Dr. Joseph Jemsek and Candace Willett, PPCNP-BC, MSN, MPH share clinical findings never discussed before publicly. Findings gathered from over 20 years’ experience treating Lyme Borreliosis Complex (LBC) in children and families.
Signs and symptoms that may reflect emergence of infection on pre and post-adolescence.
- Newborns (0-2 months) :
- Failure to thrive
- Colic
- GERD with intervention (mends, mom’s diet, formula)
- Fever of unknown origin (FUO)
- Infants/Children (Birth to 1 year old and 2 to 5 years old) :
- FUO
- ENT infections (AOM, Strep)
- Delay in milestones (Speech delay/atonia)
- Atopy presentation (food allergies, eczema, reactive airway, rashes come and go)
- Nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting, persisting and after age of nine)
- Sleep disturbance (night terrors, sleep talking, walking)
- Emotional lability (tantrums)
- Growing pains
- Fatigue/malaise
- Seizure and seizure-like equivalents
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (constipation vs. diarrhea)
- School age ( 6 to 12 years old) :
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DPDR), Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Emotional lability.
- Frequent headaches, migraines (especially early onset in boys)
- Dysautonomia (motting/tachycardia,temp intolerance/exercise intolerance)
- Motor/vocal tics; tremors
- Fatigue/malaise
- Nocturnal enuresis (after age 9)
- Eating disorder (Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge, Avoidant/Restrictive): Abnormal cravings
- Endocrine disorder (thyroid dysfunction, adrenal fatigue)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (constipation vs. diarrhea)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (colitis, Crohn’s)
- GI motility issues (gastroparesis)
- Excessive musculoskeletal issues (fractures, hypermobility, EDS)
- Sleep disturbance (night terrors, sleep talking/walking)
- Skin manifestations (violaceous striae, vascularities)
- Atopy presentation (usually severe food allergies/intolerance, eczema, reactive airway, rashes come and go)
- Adolescent (12 to 19 years old) :
- ADHD, OCD, ODD, GAD, DPDR, DID, Emotional lability
- MDD (with suicidality/self-mutilation)
- Eating disorder (Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge, Avoidant/Restrictive), Abnormal cravings
- Sleep disturbance (night terrors, sleep talking/walking)
- Precocious puberty, late puberty
- Late onset of menses, menstrual irregularities, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, PCOS
- Gynecomastia and Hypogonadism in males
- Endocrine disorder (thyroid dysfunction, adrenal fatigue)
- IBS (constipation vs. diarrhea) and IBD (colitis, Crohn’s)
- GI motility issues (gastroparesis)
- Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris (pustules, papules, cysts/nodules)
- Skin manifestations, (violaceous striae, vascularities, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans)
- Atopy presentation (unusual severe food allergies/intolerance, eczema, reactive airway, rashes come and go)
- Unexplained arthralgias/myalgias
- Excessive musculoskeletal issues (fractures, hypermobility, EDS)
- Frequent headaches, migraines, (especially early onset in boys)
- Dysautonomia (mottling/tachycardia temp intolerance/exercise intolerance)
- Motor/vocal tics, tremors
- Fatigue, malaise
