posted
Has anyone heard of getting a false positive on a western blot test if they are ANA positive? I have heard this has happened. If so, what other tests are used to make sure you in fact do have lyme disease?
Posts: 25 | From South Florida | Registered: Mar 2008
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
There are lots of false negatives. I haven't heard of anyone getting a false positive.
Perhaps someone will come along who contradicts this, but I would say it's extremely rare (less than 1%).
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Are you refering to ELISA/IFA? Even on the Igenex IFA explanation it says that the results can be false positive if one has some herpes viruses, autoimmune disease and some other condition s that I can't remember.
If you're talking about western blot, those are very specific, especially if lyme specific bands show up.
-------------------- Why me? Well, why not me??? Posts: 411 | From San Francisco, CA | Registered: Mar 2007
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
The only time I hear of false-positives are when doctors who don't know what they are doing are telling you they must be a false-positive.
They are wrong.
If you have a reaction to a Lyme test... you need someone who knows what they are doing to help you.
Think of a false-positive as being a little bit pregnant.
This situation you describe makes me VERY concerned since I noted you are in Florida... one of the worst states I've ever seen for missed Lyme disease diagnosis... and one of the worst states for the number of doctors who have NO clue what they are talking about.
This is an all too common mistake in Florida (and other places) and these mistakes can have tragic consequences associated with a lot of suffering.
As a matter of fact I'm visiting a grave site this week where one of my relatives was laid to rest after having what Florida doctors insisted was a "false positive" Lyme test.
This happened after she returned home from a two week camping trip at a Florida state park and having become ill with Lyme symptoms.
I am sure she will appreciate the Easter flowers .. but I am sure she would rather be here with her child and our family.
And I am sure that she would be if only the doctors hadn't insisted the positive Lyme test she had was a false positive... and refused to treat her.
Please get to a doctor who knows what they are doing.
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