Gordon Medical Associates

Mast cells release over a thousand different chemicals, and standard lab panels capture only a fraction of them. Histamine, tryptase, and chromogranin A are the most commonly tested markers, but they require the patient to be in active flare at the exact moment of the draw to register meaningfully. In clinical practice, that window is rarely caught.⁠
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This is why a clinical diagnosis is the most reliable tool commonly available. The patient's symptom pattern, their reactivity profile, and their response to MCAS-targeted treatment tell a more complete story than any single lab value ordered from the standard laboratory. ⁠
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Lyme disease is not a single clinical picture, and treating it as one is where most approaches fall short.

In the early stages, the infection itself is often the primary driver. But as the illness progresses, the infection becomes less of the story, and immune dysregulation becomes more of it. What was triggered by Borrelia may now be sustained by a dysregulated immune system that has lost its ability to regulate itself, shaped by individual biology, pre-existing vulnerabilities, and how long the body has been in that state.

This distinction matters for how these patients are evaluated and treated.

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Happy Memorial Day weekend. If you are spending time outside, make tick checks part of your routine. Prevention is easier than treatment, and finding a tick early makes a big difference.

Check your whole body after being outdoors, not just your legs. Ticks can attach anywhere, including your scalp, behind your ears, and in skin folds. The sooner you find and remove it, the better your chances of avoiding infection.

Comment SUMMER and we will send you our guide on what to do if you find a tick.

Follow and for more clinical insights into complex chronic illness.