Lifespan Lyme Disease Center RI??

Not sure what a "brown" IDSA doctor is.

This is something I wasn't aware of, but I too am looking forward to hearing info on it.


Oh....I looked them up. I don't see a change in perspective on their web site, they still believe in a relatively fast cure, and the rest of the treatment falls into their "syndrome" category.

"At the Lifespan Lyme Disease Center, we test using the recommended two-tier testing with ELISA screening followed by Western blot for confirmation. In certain clinical presentations, we may also do additional serology testing for infections and/or non-infections that can appear similar to Lyme disease. We are also happy to review any outside Lyme testing that a patient has had in the past.

Research indicates that Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Some 10 to 20 percent of patients may continue to have symptoms after treatment; the vast majority of these patients suffering from post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome do see significant recovery over a period of 6 to 12 months."

Post Edited (julymorning) : 2/1/2017 4:37:55 PM (GMT-7)

brown IDSA doctors are part of "Brown University" Medical program. They also come in other colors.

I haven't gone to this one, but I did go to the Lyme Clinic at RI Hopsital and it was a joke. They recommended that I go to a Rheumy, which I did and then found an LLMD. I think RI has another lyme clinic at South County Hopsital that some say has promise. At least in RI doctors can treat openly, an State law requires Insurance Companies to approve Rx within policy coverage for as long as an MD prescribes it.

tickbite666 said...
brown IDSA doctors are part of "Brown University" Medical program. They also come in other colors.

I haven't gone to this one, but I did go to the Lyme Clinic at RI Hopsital and it was a joke. They recommended that I go to a Rheumy, which I did and then found an LLMD. I think RI has another lyme clinic at South County Hopsital that some say has promise. At least in RI doctors can treat openly, an State law requires Insurance Companies to approve Rx within policy coverage for as long as an MD prescribes it.

Yes, it's the one in south county in Newport, RI. It looks like they heavily promote themselves and have a clean and expensive facility. The problem is I'm not sure if long-term antibiotics work. I've been on oral antibiotics for 9months and IV for 5months and although my brain is better my body is physically ill with joint pain, neuropathy, etc. They recommend I completely stop all antibiotics and see if I get better. I'm afraid because I could relapse and that stopping them will cause physical symptoms to mostly dissipate but the Lyme might then again start to make its way back to fatty tissue in my brain. Relapse of neuroborreliosis happens and that is what I'm most afraid of.

Of course these physical symptoms could be immune induced, it's just the the doctor says it's DUE TO SCARRING of a past infection. They say I do not have an active infection and it's immune induced and gets better after time. Could it not be infection induced auto-immunity? Meaning the infection that is still present is causing the immune system to get out of whack?

IDK, the doctor told me I had fibromyalgia and that they use IMUGEN to test for active infection which is the most accurate of all tests. They highly advised I go to this lifespan center.

I'm still under the care of a LLMD who is almost 90 years of age. He's cool.

Post Edited (birthdaysuit) : 2/1/2017 12:43:55 PM (GMT-7)

Well, I can tell you that statements like these (below) are red flags:
"They recommend I completely stop all antibiotics and see if I get better."

"the the doctor says it's DUE TO SCARRING of a past infection."

" They say I do not have an active infection and it's immune induced and gets better after time."

And, that's without me knowing what your exact symptoms are.

What you said here is the truth, whether they accept it or not:
"Could it not be infection induced auto-immunity? Meaning the infection that is still present is causing the immune system to get out of whack?"

I just found out you can't quote your own posts, so I'll just refer to what I posted at the top.

The above post I made earlier was an exact quote I took from their website. It clearly says that (they think) Lyme ...can be treated successfully with a few weeks of abx. They go on to say that (only??) 10-20% may continue to have symptoms after (a few weeks?) of treatment. They call the remaining symptoms a "syndrome" which we've grown to believe can be anything from prolonged symptoms of immune fighting or somatic symptom disorder (imagined).

When you put that together with what they said in the first paragraph about "testing for infections an/or non-infections that can appear similar to Lyme disease, I get the strong impression that they do not believe anyone would be still suffering from Lyme infection after the initial few weeks of treatment of antibiotics.

It's sounds like going to any other IDSA or CDC adherent.


I'd want to see more positive data on their stance towards Lyme infections. From them.

Just worried they'll take your money and give you the run around. It would be the place to go if you had doubts about where your current symptoms are coming from, it's certain not impossible to have another kind of disorder going on, and not have an active or latent Lyme infection remaining.