This is topic questioning my LLMD and Labcorp testing in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


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Posted by jennie08 (Member # 17351) on :
 
Hi all,

Thanks for reading this. I could use some advice. I think I'm starting to not trust my LLMD.

He was great the first few years, but now I just don't know. He treated me for Lyme based on positive test results from Igenex. I test negative thru Labcorp. Two months ago, I stopped treatment for Lyme because I was feeling great and we wanted to give it a try after 2 years of antibiotics.

Here's my problem, two years ago I also tested positive for babesia thru Igenex, and negative for it thru Labcorp. My doctor said my Igenex titer was so low that I didn't have it and that Labcorp's test for babesia was good enough.

Now 5 years into this illness, I test positive for babesia thru Labcorp (test was ordered by a different dr). I saw him today and he says again, my numbers are so low they're probably a negative. However, it was positive enough for my city health department to call me since they flag all positive tick-borne illness results.

I want to trust him, but he's making me second-guess myself -- like I'm making this up. All I know is I just don't feel well. I'm out of breath all the time and breathing isn't satisfying, I have a dry cough, headache, I'm lightheaded/fuzzy, my vertigo is coming back after 2 years, I'm dying of thirst, my body feels like it's buzzing, I get the chills all the time -- even in the bathtub... I don't know. I even had a low-grade fever at the office this AM. Still, he said it was more likely that I have asthma than babesia.

He wants to do another test through Labcorp next week -- some sort of blood smear. He also wants me to go to a pulmonologist to check for asthma. He said to get the blood test and come back in 3 months.

So -- anybody have any opinions or thoughts to share?

Thanks so much,
Jenny
 

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Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
 
It would probably help to post your test results here.
 

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Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
 
Was it a postitive for Babesia WA-1? If so, everyone gets a positive it seems. I'm really wondering.
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
Labcorp is NOT very good for lyme or coinfection testing. Sounds like it may be time to move on.

Why would he ignore a positive Igenex test .. esp when you are still having many symptoms?
 

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Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
 
I'm thinking moving on isn't a bad idea.

I ruled out asthma, but it was before I was diagnosed with Lyme. It's not a bad idea to rule out asthma, but I don't really think the rest of your symptoms sound like asthma.

Seek, I was negative on all tests for babesia. I was diagnosed clinically.
 

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Posted by tiredlymie (Member # 29637) on :
 
My LLNP uses Labcorp, but didn't bother having me tested for Lyme and Co-infections through them. She says it's not any good for that. I tested positive for Babesia through FISH from IgeneX...did you ever have that test? Regardless, Babesia is a clinical diagnosis, just like Lyme, isn't it?
 

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Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
 
If there is a hint of babs in the testing along with bab symptoms, I would just treat it or get a doc who will.

I don't mind Lab Corp so much. I recently had a CDC + lyme western blot through them.

It's good to do the abx challenge before testing though.
 

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Posted by 365SunnyDays (Member # 29969) on :
 
I understand that Fry Labs has a very comprehensive Babesia test, which I'm considering. Might be worth it for certainty.
 

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Posted by jennie08 (Member # 17351) on :
 
Someone mentioned seeing some test results so here they are:

My recent Labcorp results:
Babesia microti IgM <1:10
Babesia microti IgG 1:10
It said a negative result is <1:10

My other result that was high was c-reactive protein. It was 19.2 when it should be 4.9 or below.

In 2008, my Igenex babesia test results were:
IgM 1:40
IgG <1:40

Test said 1:40 may indicate evidence of infection.

Lyme IgM was: 23-25 ind, 31+++, 39+, 41++, 66+, 83-93+
Lyme IgG was: 31 ind, 34 ind, 39+, 41++, 58+, 66+

I think I'll do his retests next week, and await the results and his opinion, but if I'm not feeling better by then, or satisfied with his response I think I will move on.

As for his questioning Igenex, he said they set their baseline too low, I guess giving out false positives. Said the same thing about Labcorp this AM.

I had an LLMD early on who I walked away from because I didn't buy into the muscle testing stuff, but she said I needed to treat for babesia. Maybe I'll have to go back to her for treatment.

I've heard about Fry Labs... might be a good place to start.

Thanks for all the replies,
Jennie
 

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Posted by Lemon-Lyme (Member # 19229) on :
 
If you have some symptoms of Babesia, it is a little odd that your doctor doesn't consider a short trial of meds, to see how you react.

My ILADS doc considers a negative test worthless (since there are so many strains they can't test for)... while a positive + symptoms would logically most likely be Babesia.

It's worth ruling our asthma regardless, so the pulmonologist appt. makes sense. My doc did the same thing. You just take a little breathing test with a fancy machine, assuming his office has one.
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by tiredlymie:
[QB] My LLNP uses Labcorp, but didn't bother having me tested for Lyme and Co-infections through them. She says it's not any good for that. I tested positive for Babesia through FISH from IgeneX...did you ever have that test? Regardless, Babesia is a clinical diagnosis, just like Lyme, isn't it?

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