does anybody know how low they have to be to qualify for IVIG treatment?

thanks
bill
 

It depends on what your insurance carrier decides is "low enough"

Each policy is different

Was your testing done thru LabCorp? As I'm familiar with their testing levels,ect.

Is it just the IgG subclasses that are low, or are the Total IgG levels low?

Is it subclass one and three that are low for you? That seems to be the norm for somone who is suffering from immune supression and lyme

What does your IgA, and IgM test out as?

You don't need to post actual numbers--just wondering if other antibody classes are testing out of the normal range--then we can go from there.....
 

my IGG1 and IGG4 were low, and the test was done through Quest. i don't know about total IGG.

the IGG1:
395 and the normal range was 456-892mg/dL

the IGG4:
11.6 and the normal was 14-74mg/dL.

also my NK cell acitvity was sky high

500 - normal was 8-170

thanks
bill
 

Those are just alittle low( which BTW, is always better than alot low!)

Is the dotor going to try to get IVIG for you?

Because if they do--you will probaly know the answer to your question about insurance shortly.

The person who handles the insurance at your doctors' office will probaly be able to recieve information from a claim representative thru you insurance company as to how low your levels need to be, before you can recieve the IVIG.

You sure have High NK cells though!!, mine are always "In the basement"

BTW, I recieve IVIG--so that's why I'm aware of some of this information
 

Nk cells are your bodies' Natural Killer Cells

Depending on the lab used--there is a normal reference range, depending on the age of the patient.

[This message has been edited by yankee in black (edited 23 June 2005).]
 

i am adresing this question to you because it seems that you have to work pretty closely with an immunologist.

one other test that i had done with this DR is my HHV-6 antibody level - which she monitors because it has been high.

this time it was negative!!! like i never had HHV-6. is that possible?

it can't be good right, because that is how my body is supposed to keep me from getting it again.

i thought that once you are infected with a virus you stay positive for that virus the rest of your life.

could this be another indication that my immune system is not working right?

thanks
bill
 

i am adresing this question to you because it seems that you have to work pretty closely with an immunologist.

one other test that i had done with this DR is my HHV-6 antibody level - which she monitors because it has been high.

this time it was negative!!! like i never had HHV-6. is that possible?

it can't be good right, because that is how my body is supposed to keep me from getting it again.

i thought that once you are infected with a virus you stay positive for that virus the rest of your life.

could this be another indication that my immune system is not working right?

YIB:
Hi Bill,

It is definately possiable that at the time of the first testing--due to the immune supression from dealing with the TBD infections--that you experinced a re-activation of an opportunistic viral pathogen that is "ever present in the body", HHV-6.

Was your first testing positive thru the IgG panel?--which is the class of antibodies created to a known, reccconized pathogen--meaning you had this pathogen at least once before--and the body remembers this via producing antibodies to the pathogen---"Aquired immunity",

Or,

Was the testing positive by IgM?? IgM is mounted at the first signs of acute infection, or an acute reactivation of a known pathogen.

IgM then converts to IgG--and then you will sucessfully build IgG antibodies--if you have a normally functioning immune response!

Yours appears alittle off--so it is indeed possiable that your testing can be effected by the immune system malfunction.

The HHV-6 could have also been reactivated at the time of the first test--due to the immune supression brought on by fighting TBD infection(s)

At the time of the second testing--it is possiable that your immune status was somewhat improved---and you were able to place the viral pathogen back into latentcy

It is also possiable one, or both of the tests may be "off", due to different problems that can occur when running tests on organisms without a celluar "wall"

Of, course!! We are aware that unlike HHV-6...........in many sufferers--Borrelia evades/invades the immune system

Henceforth, all the problems with testing for B.B.

Hope this helps you somewhat!!