Justin Bieber: I’ve been fighting Lyme disease for years

Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber revealed on Wednesday that he had been battling Lyme disease and a serious case of mononucleosis but said he was overcoming his health issues.

Bieber (25) noted that some people had recently criticised his appearance and suggested he was using drugs, in a post on Instagram.

“They failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my skin, brain function, energy and overall health,” Bieber wrote about living with the bacterial infection.

“It’s been a rough couple of years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease,” he added. “And I will be back and better than ever.”

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Bieber said his health challenges were among the topics to be chronicled on an upcoming 10-episode documentary series about his life that will be released on YouTube starting on January 27th.

Lyme disease can cause a range of debilitating symptoms from fatigue and joint pain to heart problems and partial paralysis.

The disease has struck numerous celebrities in recent years. In 2015 it was revealed model Bella Hadid had the disease; the same year that singer Avril Lavigne was also diagnosed with it. In 2016 actor Kris Kristofferson discovered the memory loss he had been suffering from was due to the disease.

In the past year, Bieber has written a series of Instagram posts to his 124 million followers talking about his struggles with depression, drug abuse and fame and crediting religion and wife Hailey Baldwin for his recovery.

This year, Bieber plans to release his first album in several years and embark on a North American tour. He released a single called Yummy last week. – Reuters