Dr. Jaquel Patterson

06/12/2026

A previously stable patient with no psychiatric history suddenly develops intense anxiety, intrusive thoughts, mood swings, or episodes of rage that feel completely out of character, and they get sent to a psychiatrist and leave with a panic disorder diagnosis.

But when these symptoms appear like a switch flipped, that's not a mental health condition. That's a sign of an underlying infection driving neurological symptoms.

Treating the label without finding the root cause means the infection keeps going untreated.

For educational purposes only.

06/09/2026

One of the biggest reasons people cycle through Lyme treatment without recovering is an unrecognized Babesia co-infection.

Doxycycline and amoxicillin target bacteria — but Babesia is a parasite with no bacterial cell wall, so standard Lyme antibiotics don't touch it.

Treating Babesia requires an anti-parasitic combination like atovaquone plus azithromycin, typically for weeks.

Different biology requires completely different treatment.

For educational purposes only.

06/02/2026

Most people think they'd notice a tick, but the stage responsible for most Lyme infections is the nymph, roughly the size of a poppy seed at just 1 to 2mm.

They're most active May through July, hide in leaf litter at ground level, and complete their entire blood meal without ever being detected.

This is exactly why so many people with Lyme disease never recall a tick bite.

For educational purposes only.

05/31/2026

https://youtu.be/SW9Bc3f_MKg

The tick most likely to give you Lyme disease is smaller than a poppy seed and you will never feel it bite. Most Lyme infections happen with no visible tick,...

05/29/2026

Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria behind Lyme disease, carries over 120 surface proteins — some of which closely resemble human tissue like joint cartilage, nerve cells, and heart muscle.

When your immune system learns to attack those bacterial proteins, it can mistakenly develop antibodies that cross-react with your own tissue.

Even after the infection clears, those antibodies remain and keep attacking.

This is how a bacterial infection can train your immune system to turn against you.

For educational purposes only.

05/26/2026

Three things every patient should know: Lyme being misdiagnosed as an autoimmune disease is well-documented and predictable based on how the disease presents and how testing works.

A negative ELISA does not rule out Lyme, especially in chronic cases — the test has real limitations most patients were never told about.

And you can absolutely have both an autoimmune condition and an undetected infection at the same time.

Addressing both starts with asking the right questions.

For educational purposes only.

05/20/2026

Lyme disease can trigger genuine autoimmune conditions that persist even after the infection is gone — and that means a patient can have both a valid autoimmune diagnosis and an unaddressed Lyme infection as the root cause.

It's not either/or, it's both. Most doctors aren't trained to think that way, which is why the real question isn't whether misdiagnosis is possible — it clearly is.

The question is whether it applies to you, and that comes down to your clinical pattern.

For educational purposes only.

05/15/2026

PANS and PANDAS involve neuroinflammation, inflammation that directly affects the brain and nervous system.

When the immune system activates, cytokines impact areas like the basal ganglia, which control behavior, emotional regulation, and executive function.

This is why symptoms can appear so suddenly and intensely, and recognizing that these behaviors are immune-driven, not intentional, can help families respond with more compassion and get the right medical support.

For educational purposes only.

05/12/2026

In children with PANS, infections are the most common trigger for flares, and this includes strep, Lyme disease, Bartonella, EBV, COVID, the flu, and even mild illnesses like colds or sinus infections.

When the immune system responds, it releases inflammatory cytokines that can directly affect brain function.

This is why some kids suddenly develop tics, OCD, anxiety, behavioral regression, or mood instability after getting sick.

For educational purposes only.

05/05/2026

PANS flares can feel sudden and overwhelming, but recognizing early warning signs gives families a real advantage in responding quickly.

These symptoms are not behavioral choices; they are driven by immune activation and neuroinflammation.

The earlier you identify the pattern, the more effectively you can support your child through the episode.

Watch the full video on my YouTube channel ➡️
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