posted
I just tested positive for Mycoplasma from MDL. Which is interesting because I tested negative in September of 2006. Plus I got 1 band of Lyme, so Lyme's definitely still hanging around.
I am curious if strain is important to recovery from mycoplasma. Supposedly Zithromax is a good drug for mycoplasma. I was on it IV for 14 months, yet I am testing positive now.
*Are there some strains that are not that responsive to Zith?
*How common are false positives for this co-infection?
*Also, I am very concerned about transmission/contagion.
What I read is that it transmits through person to person contact (though low rates due to slow growth), but I would expect that my husband would have 100% chance of getting it over the 14 years of our marriage. Is that correct?
[ 01. June 2008, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: InADaze ]
Posts: 168 | From Delaware | Registered: Aug 2005
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
For chronic illnesses (CFS, FMS, RA, among other illnesses) that could have an infectious component, The Institute for Molecular Medicine suggests the following lab tests (codes are CPT codes):
1. MycoplasmaTest Panel (CPT: 87798x3, 87581)--Mycoplasma species panel of 4 pathogenic mycoplasmas (M. fermentans, M. penumoniae, M. hominis, M. penetrans) by PCR.
Alternatively, a Mycoplasma general (all species) test by Qualitative PCR can be substituted.
posted
Thanks Keebler for the reference. I waded through a lot of the stuff on that site and searched Lymenet & went haphazardly through a few months of posts.
It didn't answer questions in a way that my Lyme brain can soak up.
Yeah, Part of the reason I ask about strain is that I tested positive with the general PCR. And my doc is not going by Nicolson's tx recommendations.
Posts: 168 | From Delaware | Registered: Aug 2005
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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I hope you find what you are looking for. I'm not very well versed with this one.
Mycoplasma infections are caused by several specific and unique species of cell-wall deficient bacteria. Mycoplasmas are transmitted through respiratory secretions, congenital means and the bite of infected ticks (Ixodes pacificus, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris and Argasidae Ornithodoros parkeri).
.......
Diagnostic Assessment of Mycoplasma genitalium in Culture-Positive Women. Joel B Baseman et al. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Jan 2004, p. 203-211, Vol 42, No 1.
Mycoplasmas: Sophisticated, reemerging, and burdened by their notoriety. Baseman JB, Tully JG. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 1997 1(3), 21-32.
In utero transmission of Mycoplasma pulmonis in experimentally infected Sprague-Dawley rats. Steiner DA, Uhl EM, Brown MB. Infect Immun. 1993 July; 61(7): 2985-2990.
A Search for Mycoplasmas in Ornithodoros parkeri Ticks Collected from the Desert Tortoise in the Mojave, Colorado, and Sonoran Deserts. Joseph G Tully et al. Desert Tortoise Council, April 3-5, 1998.
This reinforces my discussion with my husband about whether he should get tested, and if positive, whether that also means my niece (who stayed with me a couple weeks when I was first sick) should also get tested.
Posts: 168 | From Delaware | Registered: Aug 2005
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Mathias
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5298
posted
I just tested positive for Mycoplasma from MDL. Which is interesting because I tested negative in September of 2006. Plus I got 1 band of Lyme, so Lyme's definitely still hanging around.
I am curious if strain is important to recovery from mycoplasma. Supposedly Zithromax is a good drug for mycoplasma. I was on it IV for 14 months, yet I am testing positive now.
STRAIN/SPECIES IS MOST IMPORTANT. IV ZITHROMAX would work well for m. penumoniae but not for fermentans and others. MDL should have reported the species.
*Are there some strains that are not that responsive to Zith?
YES, see above.
*How common are false positives for this co-infection?
A false positve PCR?
*Also, I am very concerned about transmission/contagion.
What I read is that it transmits through person to person contact (though low rates due to slow growth), but I would expect that my husband would have 100% chance of getting it over the 14 years of our marriage. Is that correct?
Transmission from person to person is not well understood. I suspect it would be possible.
-------------------- Mathias Posts: 1242 | From New Jersey | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
We decided to do Biaxin instead of Zith, since I'd be on Zith so long. It's in the same class, but it's a different drug. Maybe it will make a diff.
The question about false positive PCR was due to sample contamination. I don't know how well-respected MDL is, but I have heard that mycoplasma can contaminate samples fairly easily.
Thanks for your reply. We are going to test my husband for Myco, just in case.
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