Just found out yesterday from LLMD that I have Q fever phase 1 1:32(result from Labcorp). LLMD told me that she wanted to start me on Doxycycline but I told her that I wanted to repeat the test (on Monday) and use another lab just to make sure.
In addition to Q fever I am also positive for EBV, Parvovirus B19.
LLMD did not tell me that Q fever was highly contagious through air etc. and that the situation was urgent, as I would have taken the meds immediately!
I'm trying to reach her but it's Sunday and I'm sure that she is not going to respond today.
In the meantime I am absolutely frantic about this. I don't know if I should quarantine myself or go to the emergency room which may probably cause a panic.
Anyone who has experience with this please help!
Thank you.
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
I looked it up and it sounds like combination therapy is required. Sounds like your doc is on top of things and being that it can be tick-borne, shouldn't all LLMD's be testing for this?! None of the docs I've been to have tested me for this but you can bet that I will be asking to be tested at my next appointment! But, your doc only wanted you to start with Doxy only? Sounds like that needs to be combined with hydroxychloroquine.
The following was on the CDC website:
"Chronic Q fever endocarditis is much more difficult to treat effectively and often requires the use of multiple drugs. Two different treatment protocols have been evaluated: 1) doxycycline in combination with quinolones for at least 4 years and 2) doxycycline in combination with hydroxychloroquine for 1.5 to 3 years. The second therapy leads to fewer relapses, but requires routine eye exams to detect accumulation of chloroquine. Surgery to remove damaged valves may be required for some cases of C. burnetii endocarditis."
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thank you, Laura for this info. Did CDC say anything about how contagious it is to others?
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
It said through secretions but as little as one drop. It wasn't clear as to whether or not that was in the acute or chronic phase. It said it is rare to become chronic and is usually passed by farm animals but can also be transmitted by tick. Not sure if the CDC website said the thing about it being tick-borne or another website though.
As far as the rarity of it being chronic, with our compromised immune systems, if anything was to become chronic it would be with us. As in myself, along with the Lyme I have chronic EBV, CPN, and Mycoplasma. I will now be getting tested for the Q fever as well.
I'm sorry you were dx with this. What else have you been dx with? Have you started treatment for Lyme or Co's yet?
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Laura, thanks for your input.
I just read the following on the CDC website:
"Recent studies have shown that greater accuracy in the diagnosis of Q fever can be achieved by looking at specific levels of classes of antibodies other than IgG, namely IgA and IgM...combined detection of IgM and IgA improves the specificity of the assays and provides better accuracy in the diagnosis."
"IgM are helpful in the determination of recent infection...In acute Q fever, patients will have IgG antibodies to phase II and IgM antibodies to phase I and II... Increased IgG and IgA antibodies to phase I are often indicative of Q fever endocarditis... You should suspect Q fever if you have endocarditis, flu-like symptoms, hepatitis, or pneumonia."
My labcorp result only shows IgG antibodies to phase I. After reading the above info I'm wondering if this result is accurate. Of course I hope it isn't!
Anyone know an LL ID in NY/NJ? I think I need one.
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Sorry, Laura, I didn't answer your last question about whether I was positive for other viruses.
The answer is yes, parvovirus, EBV and a few months ago I was positive for EBV, parvovirus, and chlyamidia pneumonae. My llmd at that time thought we should focus first on detoxing and building immune system.
I was treated for lyme and babesia way back in 2000 and have been in remission (sort of) since then but now I think i am going to have to go back on meds.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
Chlamydia pneumonia help website. You might ask over there, too, especially since you tested positive for Cpn.
This one should not be ignored, either. Hope you can find a doctor who can put it all together. Support measures are required, of course, but they cannot take the place of antimicrobial treatment.
Book: Lyme Disease and Rife Machines by Bryan Rosner -
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thank you, Keebler. I haven't considered the rife machine yet, but it's something I want to investigate.
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thank you, Keebler. I haven't considered the rife machine yet, but it's something I want to investigate.
Posted by txgirl09 (Member # 21612) on :
Hi JJ,
I tested positive for Q-Fever phase I as well. I don't think its highly contagious. In fact, your titers are quite low, like mine. The doctors I've seen can't seem to figure out if q fever is even causing my symptoms or not.
