Hi all, I am new to the board and cannot find any post of information of a similar Igenex result. My doc, who has dealt with Lymes, thinks that this result is negative as the DNA test and infection tests show negatives results. However, I read that tags in the 31 and 83 markers are likely Lymes. What are your experiences?
I have had some strange symptoms over that last 5 months that have been escalated to some strange fatigue points to either some other medical complications I experiencing or possibly Lymes as the cause of these issue. I live a bad Lymes county, so many have pointed to Lymes as my issue.
Can you tell me your experiences with the DNA results as part of this testing vs the blot? And if you think the blot shows Lymes or not?
Thanks
Here are the tracers: IFA. B Burgdorferi G/M/A = 40 -> Igenix score is Equivocal.
Lyme IGM Western Blot - Igenix Positive Requires 2 or more of the ** bands - CDC Negative Requires 5
** 23-15 kDa. IND **31 kDa. + **41 kDa. + **83-93 kDa. + Rest of bands were -, including 18 and 58
Lyme IGG Western Blot - Igenix Positive Requires 2 or more of the ** bands - CDC Negative Requires 5
**41 kDa. + **83-93 kDa. + Rest of bands were -, including 18 and 58
Multiplex B. Burgdorferi Serum DNA Burgdorferi Genomic - Negative Plasmid - Negative
Multiplex B. Burgdorferi Whole Blood DNA Burgdorferi Genomic - Negative Plasmid - Negative
B. microti IFA G/M B. microti, IgM <20 Negative B. microti, IgG <40 Negative
Babesia Fish RNA Negative
HME Panel monocytic E. chaggeensis IgM <20 Negative E. chaggeensis IgG <40 Negative
HGA Panel granulocytic A. Phagocytophilum IgM <20 Negative A. Phagocutophilum IgG <40 Negative
B henselae IFA G/M B henselae IgM <20 Negative B henselae IgM <40 Negative
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
"Western blots are reported by showing which bands are reactive. 41KD bands appear the earliest but can cross react with other spirochetes. The 18KD, 23-25KD (Osp C), 31KD (Osp A), 34KD (Osp B), 37KD, 39KD, 83KD and the 93KD bands are the species-specific ones, but appear later or may not appear at all. You should see at least the 41KD and one of the specific bands." (page 7)
Igenex says you are positive on both the IgG and IgM because you have so many positives (+) on the species-specific bands. Even an IND is a weak positive.
As you can see from the quote from the Burrascano Lyme Treatment Guidelines, you are definitely positive for lyme.
No other illness could give you these results.
You are negative on the coinfection tests, but you can't rely on that. Everyone in our area that has lyme also has babesiosis and bartonella. So, if you have been sick at least a year, you most likely have both of them.
You need a lyme disease specialist. I can give you a name not far from northern Va. Let me know if you want it. You really need a doc whose practice is basically just lyme disease to have a good chance of getting rid of this horrendous disease. And, the sooner you get to one, the better off you will be.
I also suggest you read and study the Burrascano Guidelines to get an education on the disease that you have.
Welcome to LymeNet! We will help you here all we can.
Posted by Bid3 (Member # 47299) on :
That is what I was afraid of. Some of the issues I have had this year explain this your conclusion and what I was wondering with both plots saying positive. I will get on with reading it tomorrow.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Some Lyme doctors think people are positive even if just one band shows up positive. And sometimes people who are positive test negative because their immune system is too weak to mount a response, or the bacteria might be sequestered away, etc.
You can also check the co-infection symptoms listed in the Burrascano guidelines to see whether you think you match any.
Treatment for Lyme occurs in three areas: kill/deter the organisms, detox, and fortify the body. We're all different in what remedies we respond well to, so we experiment and find out.
There's a Search function at the top of the page that you can click on to type in any word or phrase and archived threads will come up that you can read through.
I call it going to Lyme school, to get caught up on what we all do!
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I don't know if you know it or not but there is no standard treatment for lyme disease. A lyme specialist is free to do what he wants. So, some use only herbs, some give very low doses of antibiotics for very long times (5 or more years, etc.), some follow the M protocol or the L protocol, some "do their own thing" (whatever they have discovered that seems to help people) and some follow Burrascano.
For that reason, it pays to understand what protocol a lyme doctor believes in before going to him. This way, you know how your lyme will be treated.
Here are a few points from Dr. Burrascano's guidelines:
You must attack both the regular and cyst (or other) form of lyme simultaneously--requires at least 2 different antibiotics taken together to do so.
You must test the patient for all co-infections and other physical ailments (thyroid, etc.) and treat everything the person has.
You must treat all co-infections the patient has(including babesiosis, bartonella, ehrlichia, mycoplasma, etc.) or the patient will not get well.
You must use Igenex for most of these tests--they are a tick-borne disease specialty lab in Calif.
You must use very high doses of antibiotics to kill the diseases (batericidal doses).
You must give the patient supplements, probiotics, herbs such as artimesinin if babesiosis is suspected, and require adherence to rules such as no steroids, low carb diet, no alcohol, no smoking, rest, and exercise (one continuous hour of weight lifting every other day) as the patient is able to do it.
You must treat at least 2 months after all symptoms have disappeared (if sick at least 1 year).
These are just a few of the important points you will see in the guidelines. If possible, you want a doc who does EVERYTHING Burrascano says to do. He treated lyme for over 25 years, and compiled what he learned so that other docs could benefit from it. He was the most successful lyme doctor on the planet. They came from every country in the world to be treated by him.
I didn't get rid of lyme until I finally went to a lyme specialist who followed Burrascano. Then, I sent at least 5 of my friends to Burrascano type doctors and they all got well.
That is why I believe in the Burrascano protocol. I have seen it work over and over again.
Many doctors treat lyme disease, but very few know enough to cure a person of it--VERY few. You have to find one of those few. I can give you a name.
It is now nearly 11 years since I completed my lyme treatment (and babesiosis and bartonella) and I am still symptom free, enjoying my life. I have the same life I had before lyme disease.
This can be you also if you jump right on this and get to a Burrascano-type lyme specialist.