I hope someone can explain this to me. This is not a question about me its about lyme in general but i will use me as an example....I had a positive western blot in oct, been on doxy, rocephin, doxy, would my bloodwork now be neg or past infection, I still have symptoms but my pcp that has been looking after me says its post lyme syndrome as the lyme has been dealt with....I am currently trying to find an llmd, but just wondered does it stay active or once antibiotics started does it show treated (but its not)..????
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
????? hope I understand all the questions... not sure about the last question.
First, there is no such thing as Post Lyme Syndrome...so start running from that guy.
It stays active until you are well. Your test will show positive a long time.
Hope that helps! Posted by Florence1 (Member # 22960) on :
thanks....so if i had western blot run again, in theory it should still be active and if it was IGg...then i should be cured if thats ever possible??
Posted by Florence1 (Member # 22960) on :
why do they say its all done in a months treatment?? couldnt they just keep running the test until it switches from IGm to IGg????
Posted by swedish lyme sufferer (Member # 14579) on :
Get an LLMD..... Until all symptoms are resoved I would consider it ACTIVE
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
Lyme Disease is a clinical diagnosis. If you are symptomatic, then you still have LD.
Treat until at least 3 months after you are symptom free. Its just that simple!
Posted by Siciliano (Member # 15920) on :
Hi, Florence, usually if you no longer have ANY symptoms for at LEAST 5 consecutive months...consider yourself out of the woods! Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
No, don't look at the IgG or IgM to mean much of anything. It means your positive, no matter which side comes back positive or which side comes back negative. And also, if you did come back negative, that also doesn't mean the lyme is completely gone.
IgG means old exposure, but that doesn't mean it's an old, no-more, and "cured" infection. It could mean your body is just not making newer antibodies to it - IgM.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by disturbedme: [QB] No, don't look at the IgG or IgM to mean much of anything. It means your positive, no matter which side comes back positive or which side comes back negative. And also, if you did come back negative, that also doesn't mean the lyme is completely gone.
IgG means old exposure, but that doesn't mean it's an old, no-more, and "cured" infection. It could mean your body is just not making newer antibodies to it - IgM.
Correct.
Be sure to read the Western Blot Explanation, including the responses to the original post:
The western blot measures antibodies to lyme. Those will persist for some time after the bacteria is gone.
That means you can't use a WB to determin that you no longer have an active infection.
What your PCP is saying is what the IDSA says. Everybody who has been treated yet still suffers has "post lyme syndrome". Or they're just crazy. If you feel better because you're still on abx it's because of the anti-inflammatory effects of the abx, not because they're killing any bacteria.
On the other side of the fence are many thousands of patients who have gotten well, beating "post lyme syndrome" with months or years of abx.
You need a good LLMD
Posted by Florence1 (Member # 22960) on :
thanks all...clears it up a little....on the hunt for a LLMD.....
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