I was tested positive in December 2001 by a Veteran's Administration Hospital. I was given the standard 30 day antibiotic treatment. I was also given a spinal tap soon after. The results were clear. The VA never tested me again. I recently had a test and was IgM and IgG negative. Is this possible? I am aware of false results. I clearly remember the bulls-eye on my forearm. I thought it was a spider bite or the like (never heard of Lyme at the time). I have medical documentation of the flu-like symptoms, rash, joint pain and continuing conditions of Lyme. Are there other diseases that have the same symptoms. The infectous disease doctors I have been seeing are making me doubt that I have Lyme at all. I try to exercise (light weight training and walking) to feel better. Are there any other ways to improve quality of life. I am tired of taking pills, the VA would shove a pill down my throat for the symptoms, not the disease. Thanks for your input. Don.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
There are other diseases that cause the same symptoms as lyme disease. HHV-6, EBV, Cpn, enterovirus, mycoplasma, Q fever, to name a few.
Have you been tested for other infectious pathogens?
Best, Timaca
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
Testing is poor. Many people have only officially tested negative for lyme.
Lyme is a clinical diagnosis based on history and symptoms, not a lab test.
It is very possible, given your history of a lyme diagnosis that your continuing symptoms are chronic lyme....and possible coinfections.
Diet can help...gluten and sugar would be the two biggest foods to omit. There are others such as dairy and soy.
If I were you I would get an eval by a good LLMD and take your records.
It is more likely to be chronic lyme because you already know that you had lyme and the standard 30 days of treatment could have been very inadequate.