brain fog and dysautonomia.
Lifestyle, sleep, gut
The foundation. Without these, no protocol works as well as it should.
The evidence
- Feng et al. (2020), Johns Hopkins. Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Polygonum cuspidatum showed stronger activity against stationary-phase B. burgdorferi than doxycycline and cefuroxime in vitro.
- Shor et al. (2019). Comprehensive review of herbal supplements used for persistent Lyme symptoms.
- UK incidence and fatigue association study (2022). Population-based cohort study confirming the link between Lyme disease and persistent fatigue.
- A growing literature on bioactive nutraceuticals in tick-borne illness.
Testing
Useful tests in chronic Lyme work include:
- Tick-borne illness panels — sent privately (Armin Labs or similar)
- Mycotoxin testing — to identify mould as a co-driver
- Comprehensive stool analysis (GI-MAP) — gut function and dysbiosis
- Organic Acids Test (OAT) — metabolic, mitochondrial and yeast picture
- Full thyroid, hormones, nutrient status as needed
I'll only recommend tests that will contribute positively to the treatment plan. See Laboratory Testing for the full picture.
What to expect
A first consultation is 60–90 minutes, in person at my Fulham clinic or by online appointment. We map your full history, including likely tick exposure, the trajectory of your illness, prior treatments and current symptoms.
Chronic Lyme work is rarely quick. Most patients see meaningful improvement within 1–3 months, with continued progress over the year that follows. We pace the work to your nervous system and your stamina.
FAQ
Will I need to come off my antibiotics?
No. Herbal antimicrobials can usually be combined with conventional treatment. We coordinate carefully.
Do I need a positive Lyme test before working with you?
Not necessarily. UK and standard tests miss many cases. A clinical picture consistent with tick-borne illness, especially with a known exposure or specific symptom patterns (such as Bartonella's foot pain on waking), is enough to begin investigation.
Can FSM be used during active treatment?
Yes. FSM protocols for the vagus nerve, brain inflammation and immune support are particularly useful during herbal antimicrobial phases, when symptoms can flare.