Advanced Lyme Disease Symptoms

Lyme disease is a bacterial condition that originates from tick bites. People who have Lyme disease may see a rash around the bite site and feel feverish, achy and generally unwell during the early stages of the disease. Lyme disease can become more advanced with serious consequences if it is not treated at all, or if the course of antibiotics does not fully eradicate the bacteria (see Resources). For this reason, it is important to be treated for Lyme disease as soon as possible.

Names

• Advanced Lyme disease is sometimes also referred to as stage 3, or late chronic Lyme disease.

Timing

• Advanced or late chronic lyme disease symptoms vary in terms of a time line. Some people feel symptoms a few weeks after they develop the disease, while others may feel the effects after several years.

Arthritis

• Sufferers from advanced-stage Lyme disease may feel pain and swelling that is consistent with arthritis, even if they formerly never had joint inflammation. Knees are commonly affected.

Muscle Pain

• Muscle pain that comes and goes in varying degrees can be a symptom of late chronic Lyme disease.

Sleep Difficulties

• Tossing, turning and having other sleep difficulties due to pain may be a sign of stage 3 Lyme disease.

Nervous System

• Your nervous system may be affected if you were not treated in the early stages of Lyme disease. Symptoms of advanced Lyme can include having trouble keeping on task and experiencing memory loss.