"Giving patients 4 weeks of antibiotics (usually tetracycline, 500 mg, 3 times a day), will convert a negative or equivocal Western blot to positive in about 36% of cases.
As mentioned, if these positive blots are found by specialty labs, over 99% of those patients will respond to antibiotics.
Sometimes multiple antibiotics have to be tried before the patient feels better. Antibiotics may actually help with the laboratory diagnosis. But patients need to be off antibiotics about 10 to 14 days before the Western blot is repeated. This sounds like a contradiction.
Antibiotics may help convert the test to positive, but patients need to be off antibiotics when the specimen is drawn.
It is well documented in medical literature that the presence of antibiotics may cause false negative borreliosis testing. Therefore, your system should be free of all antibiotics for an accurate blot result."
For more information, read the whole link!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
Thanks Lymetoo, I was thinking it was two weeks.
I was feeling guilty for not getting to the lab sooner with the kits but my PCP didn't respond about signing for them so I could get insurance coverage. Of course he finally refused.
So it's a good thing I didn't go sooner.
Is there a new theory about taking an antibiotic break of a month to get rid of toxins? I think my LLMD said Dr J is doing this.
I thought stayng 2 months on antibiotics after being symptom free was the standard. I still have symptoms and hope I don't relapse during this month time period. It will be two weeks Tuesday.
I did relapse last winter after two weeks when I misunderstood and went off because I was doing well then.
I think my LLMD is puzzled why I'm not getting better and is testing again for Bart and Babs too which I think is going to be a waste. I was negative by Igenex last time.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Is there a new theory about taking an antibiotic break of a month to get rid of toxins? I think my LLMD said Dr J is doing this. At what point in your treatment?? The end??
I thought stayng 2 months on antibiotics after being symptom free was the standard.
That would be a minimum .. and is used to see if you're really free of the Lyme.
I still have symptoms and hope I don't relapse during this month time period. It will be two weeks Tuesday. Why don't you get tested Tuesday then? Why are you staying off a month if you're still ill??
I did relapse last winter after two weeks when I misunderstood and went off because I was doing well then.
I think my LLMD is puzzled why I'm not getting better and is testing again for Bart and Babs too which I think is going to be a waste. I was negative by Igenex last time. Most here have had a negative on bart and babs testing even though they have it! Get treated for it!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
Lymetoo, I'm confused too. Have been treated 15 months and not symptom free.
(Got lyme in '92 and treated 1 month after being ignored by PCP for 6 months. "Cured", relapsed treated 6 months by PCP, relapsed after a few years and then after 6 years being ignored by PCP found LLMD.)
I'm off for a month because llmd said it's a new theory to get toxins out of system.
The doctor mentioned by llmd is a reputable llmd referred to on this board a lot.
Of course I was glad to have a break--but don't know why I didn't question it.
There was a new doctor with llmd that day being trained and I was distracted. Guess that's my excuse.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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