Does anyone know if cold sores contribute to a false positive Western Blot?
I thought I asked the lab about the cold sore on my lip before getting the blood drawn but now the new duck I tried out is telling me the long awaited positive result is a false positive because of my cold sore.
I was also told my rash couldn't have been Lyme because it was raised up on the skin and Lyme rashes are only under the skin.
I know I've seen pictures similar to my rash among Lyme rashes and there is a texture with bumps.Am I right to believe there are many kind of rashes with Lyme even during the course of the disease?
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
If you have cold sores, you should get tested for viruses. There is a thread here on "viral testing".
Viral infections can lead to false positive lyme tests. Those are usually acute viral infections leading to false positive IgM WBs.
Whether or not chronic viral infections can lead to false positive WBs probably hasn't been studied...because chronic viral infections haven't been studied much.
Symptoms for lyme and viral infections are the same. So...if you think you have lyme by your symptoms, you could also have viral infections.
Get tested for that too. Then decide your treatment plan.
Best, Timaca
Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :
Timaca:
Cold sores are caused from the herpes simplex virus.
Can you please supply the reference that states Lyme IgM western Blot is cross reactive with Herpes simplex.
Barb
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
Barb~ Here is the link to the article which talks about ACUTE viral infections causing false positive WBs for lyme.
I don't think it mentions HSV 1/2. (I'm not rereading it at the moment).
However, what one must realize, is if you have one (chronic) viral infection, then it is possible to have more.
I have HHV-6, EBV, VZV and likely CMV. I was recently tested for HSV 1/2. My IgG for HSV 1 is as high as the lab measures. So there is a good chance I have active infection of that going on too.
I did have a CDC positive IgM WB in Jan. 2007. Was it a true or false positive? No one can say for sure.
However, in speaking with one well known LLMD who is not my doctor, but is interested in following my case... he tends to look at IgGs and NOT IgM WB in people who have been sick a long time.
What seems to be the case is that I likely had lyme at one time. Now it looks like viruses are my problem. This is based on the fact that I'm not making many antibodies to the lyme bacteria, but I am making lots of antibodies to viruses.
Best, Timaca
Posted by DakotasMom01 (Member # 14141) on :
Timaca, the link above doesn't work. It says "cookie error"
Can you repost, Thanks
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
DakotasMom01~
The cookie error is a problem with your browser not with the link that I posted.
Have someone help you with your computer so you can access it.
I have one web browser that accesses it fine. I have another that gives me the "cookie error" message too.
I tried to have my son who knows much more about computers help me figure it out, and as far as he can tell my second browser is also set to read cookies. (Don't ask me what that means--I don't know).
Worst comes to worst, e-mail the link to someone else and have them print it out for you.
Best, Timaca
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
quote:Originally posted by gladyrae: Does anyone know if cold sores contribute to a false positive Western Blot?
I thought I asked the lab about the cold sore on my lip before getting the blood drawn but now the new duck I tried out is telling me the long awaited positive result is a false positive because of my cold sore.
I was also told my rash couldn't have been Lyme because it was raised up on the skin and Lyme rashes are only under the skin.
I know I've seen pictures similar to my rash among Lyme rashes and there is a texture with bumps.Am I right to believe there are many kind of rashes with Lyme even during the course of the disease?
You said
I was also told my rash couldn't have been Lyme because it was raised up on the skin and Lyme rashes are only under the skin.
I dont know who told that to you but there full of sh*t. Rashes can be all kinds of shapes, color numerous etc.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)