Why is it so hard to treat?
Part of the reason why lyme is often so difficult to treat is that not only is an individual dealing with an infection (or often times multiple in the case of coinfections), but the lyme spirochetes (i.e. tiny bacteria) produce potent toxins, which are able to penetrates  cell membranes and move through the body via the blood, lymph, extracellular fluid and more. Thus there is literally ‘nowhere’ that is safe from their potential intrusion. Moreover, like all living things, they want to stay alive. So, especially with more time, they typically ‘burrow’ deep into areas where it is difficult for the immune system to find and destroy them, such as old injury sites filled with scar tissue, joints, and the central nervous system.

To make matters worse, they are able to shift ‘forms’ depending on the environment in which they are exposed to. In other words, they can essentially stay ‘dormant’ if one’s immune system is strong and healthy and conditions are not optimal for their reproduction. However they can ‘unfurl’ and become active and start reproducing if internal conditions change. They can also build ‘biofilms’ inside the body which are kind of like little lattices or cobwebs in which they can hide, hang out in, and largely avoid the immune system surveillance again.