Lemons and Lymes - bogus tests and dangerous treatments

Hi All,

A new article that appeared today on Science Based Medicine, written by a western Massachusetts paediatrician who deals with Lyme disease all the time. Nothing new here. We already know how much alternative nonsense there is out there with regards to Lyme disease but still a very good read in case you find yourself being swayed in this direction.

[size=120]Lemons and Lyme: Bogus tests and dangerous treatments of the Lyme-literati[/size]

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Individuals who believe they have Lyme disease that was missed by their own providers will sometimes seek out so-called “Lyme-literate” providers; I’ll call them Lymlits. Often these individuals believe they are suffering from chronic Lyme disease (a non-entity discussed elsewhere), and are hoping to confirm this diagnosis. Lymlits provide the confirmation bias these patients are looking for. They quickly empathize with these patients and offer what they claim to be a more informed approach to their diagnosis and treatment. Like all alternative medicine providers (and make no mistake, that is exactly what we are talking about here), they are quick to cast the patient’s more conventional provider as shackled by convention, or to Big Government or Big Pharma. Often they claim a more holistic approach as well, infusing other sCAM modalities or spiritualism into the mix. Again, like many sCAM providers, they claim special knowledge and insights not available to or ignored by conventional providers. To the sCAM-credulous, the Lymlits represent an open, understanding ear and long-sought answers to their problems.

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http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/lemons-and-lyme-bogus-tests-and-dangerous-treatments-of-the-lyme-literati/