If you suspected Lyme in your child would you bother with a standard Western blot ordered through a pediatrician?
My son does not have serious symptoms but enough come and go minor symptoms that I am beginning to wonder.
I couldn't live with myself if I found out down the road he was ill for many years and brushed it off.
Plus this morning I said to myself "if he mentions one more odd symptom I am getting him tested" and about 5 minutes later he got up and said his eye was burning.
Thoughts? Maybe I should go straight for the Igenex test...
Posted by apljack (Member # 14233) on :
I am having the Western Blot done through Lab Corp for my daughter for her sore knees and forgetfulness. She also has periodic heavy emotions and irritabilility. while she is in an extremely heavy hormonal stage of her life, I think it's a little extreme.
If you can afford the Igenex, I say go for it. You'll sleep better.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
unsure445 sometimes it can be very hard to find in kids.
If you suspect it I would go to a great LLMD who can help you get the best results on testing as well as knowledge they have for other signs and symptoms you do not see everyday.
There are other signs in the body, on the body and many neurological tests that can tell a tale to a trained eye that others never look for...Trust your instincts.
Posted by the3030club (Member # 21898) on :
If your child has heathcare go to the ped. and get the WB in addition to going to the LLMD for the same as well as a clinical evaluation.
You said: "I couldn't live with myself if I found out down the road he was ill for many years and brushed it off."
But don't forget, on the flipside you have a responsibility to make sure your child isn't falsely treated. It can be just as harmful.
Posted by unsure445 (Member # 15962) on :
Thank you for the replies.
If my son was really tired I think it would be a no brainer but he isn't. The few people I know who's children have had lyme all state that their kids were really tired.
BUT, his knee sometimes gets a little swollen, a few times he has said his neck and back hurt, and he never can fall asleep at night, even after a full day of sports. Every once in a while he says he gets a "shocking pain" which I have mentioned to the pediatrician and they don't think much of it.
My husband thinks we should begin with the pediatrician and go from there. If I do get a negative Igenex test I would not treat clinically unless more symptoms began. As 3030 mentioned this could be harmful.
Aplejack, can you request a test be done through Labcorp at any hospital lab or is it through a LLMD?
I guess if I am writing these posts my gut is saying don't wait any longer.
Posted by apljack (Member # 14233) on :
If your pediatrician gives you a lab slip, you'll probably be going to Lab Corp or Quest, I think. Whatever your insurance pays for, then do that first. You may have to push your pediatrician to order the Western blot. most will screen using the Elisa, which I've been told is pretty useless. Do you know much about testing?
Posted by momofthree (Member # 19490) on :
Please do something right away. I am living with the result of "waiting" for more symptoms with my 18 year old. He is now dropping out of his first year of college to move home and start treatment.
His Igenex test was neg. only 41 band showing, but he had the bart rash on his back. If I had gone with my gut last Nov. he would be a year into treatment instead of just starting now.
He was never tired and never had any aches but now he is experiencing extreme brain fog and panic/anxiety attacks.
Follow your gut!
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
My daughter had learning disabilities, headaches and one knee hurt. I took her to my LLMD next time I went in order to have her tested. She had an ambiguous test, so we did an abx trial. She responded to treatment.
Her treatment was relatively short because we caught it before it was really bad. After 5 months she was symptom-free, so we treated two more months, then switched abx and treated a month longer.
Posted by ktkdommer (Member # 29020) on :
I am in agreement with the previous posts. I wish I had known earlier. If just one person had said Lyme during the 3 years we searched for answers. My thought that I share with others is: for $200 you can have Lyme ruled in or out if you test through IGeneX and do their Western Blot IgG and IgM panels. It was the best money I ever spent. My sickest is on his way to recovery and it could have happened by in August of 2007.
Posted by unsure445 (Member # 15962) on :
Thank you parents for your insight!!!!
I am getting right on this. When I picked him up at school today he said his eye is still burning.
Momofthree, I hope your son has a smooth and quick recovery! Its hard to know what is what with this disease.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I have done all my Western Blots, 3 of them through labcorp. Ins paid for all of them.
If you get one done by your pediatrician, just make sure to get a copy of the test result to take to a LLMD.
Posted by jlp38 (Member # 27221) on :
I'd probably go to a doc who does muscle testing first. I think that's as reliable as labs. Once I get myself feeling better, I think I will test my kids. They're not really sick but I think I may have been carrying lyme when I was pregnant so it just seems smart to test them.
Posted by tick battler (Member # 21113) on :
I have three young children that I had to diagnose myself. The pediatrician was of no help. Their symptoms came slowly and subtly and one of mine showed no fatigue. Insomnia was a big problem as well as light sensitivity, hyperactivity, and random pains like your son is having. The pains would only happen once a week or so.
I wish I had treated all of my children earlier. We are in the third year of treatment and they are much improved but not there yet. My daughter is the best off because she is my youngest and I knew what to look for. So hers was caught much earlier. I asked my LLMD to treat her as a trial even though he was not sure she had it. She never had a positive lyme test but later into treatment had positive babesia and bartonella tests.
tickbattler
Posted by deerose (Member # 27484) on :
those shocking pain things he has?
I have them and not before lyme & bartonella.
Posted by Wolfed Out (Member # 23727) on :
Yeah, I don't have much to add, cause everyone is in sync here.
Just wanted to say, I might have had Lyme since I was 14. And, the first potential symptom was my anger tolerance was gone, and I wasn't sleeping normal hours anymore.
It can start so early with practically minimal symptoms. 13 years later, I'm out of work for 2 years.
Posted by unsure445 (Member # 15962) on :
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Making an appointment today for an Igenex test. I thnk if I start with a standard Western Blot and its negative I will still be wondering anytime he has any potential symptoms due to the inaccuracy.
Muscle testing sounds good but I am not that familiar with it and don't know of any practitioners.
Posted by jecati (Member # 26700) on :
Had my DD test two weeks ago through her reg doc, so the doc calls today and says that LabCorp needs a diagnosis on her...and the doc is real gun shy about the whole thing, she said shes going to have to put down that the parent requested the test, not the fact that my DD is exhibiting several symptoms...
Migraines, auras, eye lid swelling/pain, tremors, short term memory is non existent, fatigue
Waiting on the call back, not sure if this is strictly a doc issue or the fact that my DD is on state insurance.
Either way, I WILL be getting a WB through Igx after all this...just have to find a doc that will do it.