In the Lyme community, the preferred term is usually “remission” rather than “healed” or “cured”. The idea is that symptoms can be controlled or disappear for long periods, but the infection may not be completely eradicated or the risk of relapse remains.

Some patients experience long-term symptoms even after a standard course of antibiotics. This is known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS). It’s also sometimes referred to as chronic Lyme disease.

According to many Lyme-literate doctors, these lingering symptoms can have different reasons. First, the initial antibiotic course may not have been enough to eradicate the infection. Second, while the Lyme infection may have been cleared, a tick can transmit other pathogens in addition to Borrelia, leading to so-called co-infections and resulting in multiple infections.