Hey everyone. I had a gallon of blood drawn about a week and a half ago. It was to be sent to my LLMD.
My first appointment is April 28. I couldn't stand it so I went to the lab and got the results.
Everything is in the normal range. I wont list all the tests here now but everything looked good.
EXCEPT....EBV VCA IgG was very high at 10.18. EBV VCA IgM normal at 0.46 EBV NA Ab, IgG high at 3.77 EBV EA Ab, IgG high at 1.41
Of course I went looking on the web and got the idea of what EBV is and etc.
But what does this tell me really?
As I said, All the other results are in the pocket.
You all are so smart and educated about this stuff I thought you may have some insight.
For the record, my Igenex results were lyme positive: IGM 23-25 +, 41++ IgG 31 ++,34 +,39ind, 41++
Any help would be appreciated!
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Hey C...
Most Lyme patients have a VERY high Epstein Barr reading.
Many theories are out there floating around.. but no one knows "absolutely for sure" why this happens.
In MY opinion, it helps confirm the Lyme diagnosis because we rarely see that high of a reading in others.
Posted by lassie (Member # 17813) on :
You could have reactivated EBV. Perhaps your doctor would consider putting you on an antiviral such as Valtrex or Famvir.
Posted by CheriAnn (Member # 19673) on :
From what I read EBV is very common. I guess I just don't get why my levels are so high. For
that matter, why "most Lyme patients have a very high EBV reading"
Is there a connection with the Lyme or just a coincidence. Do the two illnesses work together.
I guess I would be interested in hearing some of those "theories" that are out there.
Thanks
Posted by Mountaineer (Member # 14085) on :
I like to add to this also. Just checking my blood tests my ebv was
off the wall and my doctor said nothing about it.
Posted by bwillis (Member # 18811) on :
My doctor said because of the immune suppressive qualities of Lyme, latent infections like EBV and CMV that most people are exposed to and their bodies deal with, are allowed to grow unchecked. They then contribute to the Lyme by further suppressing the immune system.
My doc says you have to fight both and get them down to a level that the body can take over again.
Posted by tickssuck (Member # 15388) on :
Hi,
Ditto what bwillis said in above post, got basically that same explanation from my LLND as well. TS
Posted by lassie (Member # 17813) on :
And of course, if you're fighting Lyme (borreliosis as well as possibly other tick-borne infections), your immune system is quite busy.
That means the immune system isn't able to keep latent infections in check. These show up as high titers on lab tests.
It's not clear to me whether EBV is actually reactivated to the point where it is causing symptoms on its own.
The impression I got was that we have to fight all the infections and support our immune system as well. My LLMD and I are considering adding Valtrex for the EBV.
The idea, of course, is to get the immune system back to doing its job on its own.
Posted by CheriAnn (Member # 19673) on :
See! I knew you all would pull through! This makes since to me.