I was bitten by a deer tick in Feb. I have had 2 Western Blot tests and both gave a p41 on the IgG only not on the Igm at all. Do I consider myself to have Lyme or ??? I do have a lot of the symptoms but I have other health issues that could be responsible for them. HELP!!!
Posts: 3 | From santa barbara, ca | Registered: Jun 2009
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Where did you have your test done? 41 is a flagella or tail. Many bacteria have flagella. The testing is not very accurate. Diagnosis is a clinical diagnosis because there are many reasons for a false negative test result. http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/lymeseroneg.html
In order to be properly evaluated for Lyme disease, your best course of action in my non professional opinion is to seek out and ILADS LLMD. Most have extensive training in TBI's (Tick Borne Illnesses) and can give you proper testing and clinical evaluation for lyme disease and co-infections. Testing for most of these pathogens is poor at best.
ILADS is a group of physicians who specialize in treating chronic lyme disease. You will often hear them referred to as LLMD's (Lyme Literate Medical Doctors) http://www.ilads.org/
You can go here and register and get a list of ILADS doctors that are closest to you. http://tinyurl.com/6na364
99% of Dr's do not know how to properly recognize, diagnose or treat lyme.
The longer you wait, the harder it might be to respond to treatment if you do have lyme.
It is also possible that you could have coinfections that the same tick might have transmitted.
There is info on coinfections in that same paper above.
Good luck.
-------------------- The fibromyalgia I've had for 32 years was an undiagnosed Lyme symptom.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". -Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 6076 | From Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Dr C's Western Blot explanation is discussed here:
"With most infections, your immune system first forms IgM antibodies, then in about 2 to 4 weeks, you see IgG antibodies. In some infections, IgG antibodies may be detectable for years.
Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a chronic persistent infection that may last for decades, you would think patients with chronic symptoms would have positive IgG Western blots.
But actually, more IgM blots are positive in chronic borreliosis than IgG. Every time Borrelia burgdorferi reproduces itself, it may stimulate the immune system to form new IgM antibodies.
Some patients have both IgG and IgM blots positive. But if either the IgG or IgM blot is positive, overall it is a positive result.
Response to antibiotics is the same if either is positive, or both. Some antibodies against the borrelia are given more significance if they are IgG versus IgM, or vice versa.
Since this is a chronic persistent infection, this does not make a lot of sense to me. A newly formed Borrelia burgdorferi should have the same antigen parts as the previous bacteria that produced it.
But anyway, from my clinical experience, these borrelia associated bands usually predict a clinical change in symptoms with antibiotics, regardless of whether they are IgG or IgM." ===========
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