Lyme Disease & Tick Borne Illness Treatment in Portland, Oregon

Have you had a suspicious bug bite? 

Due to the misconception that this is only an east coast problem people often don’t get tested and treated for Lyme as soon as they should.

The term “Lyme Disease” covers a complex of multiple infections including Borrelia which is known to be the causing agent of the disease. It’s most well-known as being contracted after getting a tick bite. But Lyme infections can also spread between sexual partners or congenitally from undiagnosed parents to their children.

Immediate treatment for Lyme Disease can result in much shorter courses and provide much better results. If you’ve recently gotten a bug bite and a red ring has appeared around it (kind of like a bullseye) see a doctor immediately. This is definitely a ‘better safe than sorry’ situation.

Late stage and persistent Lyme disease treatment and diagnostics are often much more complex. The longer you have the infection the more severe effects they can have on your bodily functions.

Many patients delay testing and treatment because of the misconception that Lyme disease doesn’t occur on the West Coast. In reality, tick-borne illnesses are increasingly diagnosed in Oregon, Washington, and throughout the Pacific Northwest — often going overlooked due to outdated geographic assumptions.

Chronic Lyme Disease Symptoms:

Lyme disease and co-infections can affect nearly every system in the body. Symptoms often fluctuate, worsen over time, or mimic other chronic conditions — leading to frequent misdiagnosis. Below is a more comprehensive list of symptoms reported by patients with chronic or late-stage

Late-Stage Lyme Is More Complex

When Lyme disease is left untreated, it can become persistent or chronic, affecting your:

• Nervous system

• Immune function

• Brain and cognitive clarity

• Gut health

• Energy levels and mobility

Neurological & Cognitive Symptoms:

• Brain fog and confusion

• Memory loss or short-term memory issues

• Word-finding difficulty or slowed speech

• Difficulty concentrating (ADD-like symptoms)

• Mood swings, irritability, or emotional instability

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Depression or unexplained sadness

• Sensory sensitivity (light, sound, touch)

• Numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in limbs

• Dizziness or vertigo

• Migraines or chronic headaches

• Visual disturbances or eye pain

• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

• Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns

• Seizures or tremors (in severe cases)

Musculoskeletal & Joint Symptoms:

• Migrating joint pain (often knees, shoulders, hips)

• Muscle aches or cramping

• Neck stiffness or pain

• Back pain

• Muscle weakness or heaviness

• Clicking or popping joints

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction

• Reduced range of motion

Cardiovascular Symptoms

• Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat

• Chest pain (not cardiac-related)

• Shortness of breath

• Low blood pressure or postural dizziness (POTS-like symptoms)

• Poor circulation (cold hands/feet, bluish extremities)

Digestive & Gastrointestinal Symptoms

• Nausea or loss of appetite

• Abdominal pain or cramping

• Bloating and gas

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Acid reflux or heartburn

• Food intolerances or sudden sensitivities

• Leaky gut syndrome or IBS-like symptoms

Immune & Inflammatory Symptoms

• Frequent infections or slow recovery from illness

• Swollen lymph nodes

• New or worsened allergies (food, chemical, environmental)

• Histamine intolerance

• Autoimmune-like symptoms (without clear diagnosis)

• Low-grade fevers or chills

• Cold/flu-like symptoms that come and go

Skin & Sensory Symptoms

• Rash (including bullseye rash or EM rash)

• Skin crawling or prickling sensations

• Burning or itchy skin without rash

• Acne-like lesions or unexplained skin outbreaks

• Sensitivity to temperature or barometric pressure

• Sweats, especially night sweats

Genitourinary & Hormonal Symptoms

• Menstrual irregularities or worsened PMS

• Low libido

• Pelvic pain

• Urinary urgency or frequency

• Erectile dysfunction

• Adrenal fatigue or dysregulated cortisol levels

• Thyroid dysfunction

General & Systemic Symptoms

• Persistent fatigue or exhaustion (not improved with rest)

• Unrefreshing sleep

• Exercise intolerance or post-exertional malaise

• Weight loss or gain without explanation

• General malaise or feeling unwell

• Heat or cold intolerance

Were you ever diagnosed with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

If you haven’t had full diagnostic testing for all your symptoms, get tested for Lyme Disease by a specialist. We often see patients who have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) come in with additional undetected inflammation or underlying infections like Lyme.

Because Lyme instances are relatively lower west of the Cascades, Lyme recognition and treatment is much less proactive here. Your primary care doctor may not know how to exhaustively test for it. If it’s been ruled out after having the CDC blot test but you’re still experiencing symptoms you should get tested again. At Restorative Health we also do a PCR test which is much more sensitive and specific — providing a more accurate result.

We can help provide answers as to why you aren’t getting better.

At Restorative Health Clinic, we offer unmatched experience and dedication in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and tick-borne co-infections — with a focus on personalized, root-cause care.

What Sets Us Apart

Advanced Diagnostic Testing

We use the most reliable Lyme and co-infection tests available, including IGeneX, Vibrant Wellness, Galaxy Diagnostics, and T-Cell testing.

Functional, Integrative Approach

We combine the best of conventional medicine and naturopathic care, offering customized protocols that support your body’s healing from the inside out.

Lyme-Literate and Mold-Certified Providers

Our providers are trained through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) and are certified in Dr. Richard Horowitz’s MSIDS model. We complete advanced training multiple times a year to stay on the cutting edge of chronic infection treatment.

We’re also trained in the Shoemaker Protocol under Dr. Richie Shoemaker to treat mold-related illness (CIRS) — a common co-condition with Lyme disease.

National Educators and Advocates

Our team lectures across the U.S. to raise awareness, train physicians, and advocate for better standards in chronic and environmental illness care.

Customized Protocols for Complex Cases

From acute infections to persistent Lyme with multiple co-infections, we tailor every treatment plan to your symptoms, health history, lab results, and healing goals.

We take an antimicrobial approach to ensure we’re treating every single infection and parasite your body may be suffering from.

We’ll provide guidance and treatment options for Lyme Disease including conventional western medicine and naturopathic or herbal treatments. We know that one treatment does not fit everyone and we use multiple tools (such as autonomic testing) to assess how pathogens and toxins affect your body specifically and what can be used to relieve that stress. It’s a way to help guide your treatment and determine what will be most effective for you.

Early Treatment is Key

If you’ve recently had a tick bite — especially if a red ring-shaped rash appeared — it’s important to seek care immediately. Early treatment can:

• Shorten the course of illness

• Prevent co-infections from taking hold

• Reduce the risk of chronic symptoms

Morgellons Disease

The CDC currently recognizes it as a delusional disorder resulting in psychiatric treatment for patients. We know that these patients are not suffering from a mental illness, they are suffering from an infection that results in physical symptoms. Researchers have made scientific connections from Morgellons to Lyme disease with Morgellons patients testing positive for elements of Lyme disease and other co-infections.

One of the main symptoms of Morgellons Disease is dermatological —skin lesions spontaneously appearing which won’t heal. These lesions have small filaments that form inside the body. Often, because of the itching and skin crawling sensations that are associated with these lesions patients believe they have some kind of parasite. This characterization of the symptom is what led to the initial conclusion that patients were delusional. When, in fact, these are malformations of collagen and keratin made by the skin itself that look similar to textile fibers.

There is no current cure for Morgellons Disease but we are working with the Charles E Holman Foundation, and Igenix Laboratory who are conducting independent research to find the cause of this disease and a way to treat it.