Medical Health Encyclopedia

Miscellaneous Complications. Other complications reported include:

• Problems in the eye, including swelling that can cause pain and sensitivity to light
• Hepatitis (inflammation in the liver)
• Respiratory difficulties

Infections in the Pregnant Patient. The occurrence of any infection during pregnancy is of special concern. While the current research indicates that complications during pregnancy due to Lyme disease are very rare, pregnant women should still adhere scrupulously to preventive measures.

• Some studies indicate that Borrelia burgdorferi may be transmitted to the fetus during pregnancy, with the risk highest during the first trimester. If this occurs, however, it is likely to be very rare and not an issue of great concern. There is no evidence of any severe effects in the offspring of infected pregnant women.
• There are no reports of human infant Lyme disease infection from breast feeding. Studies on animals, however, have reported transmission of the organism to infant mice through breast milk, but these findings do not appear to be applicable to people.

Post-Lyme Disease Syndrome

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Symptoms persist in many patients after antibiotic treatment, although reports vary as to duration and location of symptoms. In general, about a third of patients have symptoms that last a few weeks. In 10 - 15% of cases, patients complain of persistent symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, and headache lasting years after completing antibiotic treatments for the initial infection. This syndrome, which resembles chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or fibromyalgia, is referred to as chronic Lyme disease, or post-Lyme disease syndrome. It seems to be reported more frequently in patients who experienced early neurologic symptoms during the initial infection, particularly if their treatment was delayed.