A recent front-page Times article shone a stark light on the NHS's failure to care for people with severe ME. We have treated ME/CFS patients for decades, investigating root causes which range from Lyme disease to Epstein-Barr, genetic weaknesses and beyond. We offer experience, understanding, patient care, pathology tests, and a wide range of treatments.
Beyond the antibiotics: how Breakspear Medical approaches Lyme Disease & other vector-borne infections
Lyme disease is one of the most complex, frequently missed and too often undertreated conditions in modern medicine. This blog explains why standard treatment is often insufficient, and how Breakspear Medical’s specialist, whole-person approach makes a significant difference to patients who have run out of answers elsewhere.
What Is Lyme Disease?
Commonly known as Lyme disease, borreliosis is an illness caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, or other similar spirochetes. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick or, in some cases, other blood-feeding insects.
After infection, some people develop the characteristic circular skin rash known as erythema migrans or bull’s eye rash. However, many infected people experience no immediate indicators at all. Symptoms may appear weeks or even longer after the initial bite, and can include:
- fever and headache
- fatigue and brain fog
- pain in the muscles and joints
- depression and mood changes
- neurological symptoms
If left untreated or inadequately treated, Lyme disease can cause severe and chronic symptoms that can affect the brain, nerves, eyes, joints and skin, and can occasionally cause heart conduction problems. Because so many of these symptoms overlap with other conditions, borreliosis is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
Lyme disease is widely known as the ‘great imitator’ because its symptoms are nonspecific and can mimic conditions including ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, making misdiagnosis common. ”
Why standard treatment isn’t always enough
The standard treatment for Lyme disease is an antibiotic, taken as a pill for 10-14 days. For patients diagnosed early, a straightforward course can be effective. In 2018, NICE guidelines were updated to recommend a second course of antibiotics for people with ongoing symptoms, using an alternative antibiotic to the initial course. For example, for adults with Lyme disease and arthritis, it was suggested to offer amoxicillin for the second course, if the person has completed an initial course of doxycycline.
However, for those with chronic Lyme, standard short-term antibiotic treatment is not sufficient. This is because Borrelia burgdorferi is a pathogen that is capable of forming biofilms, evading immune responses, and persisting despite initial treatment. The treatment of chronic Lyme disease requires a specialised, multifactoral approach that addresses the infectious organism and the immune dysfunction, nutritional depletion, and co-infections that so often accompany it.
This multifactorial approach is where Breakspear Medical’s treatment plans differ fundamentally from standard care.
UK incidence data shows diagnosed Lyme disease cases nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2018, rising from 2.55 to 9.33 per 100,000 person-years — and that figure is widely considered an undercount.”
The hidden complexity of co-infections
One of the most important things to understand about chronic Lyme disease is why it persists and why so many patients remain ill even after antibiotic treatment.
Borrelia burgdorferi has a remarkable survival trick, which is to wrap itself in a protective, glue-like coating called a biofilm, which shields it from both the immune system and antibiotics. Sometimes a standard course of antibiotics simply cannot penetrate this shield.
While Borrelia hides and persists, it places an increasing burden on the immune system. This has a knock-on effect, allowing dormant viruses and latent infections begin to reactivate, which a healthy immune system would normally keep quietly under control. This is why chronic Lyme patients often feel systemically unwell in ways that seem to go beyond a single infection, because by this stage, there frequently are multiple infections going on. It also explains why many patients having already been diagnosed with ME/CFS test positive for Lyme disease.
Effective treatment has to address all of these factors, breaking down the biofilm, targeting the Borrelia organism itself, supporting immune recovery, and identifying what else may have reactivated. At Breakspear Medical, we have been treating this full, complex picture for over four decades.
Testing for Lyme: getting the full picture
Clinical diagnosis of borreliosis can be made based on symptoms and history of exposure, however, laboratory evidence is an important part of the picture. At Breakspear Medical, we use multiple accredited international laboratories to offer a comprehensive range of diagnostic investigations.
It is important to understand that different laboratories use different methods and criteria to interpret results, and that different tests are more effective at different stages of the disease. Sometimes a diagnosis requires several tests over time, alongside a thorough review of the patient’s clinical history.
