Symptom Checker
Lyme Symptom Checker
Lyme disease is an inflammatory illness caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. It is sometimes called "the great imitator" because its symptoms mimic so many other conditions, making it notoriously difficult to diagnose. The Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome (MSIDS) questionnaire is a structured, points-based tool that helps identify patients who may benefit from further Lyme and co-infection testing.
How the Score Is Built
The MSIDS questionnaire is built from four sections:
- Section 1 - a 38-point symptom frequency review, rating how often each symptom occurred over the past month from 0 (never) to 3 (all the time).
- Section 2 - a checklist of factors linked to Lyme incidence and exposure risk.
- Section 3 - overall health over the last 30 days, scoring how many days physical and mental health were affected.
- Section 4 - a "common Lyme" bonus of 5 points, awarded where fatigue, forgetfulness, joint pain or swelling, tingling/numbness/burning/stabbing sensations, and disturbed sleep are all rated at the highest frequency.
Interpretation Bands
The four section scores are combined into a single total, interpreted as follows:
0–20
Not likely
21–36
Possible
37–62
Probable
63+
Highly probable
Why It Matters
Because Lyme and other chronic-illness symptoms can look so similar to one another, a structured, points-based tool like MSIDS helps our doctors decide whether tick-borne illness should be investigated - and gives a shared starting point for that conversation.
Hear What Our Patients Have to Say
Discuss Your Symptoms
Book a consultation to talk through your history and, if appropriate, arrange Lyme and co-infection testing.
Take the MSIDS Questionnaire
Work through all four sections below for an instant screening result. This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.