Hi, I tested positive for acute lyme disease but the doctors say it is an odd time of the year (live in NJ) to test positive for acute lyme. I tested positive in February. Do you know what percentage is false positives? I gave birth at the end of September so I am also wondering if being pregnant could have kept my asymptomatic until a couple of months after the delivery? I had and continue to have many symptoms despite being treated with 3 weeks of doxycycline. Could symptoms linger? Thank you for your incite.
Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :
Never heard of odd time to test positive.
Percentage of false positives is relative to which IDIOT doctor says that.
Do you have syphilis? Then I'd think false positive possible.
It is more likely to have false negatives.
Print out green booklet from http://lymepa.org It can help you understand the tick diseases.
Contact a Lyme Literate MD. You can post in "seeking a doctor" or contact your local lyme support group
Support groups are listed on left side of this page under the "flash discussion"
Posted by kbrown2 (Member # 25169) on :
I was told that I was false positive as well...I told my GP, "With all do respect, that doesn't make any sense!" And then I got a referral to a Lyme Disease doctor. I am visiting this website because I recently had a baby as well, and now I feel like I may be relapsing. I totally bummed out about it b/c I really thought we took care of it. Now I am concerned that I possible gave it to my son:( I honestly don't believe that symptoms can linger unless it's the bacteria is still present in your body.
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
Incompetent Doctor says: It's an odd time of the year to test positive. False positive?
Competent Doctor Say: Hmm, symptoms compatible with Lyme Disease, positive test result, patient lives in a Lyme Endemic area, upon examination, no other conclusion drawn explains the myriad of symptoms. Risk to Benefit demonstrates that even if the test is false positive, the danger associated with not treating with a simple antibiotic like a Tetracycline (which I've prescribed thousands of times to patients with Acne) could result in the patient being disabled with chronic long term symptoms. Conclusion: Begin treating for Lyme disease.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
Lyme Disease is a "clinical" diagnsosis! Test are only used to back up a clinical diagnosis.
Your doctor is an idiot! Find a LLMD in seeking a doctor ASAP!
Metallic.......well said!!!
Posted by kl2923 (Member # 24920) on :
thank you all for the replies. this whole thing is making me feel crazy!
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
You are not crazy! However your PCP might like you to think you are. He knows nothing about Lyme!
Just take the step neccessary to get appropriate treatment; and that is finding a LLMD from seeking a doctor section here on LN; or you can contact your local lyme disease support group for a listing of LLMDs.
You can also find a listing of support groups here on LN. I think it says support groups up on the left side of this site. Click on that, then click your state.
Look at it like this. If you had cancer, you would go to a cancer doctor for treatment, not your PCP. Same with lyme. Go to a lyme doctor!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Sorry to hear of your situation. As others say, your current doctor is severely undereducated - as is often the case. You need to find a real specialist, and more is explained below.
Hopefully, you don't have lyme. A "false positive'' is very rare. Still, only a LLMD can properly assess you. They need to see you in person, discuss history, symptoms, etc.
If you do have lyme, hopefully, you were infected after you gave birth but, still, your child should also be assessed by an ILADS-educated LLMD. This is very important.
Other tick-borne infections also need to be considered.
Three weeks of doxycycline is not enough treatment, sorry. But the good news is that you are still fairly new to this so treatment should work better.
Please save these links to your on-going research file:
IGENEX - details about testing for all tick-borne infections. There are some other good labs but, as with lyme, not all labs are the same or do the right tests.
Tests will also not necessarily be enough. You'd need the eyes, ears, wisdom and experience of a good LLMD to assess you further.
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO FUEL THE "LYME WAR" - By Virginia Savely, RN, FNP-C May 18, 2007
Excerpts:
[in speaking of acute cases of just lyme, diagnosed and treated early] " . . .To treat Lyme disease for a comparable number of life cycles, treatment would need to last 30 weeks. . . ."
". . .If all cases were detected and treated in the early stages of Lyme disease, the debate over the diagnosis and treatment of late-stage disease would not be an issue, and devastating rheumatologic, neurologic, and cardiac complications could be avoided. . ."
In addition to the usual coinfections from ticks (such as babesia, bartonella, ehrlichia, RMSF, etc.), there are some other chronic stealth infections that an excellent LLMD should know about:
DVD is $35. and worth every penny. It explains a lot. -
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Welcome!!
I don't think Keebler gave you this link on the Western Blot testing. I'm not sure if this is the test you had ... but read this .. print it out and read it several times. It's in laymen's terms...
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