Our standard Lyme investigations may include:
- LTT MELISA — Lymphocyte Transformation Test, which if positive demonstrates current active infection with the organism
- PCR IGeneX — Polymerase Chain Reaction test, measuring the presence of Borrelia DNA
- Western Blot / Immunoblot — detects portions of the Lyme disease organism
- Borrelia ELISA — antibody evaluation measuring antibodies to the organism
- ELISpot — a sensitive measure of immune cell response
- Immunology profile — identifying levels of antibodies and checking for paraproteins
We can also perform tests of specific Lyme-related lymphocyte reactions, and assess co-factor infections.
Chronic Lyme can also trigger food and chemical sensitivities that add to a patient’s overall burden of illness. Some patients have deficiencies in the enzymes needed to break down histamine, contributing to a range of additional symptoms. We can test and treat allergies/sensitivities, using low-dose immunotherapy (LDI).
The diagnosis and treatment programme is always tailored to each individual’s needs.
If Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated early, the spirochetes can spread and persist in different parts of the body, with CDC estimates suggesting 10–20% of treated patients remain ill — and a more recent study of early Lyme disease treated at the EM rash stage reported 36% remained ill. ”
Breakspear Medical’s treatment approach
No two patients are the same. Our treatment programmes are built around each patient’s history, symptoms and biology. Treatment is also designed to strengthen the immune system, which is particularly important for those who have been ill for a long time and may have become nutritionally depleted and are suffering from immune dysfunction.
The treatments that may be used to help our patients include:
Antibiotics
- IV and intramuscular antibiotics, including benzylpenicillin, ceftriaxone, and methylene blue
- combination oral antibiotic regimens
- pulsed antibiotic protocols
- biofilm breakers to address the protective structures Borrelia can form
Hyperthermia
Our IRATHERM® 1000 whole-body hyperthermia treatment targets infectious load, supports metabolic efficiency, and strengthens antioxidant defences. It is one of the most powerful integrative tools available for patients with chronic infection.
Herbal protocols
We offer long-term rotational herbal protocols, including the Lyme Cowden, Buhner and iodine protocols, which are carefully designed to target different aspects of the Borrelia organism across time. This rotation is important because different herbs address different stages and forms of the organism, preventing adaptation and supporting sustained treatment.
Magnetic therapy
Our Magnoter D26 magnetic therapy supports pain management and patient comfort, addressing some of the most debilitating day-to-day symptoms of chronic Lyme disease.
Immune & nutritional support
Treatment programmes may also include immune support, detoxification programmes, dietary evaluation, food sensitivity testing and treatment, and support for digestive health, all of which play a role in restoring the body’s capacity to fight infection.
Antibiotics are the primary prescription needed to overcome Lyme disease, however, they can also cause side effects, such as allergic reactions, sensitivity to light, aches and pains, as well as digestive problems ranging from bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting. While antibiotics kill harmful bacteria, they can also kill “good” bacteria, upsetting the balance of microbiome in the gut.
With decades of experience, our Clinical Team will devise an immune and nutritional support programme to meet each individual’s needs.
A Clinical Team you can trust
Breakspear Medical has been treating environmental illness since 1982. Our team of GMC-registered doctors is led by our Infectious Disease Specialist, supported by a team of registered nurses, who are all working within our CQC-registered facility (registration: C010000662).
Dr Daud Mohamed is a Specialist in Infectious Diseases and a member of ILADS (the International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society). We were proud to attend the 2026 ILADS International Conference in London, connecting with leading clinicians and researchers from around the world and bringing the latest clinical thinking directly to our patients.
We also welcome enquiries from medical professionals seeking specialist support for patients with chronic Lyme disease. We can administer IV and intramuscular antibiotics and work collaboratively with referring clinicians.
Patient stories
We are proud that so many of our patients have shared their experiences, both in our newsletters and on camera. Their testimonials have helped others find the right treatment path sooner.
Valerie Barr, whose recovery from Lyme disease is documented on our YouTube channel; Con Derham, who wrote, “Without Breakspear, I would not have my life back”; and Morven-May MacCallum, patient, Lyme disease awareness campaigner, public speaker and author of Finding Joy, a novel about recovering from Lyme disease, who shared her story.
Contact us
If you or someone you know has been living with unexplained fatigue, joint pain, neurological symptoms or brain fog, particularly if standard investigations have drawn a blank, it may be time to look deeper.
➤ Our Patient Liaison Team is here to talk you through your options.
Call: +44 (0)1442 261 333
Visit: breakspearmedical.com/appointments
Related Posts
