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Unproven Lyme disease tests and treatments are proliferating
Experts caution that unapproved Lyme tests and treatments can cause harm and financial burden, with some consultation fees reaching $3,000 and treatments costing up to $6,000, experts said.
- Recently, unapproved Lyme tests and alternative treatments have proliferated in the United States, with nearly 120 clinics offering costly, unproven therapies that patients pay for without insurance coverage.
- The standard Lyme laboratory test has limits because antibodies usually appear weeks after infection, and up to 30% of infected people never develop the bull's-eye rash, fueling demand for nonstandard tests and treatments, most recently amplified by Justin Timberlake.
- Spotting unproven Lyme tests is relatively easy, since only FDA‑approved antibody blood tests exist, while unproven therapies range from lasers to hyperbaric oxygen, and long‑term intravenous antibiotics have caused life-threatening gut infections.
- Smith and colleagues warn that `profiteering entities` push costly, potentially harmful Lyme products, misleading patients and misdiagnosing conditions; the National Academies call for more research into chronic Lyme symptoms.
- Experts note that the sheer number of self‑identified post‑treatment Lyme symptoms is far higher than expected, while studies estimate 10% to 20% of treated patients have ongoing unexplained symptoms.
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13 Articles
13 Articles
Associated Press News+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Unproven Lyme disease tests and treatments are proliferating
The complexity of diagnosing Lyme disease has given rise to an entire industry of unapproved tests and alternative treatments, including lasers, herbal remedies and electromagnets.
·United States
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left, 45% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left, 45% of the sources are Center
45% Center
L 45%
C 45%
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