What are all the different viruses you should get checked for? It seems viruses may play a roll when infected with Lyme. I want to rule out as many as I can. Any suggestions?
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
I tested positive for QFever, EBV, parvovirus. My doctor referred to my mycoplasma as a virus.
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
I also tested positive for Qfever, Ebv, Cmv, and a host of others.
Posted by Annelet (Member # 13503) on :
Do you mean that you tested positive by IgM, or just by IgG?
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
Qfever, don't have that info. That was done by my current LLMD. He did test again after I had been treating for Lyme for awhile, and said my titres were down some. All the others were IgG, but I have also been sick for 40 yrs.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
It is rare to test positive for viruses (Igm) if you have been ill for awhile. High IgG titers may indicate active chronic infection. Here is some info to read.
Here's how to find out about enterovirus testing: Go to the enterovirus website, click on "Diagnostics" then click on "chronic infections". Scroll down until you see: Microneutralization tests. Click on the individual tests, and it will bring up the tests at ARUP lab. Here's a link:
Test for everything. Treat what looks most obviously wrong. Don't forget to rule out the obvious stuff like iron deficiency, B12 deficiency, gluten intolerance, Vit D deficiency, etc. before looking into infectious pathogens.
Best, Timaca
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Depending on the status of your immune system you may run into the same problem with viral tests as many have with Lyme tests -- your body may not be producing enough antibodies to get positive test results.
Hubby only ever has had elevated eosinophils AFTER he started treating for G.I. parasites.
Back in 2002 - 2003 he had many tests done for viruses and immune system function by an ACAM doc who specialized in chronic fatigue syndrome. Hubby did eventually test positive for HHV-6, CMV, and EBV. These were not standard Elisa or PCR tests but very specialized tests. The labs that were used have since closed (AAL and Immunosciences).
I was researching mycoplasma recently and found a new lab which offers some of the immune system tests hubby had done years ago.
We have never treated for viruses except with Amantadine. There are only a few anti-viral meds and they are extremely expensive (for example Valtrex and Ribavirin). We originally thought we would treat the Lyme and other coinfections and maybe treat for viruses at the end of tick-borne treatment if needed. Of course we never expected to be still treating tick-borne infections 5 years later.
Hubby has been diagnosed 4 times with Borna Virus. I believe this is a tickborne virus although that has not been proven. There are no labs left in the U.S. which test for this virus anymore. I read somewhere that Dr K in Washington state thinks all tickborne patients have this virus.
Unless you have extremely high titres to viruses then I would probably not try treating for those until after I had treated tickborne things for a year or two. It would probably be too toxic or too stressful on the body to treat both viruses and tickborne infections aggressively at the same time.
Many herbs do have both antibiotic and antiviral properties so that might be a better option initially. Especially things like Olive leaf extract.
There is one test that I am considering having done for hubby. It is more expensive than it was when the doc first suggested we do it in 2003 and we decided not to do it at that time. The lab explanation is somewhat different than what our previous doc told us.
The way the doc explained it to us was that the RNase test (RNAP and RNAA per the test requisition linked below) would sort of be an equivalent or a viral load. The test would be elevated if someone had an active viral infection(s) -- but the test would not tell you which virus was involved.
Other viruses can be tested at Focus Diagnostics Lab. If your hubby really has HHV-6 infection, that should be addressed. See: www.hhv-6foundation.org Valcyte does wonders for some people.
Best, Timaca
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
My ID doc told me yesterday that treating viruses with anti-virals were useless unless HSV or Chicken Pox. He said only one doc on the planet believes in anti-virals for EBV and other ones (lives in my state and is famous).
I was hoping to give Valtrex a try as I feel I'm missing something causing flare-ups.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
I know people personally that have gotten well treating viruses with antivirals.
I am working with my ID doctor to get the word out. I'll let you know when that happens, and then you can give your ID doctor some info that could benefit him.
Best, Timaca
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
Thank you Timaca. I'd like to show him some information, though I don't believe he's open minded. You never know though. It never hurts to try. He is more open minded than 99% of ID docs though.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :