I received my results of my coinfections and here is what they said.
Ehrlichiosis:
IgM <1:40 = Negative IgG <1:40 = Negative
Bartonella:
IgM <1:20 = Negative IgG 1:80 = my doc called this slightly elevated?
Babesiosis:
IgM 1:20 = The IGenex paperwork indicated that <1:20 was negative and 1:20-1:160 suggested current infection or something? My doc didn't mention this result
IgG <1:20 = Negative RNA = Negative
Okay...so my doc said my Bart IgG titer was slightly elevated and didn't mention my Babs IgM result at all.
Do I have Bart and/or Babs?
Also, I just saw on Gigi's post that Bart can be a coinfection with ALS...since I suspect I may have ALS, could this be even more evidence that I have ALS??
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Bringing this to the top for answers from those knowledgeable with her results. I'm unable to answer at all.
Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :
I would interpret this to mean that Bartonella and Babesia need to be addressed and that you either have or have had those infections. In my case, my LLMD aggressively treats IgG titers. I would also look into what Ehrlichia (HME/HGE) you had done and ensure both were done as well as mycoplasma fermentans.
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
Thanks, Betty. I hope you are feeling better!!
Scott, I really enjoyed reading your web site. I will check the Ehrlichia and see which were done and the mycoplasma (that sounds familiar).
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Some LLD"s treat the co-infections ,regaurdlessof the test result for co- infections. Because the tests for co-infections can be as unreliable as some lyme disease tests.
And go by a symptom diagnosis.
Posted by Corgilla (Member # 4066) on :
Hi,
My Babs test came back the same as yours. My LLMD said it was a positive and treated me for it. Nothing has made more of a difference in my treatment than taking care of Babs.
Also, I have Bart and I am sure I don't have ALS.
Any one of these diseases can be devestating. In combo, they're even more difficult to deal with.
Some here have said that treating their Bart has made a huge difference for them. A bunch have been treated for Babs without positive tests and gotten better.
What did your doctor suggest doing regarding your results?
Take care,
Corgilla
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Vachick, there are many labeled illnesses that have no known causes. To name a few they are labeled chronic fatigue, fibromyagia, MS, ALS, etc. All of these are symptoms of an unknown cause.
Your symptoms are presenting themselves with ALS type, but I would bet the house you have what is called vector borne illnesses. Many lyme specialists will tell you that their worst lyme patients are the ones that come to them with an earlier dx of MS or ALS.
These poor patients have been treated with drugs that do not help rid the body of these bacterias. Their health continues to decline while these docs treat their symptoms and not the root cause of their symptoms.
You have come to a great site that will educate about all the ugliness about MS & ALS.
Take care, Pam
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
vachick, thanks for asking! I was just really sick that afternoon/evening & didn't know I was having this major herx. Hope I don't experience any more of these.
Glad to see you got responses from others.
Bettyg
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Corgilla: Hi,
My Babs test came back the same as yours. My LLMD said it was a positive and treated me for it. Nothing has made more of a difference in my treatment than taking care of Babs.
Me too! Get TREATED for babs, no matter what the test says. If you don't herx on the meds, then you're probably not going to need to worry about babs. If you do herx, you'll WIN this battle!
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
What are you guys doing to treat Bart and Babs? My doc wants me to stay on Ketek because he says it treats the co-infections along with Lyme.
Thoughts??
Should I try to treat the coinfections first?
Are there natural treatments for coinfections? Ketek is killing me (probably literally!!).
Posted by JeffM (Member # 8919) on :
I have the same question as Vachick. What are the drugs your docs are giving to treat the coinfections? I took Ketek for two months. I don't know if it was for coinfections. It was very powerful and made me very sick -- too sick to continue. After a break I was ready to go back on it but there are have been some recent liver failures (article posted here on Lymenet) and so I am not taking it currently. Is Ketek considered a cyst-buster as well?
Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :
Jeff & Vachick,
To address your questions: Ketek by itslf is not considered a cyst buster. Normal cyst busters are flagyl or tinidazole which are taken in conjunction with ketek, zithromax, biaxin, etc.
Treatment for bartonella normally consists of the drug levaquin. Levaquin can be hard on the tendons. Many choose zihtromax and rifampin instead for bart treatment.
Babs treatment normally consistes of zithromax and mepron. Many LLMD's recommend taking the herb artemisinin along with these two meds to enhance the babs treatment. Mepron can be replaced by malarone, quinine, plaquenil.
Posted by blueskyfaith (Member # 8723) on :
If you have Babs, do you have to have anemia? because Babs live in red blood cells. An LLMD also suggested that: If you don't have anemia, you don't have Babs.
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
I was just dx with bart in addition to Lyme.
LLMD has me on rifampin for the bart, along with the ceftin I had been taking.
Some of the symptoms have already started to ebb.
Andie
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by blueskyfaith: [ If you have Babs, do you have to have anemia? because Babs live in red blood cells. An LLMD also suggested that: If you don't have anemia, you don't have Babs. [/QB]
Nope, you don't have to have anemia to have babs. If it goes untreated for a long time, you MIGHT become somewhat anemic....but then again, you may not.
You should definitely get tested and preferably TREATED, no matter what. Wouldn't you hate to find out a year or several years from now that you SHOULD have addressed the issue of babs?
If you don't treat it, you won't recover from Lyme. Period.
It's a crime that we have to deal with such lousy testing!
Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :
And, of course, babs needs to be treated first.
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