I find this really curious. Another woman with CFIDS who had a CFIDS diagnosis for many years as I do came up positive for Lyme and had a positive band 30 (among others) on the Western blot. My 30 has been positive too, but this seems uncommon in American patients.
So I asked her to ask around to other CFIDS patients she knows who at some point tested positive for Lyme, and sure enough some of those also had positive band 30s.
I am starting to wonder if we have a different strain of Lyme. I know b. garinii is said to cause "encephalomyelitis" and, in the UK, CFIDS is called "myalgic encephalomyelitis." I know band 30 has been linked to the European strains.
We are REALLY sick too. I have been bedridden for much of a decade, and before that I was mostly bedridden. I'm just saying thing because I know people have discussed comparable severity of different strains.
So I'm wondering how common band 30 is with people on this board. Who has had positive 30? And what were your diagnoses before Lyme?
All in all, although I know there are many misdiagnoses, I feel like my CFIDS is a totally different animal from the Lyme I've had since June. It's possible I have been infected with multiple strains, and that my earlier strain was European or a not-yet-identified US strain.
Does anyone else have thoughts on the elusive band 30?
Posted by Allie (Member # 10778) on :
Hey -- I'm band 30 positive (IGenex IGM). I have always been CDC indeterminant or negative overall. Because of the band 30, I got to thinking of the year I spent in Ukraine in 1992. I got a very weird raised circular rash on my head/face that year. Since then I've always wondered if I have borellia afelizi or garnii (however you spell them).
Fatigue and other neruo problems are my main symptoms (small fiber peripheral neuropathy / encephalitis)...
My LLMD thinks this is a good possibility, but said that the treatment is the same, so it didn't much matter which type of borellia I have.
I'm still very curious though. I called IGenex once and they do not test for these strains.
I'm curious what other people will say about this elusive band 30.
Allie
Posted by Allie (Member # 10778) on :
Oh forgot -- diagnoses before lyme were anxiety and allergies (no joke!). My body was itching like all get out and they attributed it to ALLERGIES. Of course it was my nerve endings screaming in pain as they DIED.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
My daughter is positive for 30. She has been diagnosed with CFS and FMS. She has lots of neuro issues, as well.
She also has terrific itchy legs; although that has calmed down quite a bit recently. I think it's the Mino doing its job.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Steere & all the early guys have band 30 as one of the most frequent early bands in Lyme HOWEVER you should know that band 30 on the Wetsern Blot will ALSO BE POSITIVE FOR ANOTHER TICK BORNE DISEASE- EHRLICHIOSIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Band 30 will react for Ehrlichiosis!!!
To elucidate further, it is the band that indciates infection with Ehrlichia Canis, canine Ehrlichiosis- that HAS been documented to infect humans!!!
I should do a thread, have to take child to playgroup right now, but on Western Blot bands that indciate other TBDs- there are a few that respresent other Ehrlichia!!!
[ 22. January 2008, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: CaliforniaLyme ]
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
I have band 30 too and got hit hard and fast with illness, head pressure and dizziness to start were the worst symptoms. Lots of neuro then it moved to the bladder and now very stiff muscles all over :-(
diagnosis before lyme, was ocular migraines
I worked for a European company, never went to Europe though, and the day all heck broke loose I was swimming in a lake with people from Russia?
i just tested positive for Bart with fry labs, but until then all was negative.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
I'm positive many times over for band 30.
CFIDS is a lot like lyme, in that you can't tell the difference between lyme and viral infections, both of which can cause CFS.
I've been diagnosed with lyme disease, and most recently with chronic viral infections (to HHV-6, EBV, VZV and likely CMV and HSV1).
Timaca
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I had a positive 30 band.
I was diagnosed with Somatization Disorder.
I had chronic fatigue symptoms .... but a whole slew of other Lyme symptoms, too -- GI, food intolerances, allergies, joint pain, muscle aches, cognitive issues, insomnia, etc.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
I've tested postive for band 30 on two IgM WB's from IgeneX.
Diagnosis before lyme: FMS CFIDS Hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism Orthostatic hypotension (NMH) orthostatic edema H. Pylori P. Maribilis in the gut
I also have high HHV-6 igg titers (11X normal) and high EBV IgG titers and several other viruses. All IgG.
Posted by Hoagie (Member # 13664) on :
band 30 was the only band that was positive on both my IgM and IgG (also had band 41 IgG). No other previous diagnosis. Not familiar with CFIDS.
Also had positive IgG for Q fever (might not have been from the tick).
I seem to remember reading on here somewhere that band 30 was essentially the same thing as band 31?
Posted by Dancer (Member # 11039) on :
I'm positive for band 30 among others.
Original symptoms from probable US (northeast) infection were joint pain & fatigue, diagnosed candida and then chronic fatigue.
I believe I was infected again in Europe maybe 5 years later -- wandering in a tick infested forest, knowing nothing about lyme disease -- and immediately after that trip my neuro symptoms started. Brain fog, insomnia, anxiety, depression, months of coughing, hormone changes.... on and on.
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
positive for band 30 as well. Only been to Europe in my dreams some nights.
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