Devastating Effects of Lyme Disease on Alec Baldwin’s Personal and Professional Life

Alec Baldwin, the eldest of the four Baldwin brothers, is an actor, comedian, writer, and producer who has enjoyed tremendous success over the decades. He has played both lead and supporting roles in TV shows and film, displaying his immense talent for all to see.

Consequently, he is a multiple award-winner with three Golden Globe Awards, two Emmy Awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards. His portrayal of President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live earned him a Primetime Emmy.

A-list actor Alec Baldwin is one of the many celebrities who’ve been diagnosed with Lyme disease

Personal Battles

Despite all his success, Baldwin has had some personal battles to deal with, as does everyone else. Almost two years ago, he opened up about a chronic disease that has been affecting his health for two decades: The Lyme disease.

In 2017, the cases of the condition were on the rise due to an increase in the disease carrier’s vector. An infestation of contagious ticks ensured the spread of the disease-causing bacteria carried by these little creatures, with people contracting the disease from grassy or wooded areas where ticks could gain easy attach themselves to humans.

Speaking to People, Baldwin admitted that the ticks first bit him in 2000 after which he contracted the disease and received treatment for it. Unfortunately for him, the ticks were back several years later, and he was bitten a second time. He has been dealing with the aftermath of the contagion ever since.

While giving a speech at the 2017 annual LymeAid research benefit, Baldwin shared with the audience that for five years, he had to deal with the symptoms of Lyme disease every summer. Like clockwork, they would kick in every August presenting with fever and sweating, along with other flu-like symptoms.

As he told them, the first time he got sick was the worst, and he genuinely thought he would pass on. He was alone in his house, having divorced his first wife, and he was just hoping that his body wouldn’t stay too long before someone discovered it.

Baldwin talks about his struggles with Lyme disease in his memoir called ‘Nevertheless’

Tight-lipped

Until this speech, Alec Baldwin had always steered clear of the Lyme disease topic, though he had briefly mentioned it in a New York Times article in 2011. Being a disease caused by bacteria, antibiotics are the go-to drugs to remedy the condition.

If caught early and proper treatment is administered, there are usually no long-lasting symptoms. However, any delay in treatment can cause the infection to spread to the nervous system, the heart, and the joints, making it impossible to eradicate.

Alec Baldwin with wife and children

In his speech, Baldwin was undoubtedly passionate about the tackling the disease and its vectors, citing that he would want his kids to grow up enjoying themselves, playing around and riding bikes and horses, without him and their mom having to worry whether they are exposed to ticks. At the time, however, he admitted that worrying was part of the lifestyle in his locale of where he resides. The research benefit raised over $800,000, a significant sum that will go a long way in contributing to research for the disease.