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thank you,girl for your post. What do your doctors recommend you do about this lab result? Are they going to retest you?
Posted by txgirl09 (Member # 21612) on :
I've tested positive for q-fever by LabCorp every month since last summer. My titers have always been low, like yours. The odd thing is, through Quest lab, I tested negative.
I'm just being treated for lyme, and we are monitoring my q-fever titers for now.
Posted by galehane (Member # 15437) on :
Be aware that there are cross-reactivity between Q-fever and some of the other tick borne pathogenes with antibody-testing.Bartonella is one.
Gale
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Txgirl, do you have a positive test for lyme or coinfections or does your dr. think that the q fever lab result is just a manifistation of lyme and co's?
Thanks JJ
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thank you Gale for your post. So basically what you are saying is that q fever antibodies are really not q fever but bartonella? Sorry for my ignorance. Please elaborate if possible.
I have been suspecting that Bartonella may be causing some of my issues but Igenex and MDL labwork has been negative. However, I know that these tests are not conclusive and that the diagnosis is usually based on symptoms.
Thanks.
Posted by galehane (Member # 15437) on :
Antibody-testing can be a messy affair because of cross-reactivity. some cross-reactions are well known,others are not. There is a whole group af pathogenes that cross-react in serological antibodytesting, including many of the things that can be transmitted by ticks and others. these are chlam.pn,bartonella, coxiella burnetti (q-fever),yesrsinia borrelia etc etc. cross-reactivity is stronger between some of them,and depends of the specifity of the test-kits used (some are more specific than others) So I would definitely have a test more for q-fever to follow development.But also I would see if I could find ways of diagnosing Bartonella. (the soon to come galaxydx test etc)
The infection results from inhalation of contaminated particles in the air, and from contact with the milk, urine, feces, vaginal mucus, or semen of infected animals.
It can be considered the most infectious disease in the world, as a human being can be infected by a single bacterium.
Transfer between humans seems extremely rare and has so far been described in very few cases.
========
So there's your answer as to whether or not you are contagious. Have you had the test repeated?
Carol
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thanks, Gale and Carol. I am waiting for my repeat q fever and other virus test results to come back from Quest.
Can you recommend any other lab I should use to have Q fever and other viruses tested?
Gale,any idea what lab will offer the galaxydx test for bartonella and how soon it will be available?
Thank you!
Posted by galehane (Member # 15437) on :
Regarding Bartonella testing
Only half of the bartonella infected by pcr show antibodies against bartonella. So I would have another antibody-test, hoping that if you have some bart-infection, it would show up as antibodies (maybe as cross-ractions to the henselae and quintana type that they can test for). I dont know when www.galaxydx.com will open for human testing,but they write that it should be soon. Gale
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thanks Gale for the suggestion. I will request another antibody test for Bartonella.
Someone on aonther thread mentioned that Quest is good for Bartonella testing, better than labs who use pcr method. Is this true?
Thank you!
Posted by galehane (Member # 15437) on :
jj229
Facts are these
Antibodytesting remains problematic for these reasons
Many dont produce antibodies There are no antibody-.tests for all the different bartonella spp. All the "commercial" labs use the same test-kit for detection of bartonella antibodies (henselae and quintana) The treating doc will not be able to tell if you have or have had a bart infection.
Pcr is problematic because The level of bacteria can be below the detectable and you would at least need several tests. You would also need to have a blood-culture to increase the chances of a positive pcr.
GaLAXYDX is the only place that woiuld give you maximum chances for a verified identification.
If you make a blood-smear that shows the organisms you would still have to live with all the bla bla about -Frylabs coccobacilli etc etc.(Why does that lab not send some of its samples to Galaxy so we can have a conclusion concerning their year long uncertainty?)
Bottom line is -When it comes to antibody-testing there is not a great difference between the labs. Gale
[ 05-09-2010, 07:20 AM: Message edited by: galehane ]
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :
Thanks Gale for your info re problems with antibody testing. I guess I'm at a loss as to what I should do at this point.
Should I go on the assumption that babs and bart are activating viruses like q fever etc. and go on meds for babs and bart?
Posted by galehane (Member # 15437) on :
q-fever is not a virus gal
Posted by JJ29 (Member # 5288) on :