SUMMIT, N.J., May 25 (UPI) -- A U.S. guideline finds conventionally recommended courses of antibiotics to be highly effective for treating nervous system Lyme disease.
But the guideline, developed by the American Academy of Neurology, also said that there is no compelling evidence that prolonged treatment with antibiotics has any benefit in treating symptoms that persist following standard therapy.
"While other guidelines exist to help diagnose and treat general Lyme disease, there continues to be considerable controversy and uncertainty about the best approach to treating neuroborreliosis, in which Lyme disease involves the nervous system," lead guideline author Dr. John J. Halperin, of Atlantic Health in Summit, N.J., said in a statement.
Patients who have received accepted antibiotic regimens for Lyme disease sometimes have persisting symptoms, referred to as Post-Lyme syndrome. This guideline states that long-term use of antibiotics does not improve the outcome in people with chronic symptoms after customary treatment of Lyme disease.
The guideline is published in the online edition of Neurology.
