LisaS
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10581
posted
I actually had a postive ELISA. It was 1.19. I have read that some bands on Western Blots can be positive because of other diseases. But what is the doctors excuse for sayng a positive Elisa isn't really due to lyme?
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Are you feeling at the top of your game? Able to work and be part of a family or community activities?
Are you feeling pretty good most of the time and able to exercise, awaken refreshed and otherwise able partake in a fulfilling and productive life?
Are your brain skills sharp? Your mood balanced?
If so and you feel fine and can work well with others, so to speak, the test might be false.
--
However, if you have symptoms that match lyme disease, you need to see a LLMD for a clinical evaluation. Even with tests, lyme is a clinical diagnosis.
You would also need to be evaluated for other tick-borne infections.
--
Did your doctor say that this can't be due to lyme?
Do you have symptoms?
If so, see a real lyme doctor for a proper evaluation. Your doctor is apparently uneducated in this field.
posted
My screening test was positive, too. I would love to know more.
-------------------- Never doubt in darkness what the daylight proves to you. Posts: 418 | From Utah | Registered: Apr 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Jasmin,
start with the links above. You will learn more there. Also, there is some hope that doctors will, someday, become better educated. In news, Spring of `09:
LisaS
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10581
posted
Keebler, no I'm sick as hell. I know I have lyme but I want something to say back to these drs that intimidate me so much. I'm tired of them making me feel like I'm nuts. Unfortunately LLMDS can't do everything and I'm trying to deal with mainstream drs also. So I just want some answers to what else can cause a positive Elisa.
Amd I am in the middle of reading "Cure Unknown", it's a great book I'd recommend to anyone. But unfortunately only people with lyme read lyme books. And these mainstream docs woulnd't have a clue if I started going into all the stuff I've learned about the history of lyme and all the conspiracy behind it. They just know what they were taught and most don't want to know anymore!
Jasmine, what about your western blot? Did yuo have any postive bands? I had two on the igg and one on the igm.
I only had IgM band 41...which I guess is really important to some and rubbish to others.
What's crazy is that the lady who called with the results told me that 4 out of 5 bands were positive! I don't know how that happen, but I'm glad it did or I might not have taken LD seriously.
Also...the screening test number was 1.60 I think.
-------------------- Never doubt in darkness what the daylight proves to you. Posts: 418 | From Utah | Registered: Apr 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Lisa,
You said: " . . . want something to say back to these drs that intimidate me . . . ."
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Don't go to doctors who intimidate you. The are abusive. You will never been given dignity in their eyes. Stop paying them to further beat you up by their ignorance or their attitude.
A doctor should provide a safe and healing environment, both with the physical place and his/her demeanor. A good doctor should be educated and have expertise in the matter that you need. A good doctor should be a detective. If s/he does not know the answer, he should seek consult.
I know it sounds harsh to say "don't hire them" but that's the bottom line. And it took me years and much damage to let it go.
You can spend all your time and precious energy trying to educate and convince a doctor and it's likely not going to work, you will look like a looney-toon (to them) and still not get treatment.
Please, find a doctor who is educated and has worked with hundreds or thousands of others with tick-borne infections. You deserve a good doctor.
I too would like to have an answer that explains why I should not discount this positive test.
-------------------- Never doubt in darkness what the daylight proves to you. Posts: 418 | From Utah | Registered: Apr 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Jasmin,
Same questions to you:
Are you feeling good, able to work and enjoy life? If so, great. You can discount the test and get on with living.
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If not, the test is a message to get evaluated by a LLMD who will know much more and be able to properly diagnose you - regardless of whatever is going on.
The doctor that I saw told me that I don't have nearly enough lyme to cause my symptoms, thus no treatment.
I am hoping to have an appointment with an LLMD made this week! Wish me luck!
What is the significance of band 41? Is it a strong marker, or could it be caused by something else?
Posts: 6 | From Minnesota | Registered: May 2009
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From dmc- "Yale says don't pay attention to band 41 because it means nothing. Yet they have patented a test for lyme that only uses band 41. They also claim the test is over 94% accurate. Patent link http://tinyurl.com/yslooc
In the this link, page 5 at the top right, one paragraph down, Dr Steere says that if you have band 41 this means that you either have gum disease, syphilis or lyme disease.
He also states that you can tell the difference between these illnesses by a clinical diagnoses. All the lyme have band 41 but few people produce many other bands http://tinyurl.com/222w62"
And from nenet- "dmc is correct. Please check out the links they gave you about Band 41, as they are quite meaningful.
"Antigens of Borrellia burgdorferi Recognized during Lyme Disease"
Joseph E. Craft, Duncan K. Fischer, Grant T. Shimamoto, and Allen C. Steere
Departments of Internal Medicine and Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University School ofMedicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
"This observation suggests that the 41 -kD antigen of B. burgdorferi may give better results in an ELISA for early Lyme disease than the current test, which uses sonicated whole spirochetes (1 1, 12). Furthermore, in this study, IgM antibodies to the 4 1-kD polypeptide were usually apparent by immunoblots before IgM titers were elevated by the current ELISA (12).
Although antibodies reactive against this antigen may be present in patients with relapsing fever or syphilis (1 1, 14), these diseases can be distinguished clinically from Lyme disease and therefore should not cause diagnostic confusion.
The binding of this antigen by IgM from rheumatic disease controls was typically very weak and could potentially be blocked to avoid false-positive results in this group of patients."
Good luck!
-------------------- Never doubt in darkness what the daylight proves to you. Posts: 418 | From Utah | Registered: Apr 2009
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
lisa, i was just reading CURE UNKNOWN earlier tonight.
it's somewhere around page 200 ... a very DETAILED chapter about elisa, w.b., and it was steere who came up with this awful diagnosis and it being enforced! ---------------------------------------------------------------
i just posted comments to another post in more detail. time for bed for this chick!
if you click on MY PROFILE on right side of my name, click view current posts; should be in the last 6-12 posts i answered!
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LisaS
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10581
posted
Jasmin, thanks for those other links, I've been reading through them. I know band 41 can be from syphillis and gum disease, but then when these two are ruled out, then what? Just lyme? I don't think drs know anymore about these tests then we do sometimes. We actually probably know more at this point.
i had a positive ELISA a couple weeks ago (it was the 3rd repeat), but doc says it's nothing to worry about.
as people on this site have been saying, i know it doesn't make sense, but i'm with you in this confusion.
Posts: 34 | From Airmont NY | Registered: May 2009
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posted
Fighter - If only your doc could trade places with you for 30 seconds when you are having a horrible flare of symptoms! I think he would change his thinking!
Jasmin - Thanks so much for the links you provided! I will read through them.
I may have to start a new post, but I am wondering, with a positive ELISA and positive 41, will an LLMD treat based on those test results and a clinical diagnosis?
I have an appt for mid August with a doc that was suggested from this website. I am so fearful of getting my hopes up, only to be told that I have nothing to worry about.
Thanks everyone! Blessings and healing to you all!
Posts: 6 | From Minnesota | Registered: May 2009
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