The study by Dr. Adriana Marques is using spinal taps, MRIs and hearing tests to look into patients' brains and nervous systems. Results from the open-ended study have not been published, but one participant said her Lyme symptoms wax and wane depending on whether she is on antibiotic therapy. So now they're saying there's a pattern that shows in my case. Developing conclusive tests is an ongoing problem according to Lyme activists. Then she got a Western blot test, which came back positive.
Some doctors say long-term treatment with antibiotics can be dangerous.
Coughlan said he hears some people get better if they have long-term antibiotic treatment. But he questions what Shadick's study on Nantucket will prove. He said it's difficult to have a Lyme-free control group on the island, infested as it is with the deer tick that causes Lyme disease. That would put into question in my mind any control groups that are being used in conjunction with the study. Bartlett, who is now head of the Community Action Committee of the Cape and Islands in Hyannis, said the last testing of Nantucketers for Shadick's study should be wrapped up by spring.