The Lonestar Tick that bit me came back NEGATIVE for LYME:)
however, even though my LLMD wrote on the script to have the tick tested for BABS AND EHRICHLIOSIS, the lab said that they weren't "ALLOWED" to test for that.
Geez.
My doc is going to test me on Monday..*doesn't think it will show if I do have it, but I will be retested for Babs and Ehr again on June 12.
My LLMD didn't feel it necessary to give me Doxy NOW..(because it is a harsh drug on the stomach and I have stomach problems..)
Do you guys and gals think I should push for the DOXY treatment early, instead of waiting??
My concern is..it could be in me NOW just not at the showing in the blood stage..I am not having symptoms...and I'm concerned that If i wait, and say in six weeks, or even NEXT week, when I have my first bloods for Babs and Ehrlich...IF it comes back positive? what are the odds of it being CURED at that point??
Or am i just suffereing from TICK PARANOIA??
THANKS ALL!
-------------------- BE CAREFUL OUT THERE~~ Posts: 31 | From LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Well, if the lab said they weren't allowed to test it for coinfections then I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT that it was not sent to a good lab for lyme testing!!
That said, read what I just posted to someone in General Support concerning tick testing:
I sent a tick to Igenex 2 yrs ago and it came back negative for Lyme and babesia. Cost me $110.
BEFORE the test came back I was already ill from the tick. Thankfully, I began treatment the same day as the tick bite.
Personally, I will not pay again for a test when the best thing to do is TREAT immediately.
It's $55 for each test, so if you test for all coinfections, that's pretty expensive in my book. Even then, the tick could have given you SOMETHING that needs to be treated.
Just my opinion!!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96223 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
LYMETOO: thanks for your input.. The tick was sent through Quest Labs...:S
I also can't BELIEVE that the lil bugger isn't carrying LYME..
Even though the PA suggested I stop the Amoxicillin, I am going to stay on it..regardless of what the Tick Lab said.
CAVE76: nope..my doc had the tick tested through QUEST LABS..
I agree, antibiotics are crucial when you've been bitten by a tick. My best friend is a Chronic Lymie, and she has given me quite an education over the years:)
it just really sux that, here I had the lil bugger, and he probably HAS LYME and other stuff...(ehrichliosis and babs)
and those two things WEREN'T tested..
I can't blame my doc, though, They treated me IMMEDIATELY:)
I'm stayin' on the amoxicillin, and am having tests done for the EHRICH AND BABS MONDAY. that will be 15 days since the tick bite.
does anyone know how reliable that kind of bloodwork is?
I know that the western blots/elisa's more often than not don't show LYME..
My LLMD said that the tests for Ehr and Babs..(tired of writing those words out) are very good at Identifying that stuff.
man, I hope that's true.
::LOL@LYMETOO@spouting BS::
-------------------- BE CAREFUL OUT THERE~~ Posts: 31 | From LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK | Registered: May 2007
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Your doctor is NOT an LLMD. Quest is not a good lab for tic testing. You need IgeneX or MDL as someone else already mentioned. Also, I just read that there are 13 *known* strains of babs and only 2 are tested for. Easy to see that if it's not tested for, it will not be found. LLMD's know all of this.
Get to a real LLMD to get some appropriate advice. *If* the tick is infected and you don't, your window of opportunity for a cure will be gone.
Too bad your doctor sent the tic to the wrong lab. You don't want to be kicking yourself years down the road because you stuck with a doctor who does not know enough about tick borne disorders to have nipped it in the bud when you had the chance.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Originally posted by TerryK: Your doctor is NOT an LLMD. Quest is not a good lab for tic testing. You need IgeneX or MDL as someone else already mentioned. ******* Get to a real LLMD to get some appropriate advice. *If* the tick is infected and you don't, your window of opportunity for a cure will be gone.
Oh....I missed that. I thought lonestar's GP ran the test. Duh me!!
PLEASE get to a real LLMD!!!! Get a western blot through Igenex or MDL, preferably Igenex.
CAVE!!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96223 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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someone ..up there? replied that they sent their tick for tesinG to IGENEX, and Igenex said the tick was Lyme FREE.
no..my LLMD is NOT the one who had the tick analyzed, I HAD IT ANALYZED thru QUEST LABS because ...being low on $,my ins. covered QUEST LABS..
I don't know if I would call my LLMD illiterate, in that, they put me on amoxicillin THE DAY I CAME IN..(my REGULAR GP, refused to TREAT ME..so I found a LLMD who was known to treat LYME.
I realized that there are Lonestar Ticks in the area, but..I didn't think it was a Lonestar, as it didn't have a star, but it was a MALE Lonestar...with just the white at the base of..its..??like..rearend area??
The reason I'm on amoxicillin is b/c I go out alot..they felt that, Doxy would render me homebound.....unable to go outside.
also I have massive stomach problems.
so it was ME who erred by using Quest.
I hope this clears things up for ya'll.
I do know I have to find out about not only the babs and ehrich, but a host of other things like STARI and RMSF...as well as a bunch of other crappy little things that this tick most likely has.
I just don't know WHAT to do now..but I am prepared to go on DOXY when I see my LLMD next week.
for the meantime, I am staying ON the amoxi...because, I really don't believe the tick DOESN'T have LYME...no matter what the LAB said.
