Why do so many Lyme patients test negative while feeling anything but healthy?

This is a special re-release of a powerful episode originally recorded in 2025. We felt it was too important not to bring back, especially as more people continue to struggle with confusing lab results and unanswered symptoms. The insights shared here are just as relevant today, if not more, and deserve to be heard again.

In this episode of Integrative Lyme Solutions, Dr. Michael Karlfeldt breaks down the confusing world of Lyme disease testing and reveals why conventional lab results often fail chronic illness patients. Drawing insights from leading experts like Dr. Bruce Patterson and Dr. Joseph Burrascano, this episode uncovers the limitations of ELISA, Western Blot, and PCR testing and why they were never designed for complex, chronic cases.

You will learn how Lyme evades detection, why immune dysfunction leads to false negatives, and how advanced testing methods like cytokine panels, T-cell testing, and FISH are reshaping diagnosis. If you have ever been told your labs are normal while your body says otherwise, this episode will change how you understand your health and your next steps forward.

Key Takeaways:

0:00 Introduction
2:05 ELISA and Western Blot were never built for chronic Lyme
6:10 Immune dysfunction leads to false negatives
10:30 PCR testing limitations and missed infections
12:00 Expanding beyond standard labs into specialty testing
17:00 FISH testing detecting live organisms in the blood
22:00 Why combining tests gives a clearer diagnosis
23:30 Immune system testing the future of Lyme detection
28:00 Symptom patterns reveal different infections
30:15 Choosing the right test based on your stage
32:00 When to stop testing and start healing

Resources Mentioned:
ArminLabs https://arminlabs.com/
IGeneX https://igenex.com/
Galaxy Diagnostics https://www.galaxydx.com/
DNA Connexions https://dnaconnexions.com/
IncellDX https://incelldx.com/

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or replace professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or treatment decisions.

_______________________________

The Karlfeldt Center offers the most cutting-edge and comprehensive Lyme therapies. To schedule a Free 15-Minute Discovery Call with a Lyme Literate Naturopathic Doctor at The Karlfeldt Center, call 208-338-8902 or email info@TheKarlfeldtCenter.com

Check out Dr. K’s Ebook: Breaking Free From Lyme: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing and Recovery here: https://store.thekarlfeldtcenter.com/products/breaking-free-from-lyme
Use the code LYMEPODCAST for a 100% off discount!

What happens when Lyme disease is repeatedly dismissed even when the symptoms are clear?

In this episode of Integrative Lyme Solutions, Dr. K speaks with Lyme advocate Amy Rose, who spent more than eight years searching for answers after being infected by a tick bite in 2008. Within days she developed severe flu-like symptoms and later discovered a large bullseye rash on her shoulder. Despite these classic warning signs, doctors repeatedly told her Lyme disease was impossible because she had been bitten in Arkansas. Multiple tests came back negative and she was given numerous misdiagnoses and medications instead of answers.

Amy shares how her health continued to decline while she saw 27 doctors before finally receiving a proper diagnosis from a Lyme-literate practitioner. She also explains how this experience led her to start the Arkansas Lyme Foundation to support patients in a state where Lyme disease is still widely denied. Her story reveals the serious gaps in Lyme testing, the consequences of misdiagnosis, and the power of patient advocacy.

Key Takeaways:

0:00 Introduction
2:15 Amy Rose’s Lyme infection and early symptoms in 2008
6:40 The bullseye rash and why Lyme was still missed
10:30 Five negative tests through Labcorp and misdiagnosis
16:50 Neurological Lyme and being misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s
22:10 Losing the ability to drive due to brain inflammation
26:30 Finding a Lyme-literate doctor after seeing 27 physicians
32:45 Starting the Arkansas Lyme Foundation
38:20 Why Arkansas still denies Lyme disease exists
44:15 Reaching remission and focusing on cellular health and mold detox

Resources Mentioned:

Arkansas Lyme Foundation - https://www.arkansaslyme.org/
Labcorp - https://www.labcorp.com/

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or replace professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or treatment decisions.

_______________________________

The Karlfeldt Center offers the most cutting-edge and comprehensive Lyme therapies. To schedule a Free 15-Minute Discovery Call with a Lyme Literate Naturopathic Doctor at The Karlfeldt Center, call 208-338-8902 or email info@TheKarlfeldtCenter.com

Check out Dr. K’s Ebook: Breaking Free From Lyme: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing and Recovery here: https://store.thekarlfeldtcenter.com/products/breaking-free-from-lyme
Use the code LYMEPODCAST for a 100% off discount!

What if Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, and even psychiatric symptoms are not random but driven by hidden infections?

In this episode of Integrative Lyme Solutions, Dr. K sits down with research scientist and Lyme survivor Nikki Schultek to explore the infection hypothesis behind chronic disease. After battling years of misdiagnosed symptoms including asthma flares, interstitial cystitis, arrhythmias, neurological decline, and suspected MS, Nikki uncovered a complex web of infections including Borrelia, Bartonella, Babesia, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Epstein-Barr virus, and more.

Now founder of the Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative, Nikki is leading a global consortium investigating how stealth pathogens may trigger neurodegeneration, immune dysfunction, and dementia. This conversation dives into intracellular infections, the Herxheimer reaction, amyloid as an antimicrobial response, sterile brain autopsies, precision medicine, and why federal health agencies are finally acknowledging Lyme disease as a serious public health crisis.

If you or someone you love is dealing with chronic Lyme, long COVID, autoimmune illness, or cognitive decline, this episode may change how you see disease.

Key Takeaways:

0:00 Introduction
3:15 Asthma, air hunger, and early misdiagnoses
8:40 From interstitial cystitis to suspected multiple sclerosis
14:30 Discovering intracellular infections and Chlamydia pneumoniae
18:45 Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia and the whack-a-mole effect
24:10 The Pathobiome concept and microbial imbalance
27:30 Alzheimer’s disease and the infection hypothesis
32:00 Sterile brain autopsies and spinal fluid research
35:20 Amyloid plaque as an antimicrobial defense mechanism
41:00 APOE4, genetics, and infection susceptibility
44:30 Federal recognition of Lyme disease and future funding

Resources Mentioned:

Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative - https://alzheimerspathobiome.org
ILADS - https://www.ilads.org
ILADS Education Foundation - https://www.iladef.org
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - https://www.pcom.edu

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or replace professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or treatment decisions.

_______________________________

The Karlfeldt Center offers the most cutting-edge and comprehensive Lyme therapies. To schedule a Free 15-Minute Discovery Call with a Lyme Literate Naturopathic Doctor at The Karlfeldt Center, call 208-338-8902 or email info@TheKarlfeldtCenter.com

Check out Dr. K’s Ebook: Breaking Free From Lyme: A Comprehensive Guide to Healing and Recovery here: https://store.thekarlfeldtcenter.com/products/breaking-free-from-lyme
Use the code LYMEPODCAST for a 100% off discount!