posted
I tested equivocal for Lyme in Nov 08 and did 30 days of treatment. I was now retested and await guidance from my doctor and the western blot. The latest lyme elisa shows 1.38 (high) for Lyme IgG/IgM Ab but negative for Lyme Disease Ab Quant, IgM. Is this Chronic lyme, my body producing more antibodies from a Lyme infection ??? Had lymerix vaccing in 99/00
Thanks
Posts: 749 | From State full of ticks | Registered: Dec 2008
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Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
I would venture that if you had Lyme, it's a good chance you still have Lyme; 30 days of treatment isn't enough.
I also have no faith in any vaccine; I have heard nothing good about them.
Have you seen an LLMD, or just your regular doctor? If you don't have an LLMD, I would go over to Seeking a Doctor and post there.
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Per Dr. Joseph Burrascano, the guru of lyme disease in this country and the world, use of the elisa test makes no sense in the case of lyme disease. Here's what he says:
The suggestion that two-tiered testing, utilizing an ELISA as a screening tool, followed, if positive, by a confirmatory western blot, is illogical in this illness. The ELISA is not sensitive enough to serve as an adequate screen, and there are many patients with Lyme who test negative by ELISA yet have fully diagnostic western blots. I therefore recommend against using the ELISA. Order IgM and IgG western blots- but be aware that in late disease there may be repeatedly peaking IgM's and therefore a reactive IgM may not differentiate early from late disease, but it does suggest an active infection. When late cases of LB are seronegative, 36% will transiently become seropositive at the completion of successful therapy. (p. 7)
His lyme disease treatment guidelines are found here:
I suggest you read and study this document to learn about the disease. Lyme is diagnosed based on symptoms since no test is reliable enough to make the diagnosis. Read it in Burrascano, p.7 where he says: "Lyme Borreliosis (LB) is diagnosed clinically, as no currently available test, no matter the source or type, is definitive in ruling in or ruling out infection with these pathogens, or whether these infections are responsible for the patient's symptoms."
So, go to pages 9-10 in the document and see how many symptoms you have.
Then, read about the complexities of lyme and its coinfections and what good lyme treatment looks like.
Then, find a good lyme doctor and get your diagnosis from him.
Generally, 30 days of meds will not cure lyme--unless you got treated within a week or so of the bite and the doc who treated you gave you medications that cover lyme disease, babesiosis, bartonella, and ehrlichia (all the lyme coinfections). I doubt that happened in your case because only a lyme doc knows how to do this.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Symptoms are essentially joint and muscle related. Mostly knee and toe pain, had plantar fascitis and have some muscle weakness. Also some fatigue and forgetfulness. Did not have the rash and not feeling sick/ill - more joint related issues. I have seen my regular doc, an ID doc and a rheumatologist. All believe in standard treatment. Looking for an LLMD in central NJ
Thank you
Posts: 749 | From State full of ticks | Registered: Dec 2008
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