I just want aggressive treatment..so that I don't get any of the stuff this thing has..
thanks all!!
-------------------- BE CAREFUL OUT THERE~~ Posts: 31 | From LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK | Registered: May 2007
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Tests for babesia are not very reliable either.
They only test for one or two strains of the many
Identified strains out there.
Better to find a Lyme Literate Doctor who knows symptoms vs. test results,
and treats based on your symptoms.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
I was told that there is no lab test that should be used to "rule-out" Lyme or any other Tick-Borne Disease.
Also- In the Southeast, the Lone Star tick may carry a Lyme-like illness called STARI (Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness). Looks like LD, symptoms like LD, treatment like LD, etc, etc, but the strain of bacteria is slightly different and LD lab tests do not detect it.
What dose of amoxicillin are you taking each day? How long will you be taking it?
Posts: 4638 | From South Carolina | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
I was bitten by a tick in the late 70's or early 80's and for years I got negative results from Quest! I wouldn't trust results from them for anything like tick-borne diseases.
Posts: 277 | From NY | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Ehrlichiosis, STARI and RMSF all need the same meds to get well....so you don't really NEED to know if you have them or not. Just treat with the same meds as for Lyme.
Babesia is a different story, however. For that, you will need to take clindamycin/quinine or mepron/zithromax, plus artemisinin to clear it.
Bartonella also requires different meds. I believe Cipro, Levaquin, etc are good for that. Some use Bactrim too.
If this LLMD DOES use Igenex Labs, then there is nothing to worry about. Just follow his lead!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96223 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
SORRY I MISSED the rest of the replies here..
can't remember everyones nemas yet..bear with me..
so I will just add this:
my LLMD is willing to treat me...
so far, I am not showing ANY signs of LONESTAR tick stuff....I was bitten on April 29TH..
LLMD started amoxicillin at 1500mgs a day on May 1st.
it wasn't until the other day that we got the i.d. that it was a LONESTAR tick.
I'm on the lookout for symptoms..however, I know that he will treat me ...he does want to look at my bloodwork, and having had a bout of Diverticulitis recently, I have the bloodwork from that once it cleared up, so there will be something to compare it to.
my bloodwork was BETTER than perfect..liver enzymes, all that who ha stuff was better than the doc expected considering the bout of divertic that i had.
divertic. diverTICK? could there be a link?
-------------------- BE CAREFUL OUT THERE~~ Posts: 31 | From LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK | Registered: May 2007
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trueblue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7348
posted
Lonestar, While you're testing test for the Bart you mentioned on the other thread.
It might explain GI problems... maybe they stemmed from the cat attack.
The thing with the testing is it's pretty hit and miss. Personally, I rarely test positive for much of anything but others test strongly so. If your insurance will pay for the tests, go for it. Why not?
Either way, I agree, treat now and go from there.
disclaimer: this is my personal opinion and not medical advice. My background is graphics and energy conservation.
-------------------- more light, more love more truth and more innovation Posts: 3783 | From somewhere other than here | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by LONESTAR: SORRY I MISSED the rest of the replies here..
can't remember everyones nemas yet..bear with me..
Hey Lonestar. Since you and I are good friends now, I'll let you in on a little secret!
When you open the window to post something here [a reply] you can SCROLL DOWN to see what everyone wrote.... It's a way of cheating!! You can see who said what, so you can name names if you want to.
Am I making any sense??
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96223 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
How timely for me to have seen Dr. Ed Masters present yesterday regarding Lone Star ticks and borrelia. He is the physician from Missouri who sees and documents tons of bull's eye rashes on his patients resultant of lone star tick bites.
Borrelia has not been able to be cultured at all from Lone Star ticks. Many doctors and researchers have tried to culture both Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia lonestari from both human blood and just the ticks to no avail.
So the fact that this doctor ordered the test and that these labs are actually entertaining that they could possibly test for borellia burdorferi in a lone star is very short sighted.
Dr. Masters said that he has been attempting to culture these bacteria from the ticks since 1989 with no luck. As well, seven other highly respected researchers have attempted the same in very controlled conditions in over twelve different culture mediums with no luck.
It sounds like your doctor wasn't conscious of this. As far as the labs are concerned I would think that at least the specialty lab would have realized this unless they have a different culture medium and have had success. I would think Dr. Masters would be conscious about a lab being successful with this.
Sorry you are in lyme limbo.
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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the LLMD wrote me out a SCRIPT to send WITH THE TICK to the LAB of MY CHOOSING..BECAUSE, it's the ONLY LAB (covered by ins..I'm on disability) that would cover it 100perc ent.
the lab is QUEST.
also..LLMD did NOT write on the script to best of borrealis??
he DID write on there, to test the Lonestar TIck for
EHRLICHIOSIS BABESIOSIS LYME
.....I have major probsl making myself clear...sorry.
LYMETOO...THANK YOU..dang..I didn't know I could scroll and see it all..WHAT A CONECPT..THANKS...
TRUEBLUE...YEAH, that dang CAT SCRATCH could have done it..I've had 2 SEVERE bouts of Divertick ulitis...the first one included:fever, severe bloating, nausea, sweats, chills, felt full and couldn't eat...the whole bit.
the recent one (3 years from the first ) was a piece of CAKE in comparision...
-------------------- BE CAREFUL OUT THERE~~ Posts: 31 | From LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK | Registered: May 2007
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