Speakers: Dr. Yusuf (JP) Saleeby, Dr. Tom Moorcroft, Chris Jackman, FNP
Lyme disease is notoriously difficult to treat, but it’s even more complex than most realize. That’s because Lyme doesn’t always travel alone. Associated tick-borne co-infections like Bartonella and Babesia can mimic or mask Lyme symptoms, requiring different treatments to resolve. This reality turns Lyme treatment into a winding, uncertain road for patients and providers alike.
Luckily, we’ve enlisted some of the world’s top experts in Lyme and chronic disease to help demystify this debilitating condition. Join IMA Senior Fellow Dr. JP Saleeby as he hosts a practical conversation with Lyme specialist Dr. Tom Moorcroft and integrative nurse practitioner Chris Jackman. Together, they’ll break down what makes Lyme so persistent, how co-infections complicate recovery, and what successful treatment protocols can look like in the real world.
This is the third installment in IMA’s Lyme Disease series—an essential session for patients, practitioners, and anyone trying to make sense of this often-misunderstood chronic condition. Catch up with the previous episodes here:
Lyme disease isn’t just a rash, a round of antibiotics, and a return to normal life. For many patients, especially those with chronic or complex cases, the road to recovery is long, winding, and full of confusion. Why does treatment fail? Why do symptoms linger for months—or even years? And what role do lesser-known co-infections play?
In this IMA webinar, three front-line Lyme experts: Dr. Tom Moorcroft, Chris Jackman, FNP, and IMA Senior Fellow Dr. JP Saleeby. They’ve come together to help chart a better path forward for Lyme patients. They speak not just as clinicians, but as seasoned listeners who are familiar with the suffering, misdiagnoses, and medical gaslighting their patients have endured.
The good news? There is hope. And it starts with understanding how Lyme really works, what makes chronic cases so tricky, and how to approach healing with precision, empathy, and an open mind.
Below is a breakdown of key takeaways from the conversation with quotes, context, and some straight talk from people who’ve seen it all.
- Why Lyme Disease is Difficult to Treat—and How Co-infections Make It Worse
- The Biggest Challenges Patients Face with Chronic Lyme
- Personalized and Integrative Treatment Approaches are Essential
- Finding the Right Provider for Lyme Treatment
- How to Support the Body During Lyme Treatment
- Common Lyme Treatment Questions Answered
1. Why Lyme Disease is Difficult to Treat—and How Co-infections Make It Worse
Lyme is complicated enough on its own. But in most serious cases, it’s not just Lyme.
Ticks can sometimes transmit a cocktail of infections: Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and more. These “co-infections” interact, mask one another, and resist treatment differently. Standard tests often miss them. And many doctors don’t even know what to look for.
“These organisms have been around forever… These things have learned to really be alive in the human ecosystem… When the environment is inhospitable, like we’re doing a treatment protocol, they hide…” —Dr. Tom Moorcroft
Bartonella
Even within Lyme itself, the bacteria are stealthy. They can lie dormant, form protective biofilms, and evade antibiotics, especially when treatment is delayed or incomplete.
“If you treat Lyme, you can miss Bartonella, and you can miss treating Babesiosis… It’s nearly impossible to treat Bartonella without concurrently treating Lyme. But you can treat Lyme without hitting Bartonella or Babesia…” —Dr. Tom Moorcroft
2. The Biggest Challenges Patients Face with Chronic Lyme
The hardest part of Lyme often isn’t the pathogen—it’s the medical system.
For Lyme Patients, it’s not uncommon to be told it’s “all in their head.” Many see dozens of doctors before receiving a proper diagnosis. Even then, they’re often dismissed if they don’t respond quickly to treatment.
“The hardest part isn’t necessarily the disease itself—it’s the stigma and isolation patients face when no one believes they’re sick… Treating Lyme isn’t the problem. We’re good at what we do. The problem is the stigma that comes with what the patients have to carry around to try to get better when everyone’s doubting them or saying they’re not sick.” —Chris Jackman, FNP
Chris Jackman, FNP
That isolation takes more than just an emotional toll. It affects access to care, insurance coverage, family support, and leads patients’ to question their sanity.
3. Personalized and Integrative Treatment Approaches are Essential
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for chronic Lyme. That’s not a drawback. It’s the point.
Effective care means listening, adjusting, and tailoring each plan to the individual. Chris Jackman emphasized that every patient should get a different plan, and that the plan can shift and be adapted quickly depending on patient response.
True healing incorporates not just medicine, but mindset. Dr. Moorcroft recalls how a mental shift helped him to deal with his own Lyme journey on the patient side:
“One of the things I found was if I worked on the mental and spiritual aspects of my life, reconnecting with my passions… it made a big difference… I remember one day just going, ‘My life sucks… I want to play outside with my dogs again… I want to enjoy the woods’… And as soon as I got excited about that and kept that in my heart, this started to change things.” —Dr. Tom Moorcroft
Dr. Tom Moorcroft
4. Finding the Right Provider for Lyme Treatment
Most doctors simply aren’t equipped to treat complex Lyme. Not because they don’t care—but because the system hasn’t prepared them.
Chris Jackman explained how a Lyme-literate provider can dramatically change the experience for patients:
“When you sit down and they start to explain their story… they’ll say, ‘You seem to be believing what I’m telling you.’ And I’m like, ‘Absolutely, I believe what you’re telling me. Why wouldn’t I?'” —Chris Jackman, FNP
Look for providers who:
- Address co-infections alongside Lyme
- Listen and tailor treatment as things evolve
- Understand biofilms, immune dysregulation, and detox
- And most importantly: believe your experience!
5. How to Support the Body During Lyme Treatment
Killing pathogens is only one piece of the Lyme puzzle. True recovery demands support for the entire body.
- Nutrient-dense food: fuels repair and energy
- Binders: mop up toxins from dying microbes and mold
- Sleep and circadian support: critical for immune repair
- Mitochondrial nutrients: rebuild energy capacity
- Gentle movement: light activity, not intense workouts
- Stress reduction: to support the gut-brain-immune axis
6. Common Lyme Treatment Questions Answered
You asked, our experts answered!
- Can a low-oxalate diet help with chronic Lyme or inflammation?
Dr. Saleeby confirms that for certain people, yes, especially if they’ve had oxalate issues or metabolic imbalances. - How do you differentiate between mold illness and Lyme when symptoms overlap?
Dr. Moorcroft explains that history, testing, and treatment response are key. - Are there safe antimicrobials or herbals to use for children with Lyme?
Dr. Moorcroft affirms and names a few options like Japanese knotweed and Cat’s Claw, but notes that pediatric support requires expert guidance. - Can Babesia or Bartonella be passed congenitally from mother to child?
Confirmed by panel: there is documented vertical transmission, though it’s rare and under-researched. - Should patients with Lyme avoid vaccines?
Dr. Saleeby and Chris Jackman both express concern that immune dysregulation from vaccines can worsen chronic Lyme symptoms. - What lab tests are most helpful?
Dr. Moorcroft mentions using a combination of clinical judgment and specialty labs like IGeneX, Galaxy Diagnostics, and Armin Labs. - Can red light therapy support healing in Lyme patients?
All panelists say yes, especially for immune support, mitochondrial function, and mood.
A Lyme Treatment Roadmap, Not a Shortcut
Lyme treatment isn’t linear, and it’s seldom simple. But as our experts demonstrated, it is possible.
With open-minded practitioners, patient-tailored care, and ongoing support, healing happens every day. That’s why IMA continues to build resources, amplify honest science, and stand with patients and providers on their healing journey.
More from IMA on Lyme:
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