Seven top takeaways from the Integrative Practitioner Summit on environmental medicine

3. Practitioners must be aware of patterns associated with Lyme disease, and have prepared screening tools, diagnostic tests, and referral networks.

Pattern recognition is essential in the diagnosis process, Kinderlehrer said. Psychiatric patients with poor or paradoxical responses to medications, an absence of family history of psychiatric illnesses, or an onset of neuropsychological symptoms without psychological precipitants should be considered for Lyme disease. Additionally, Kinderlehrer said psychiatric patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, autoimmune illnesses with mood disorders, chronic viral infection, and malingerer, should be considered for Lyme disease complex.

To screen for Lyme disease, Kinderlehrer suggested using a multi-system questionnaire that asks about common symptoms of Lyme disease such as fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, muscle and joint pain, and mood disorders.

Most commercial laboratories do inadequate testing when it comes to Lyme disease complex, according to Kinderlehrer. Finding a lab that does thorough testing for Lyme disease is essential, which can require some research. Babesia and bartonella, two common co-infections in Lyme disease complex that should also be tested for, are more easily detectable and can be tested with more mainstream devices.

Finally, Kinderlehrer recommended practitioners unfamiliar with Lyme disease get assistance from a Lyme disease-literate physician who can properly interpret their patient’s test results and help with the referral process. Even with a diagnosis,  Kinderlehrer said, practitioners must be aware that some conventional medicine providers might not fully acknowledge Lyme disease.

“Testing for Lyme disease is not straightforward, and the diagnosis is still not generally accepted by mainstream medicine despite the overwhelming evidence,” said Kinderlehrer. “And the evidence is indeed overwhelming.”