Symptoms and characteristics of chronic LD patients - Smithon, Ph.D., I. Vanderhoof, Ph.D. Information is based on studies of questionnaires provided to the Lyme Disease Foundation by patients. Symptom patterns of Lyme disease showed no difference based on geographic location. Symptom patterns were also the same whether the patient was diagnosed by a general practitioner or a specialist. The earlier the diagnosis is made and the earlier treatment is administered the more favorable the outcome. It is presumed that the more severe the rash the more likely it is that a patient will seek and receive medical attention.
Profound exhaustion appears to be a marker indicating that recovery is less likely.
Continuous symptoms indicate continuing disease and is also indicative of a poorer prognosis for full recovery. Severity of symptoms, except EM rash, is not a good indicator of prognosis. The information presented was considered preliminary. However, this does appear to agree with anecdotal information currently available. A poster on this topic was also presented by Robert C. Smithson and Kathryn A. Robbins.