Letterman clip from 7/17/06

Letterman makes some incomprehensible and just plain wrong comments regarding Lyme disease ('overdiagnosed' and 'only 1 tick in 200 is infected').

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Letterman
• Lyme
• Overdiagnosed

[emilesland]

Having on what guy? Who was the guest? I'm very familiar with Lyme disease, unfortunately. Letterman is totally wrong about it being over diagnosed. It is often misdiagnosed as something else. Get the truth about Lyme Disease and learn all about the controversy at http://www.lyme-disease-resear­ch-database.com

[thewalloon]

He had a 'fake' guest, a "Dr. Wellman" I believe, to discuss his book 'The Tick-Bomb'. There was an elaborate comedy skit ending with 'Dr. Wellman' freaking out, which wasn't all that funny. However, this bit you are seeking was after the monologue in which Letterman was announcing the nights guests, when he rambled on about Lyme, making those totally incorrect and controversial remarks to a totally clueless audience and public.

[Xavialynn]

OMG, he is so ill-informed! We live in Georgia in rural area, my daughter had rocky mountain spotted fever (10 days in ICU); my son was diagnosed at 17 with Lyme 2X and is still on antibiotics. There are more cases of Rocky Mtn in N. Carolina nowadays... and lyme is growing by leaps & bounds everywhere, it is just way under-reported!

[loggerbuck]

My wife was diagnosed first... took 6 years to get a firm diagnosis. Almost ANY auto-immune disease should be screened for Lyme.

[CRAIGARRR]

Dave, in fact I don't even think you should have even opened your %($*&%( MOUTH!

As a set up for a bit? It ain't that funny, Dave..

"frighnin' and drive you nutz"... So is infidelity..

Surprizingly Dave only does jokes about someone having an affair , about 1 in 200 times he is on the air..

HMMM I wonder why.

[CRAIGARRR]

Suffering from Lyme Disease is no joke..

Ugh.. Don't I know it

I think there should be screenings for it.. The longer you go mis diagnosed the longer that bacteria has time to mess with you.. Not everyone gets that classic bulls eye sign where tick bites you.. And sometimes it is not seen at all. The signs that bacteria in your blood is evident.But if there are no symptoms until it really gets bad can be devistating..If you are outside alot, in the woods, Ask to be checked during your checkup

[mjwallin]

You have totally missed the point, which was that Letterman, despite having had a bout of Lyme disease himself is siding with the misinformed doctors who claim that chronic Lyme disease doesn't exist.

[lazydukes]

THE BOOK IS FAKE. It was fake guest you IDIOTS!

[ecftube]

Hi there,

Wrote a very informative Lyme disease brochure with the help of 2 Lyme specialists. One of them is world reknown. Will email a copy to anyone. I don't know what came before of after this Letterman snip-it but it is very inaccurate. He has totally lost my respect.

Elaine in Virginia

[ecftube]

Letterman is verrrrrry misinformed. This is really really sad because Dave Letterman is such a popular figure but he has not done his research on Lyme. There are many many counties that have already been declared epidemic areas. Dave Letterman needs to have Darryl Hall of Hall & Oates be a guest on his show. He could give him an education on Lyme disease.

[leeny777]

Letterman is WAY off base! He has no idea how inaccurate his words are. It's a terrible shame that someone with as much media power as Letterman could be so ignorant regarding the true facts about Lyme Disease.