The dr. told me there is no test for Shingles because it would always be positive in people who have had Chicken Pox.
So, they wait to see symptoms.
I got to thinking about Lyme disease. If perhaps our body had it at one time, fought it successfully, the test would still show positive because of the antibodies. Correct?
Is this the reasoning the ducks are using to deny we have Lyme?
Just a couple of more thoughts: the Elisa tests & most Western Blots must be very inaccurate since so many are negative.
If you get a positive, that must be very significant.
If you have a positive Western Blot and have some symptoms which could either be Lyme, Chronic Fatigue, MS or ALS or something else, it's important to rule out each one, but Lyme would have to be very likely the culprit.
Kayda
Posts: 582 | From midwest | Registered: Nov 2006
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I thought, and may be wrong, that you could show IgG responses for a long time (life?) for Lyme.
IgM would be current or recurrent infection, right?
Also the negative results may be due to Lyme being a spirochete.
It moves best through collagen and tissue. Not blood.
Also some bands are known to cross-react with other infections.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
One reason the tests are not accurate for those of us with Chronic Lyme is that over time our immune systems stop making antibodies. I know mine had stopped by 1974!
That was when I had my first rubella vaccination, prior to any pregnancies because I was working with young children and knew I never had it.
Well, two more vaccinations later, when pregnant with my third child I still showed no immunity to rubella. So, if that wasn't working, why would I show antibodies to Lyme?
As for ruling out other things, if you have a positive Lyme test, you probably don't have any of the other things you mentioned, but definitely not CFS, which is not really a disease, but a collection of symptoms that they label you with when everything else has been ruled out. Same goes for FM. that is what a syndrome is, by defintion.
Lyme is truly a clinical dx, so you really need a doctor who knows all about it, a LLMD. Other wise you may get labeled with the wrong dx, and you definitely won't get the correct treatment to get rid of this for once and for all.
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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