posted
I recently saw a couple of posts where a NJ ID doctor (he does treat beyond more than a month) will test his patient's for Lyme again (presumably thru Labcorp) to see if certain bands are going away. Does anyone's LLMD do this? Mine does not and goes purely on symptoms to guide the treatment protocol, which I thought most if not all LLMD's do even for diagnosis since the tests are so inaccurate.
Is there any validity to this? Should I be asking my LLMD to run a follow up test, even if it's covered by insurance thru Labcorp (I actually was positive thru Labcorp for which my doctor says I was lucky - yippee).
Does it make sense to do coinfection testing again while treating?
Posts: 749 | From State full of ticks | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
My LLMD does run Elisa and WB & Co's through Quest/labcorp....Only because I believe that these are 2 labs that insurance will cover treatment for if needed..
If you test Positive using Igenex....Some insurances will NOT USE these results to cover treatment..( IV treatment)
I have had a few WB bands light up on quest and finally a positive Elisa after a year of treatment...This is what you need to fight the Insurance Companies to cover treatment!! uggggh
Posts: 501 | From Hudson Ticky Valley, NY | Registered: Aug 2009
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as sneaky as Lyme and Co's are....It's just nice to have some validation with a Positive test result.
When symptoms and labs match up....It's like winning the friggen lottery!! Wooo-hoo!
Posts: 501 | From Hudson Ticky Valley, NY | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
Just to clarify - if you already have a positive test, what benefit is there in testing again to see if you are getting better? As far as I know, that test does not exist. And, you are subjecting yourself to insurance company denial for abx when you test negative.
Posts: 749 | From State full of ticks | Registered: Dec 2008
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sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
My doc did re-test twice with the WB. Not to guide treatment, (he goes by symptoms), but to see if my test would turn positive, which it did on the 3rd try. He has not retested since.
I only had IGM bands, but he believes that if he retested now after 3 years of treatment, that IGG bands would probably show up. Aren't IGG bands representative of past infection?
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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I remember the "M" and think of "Minute" for Most Current infection. lol
Posts: 501 | From Hudson Ticky Valley, NY | Registered: Aug 2009
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