Hello I just got lab results from my 3rd WB done, and it's different from the first two, which confuses me. If a person has Lyme, wouldn't the bands be the same on all tests? Here are my results: 1st WB done July 2009 - IGG - Negative all bands. IGM Positive bands 23 and 41.
2 WB done October 2009 - IGG Positiv bands 41 and 58. IGM positive 23 and 41.
3rd WB done April 2011 - IGG positive band 66. IGM positiv bands 23 and 41.
Why all 3 so different other than the 23 and 41? And CDC requires 5 of 10 IGG to be considered positive. Also, I believe all testing was done by Quest. So confused by all this.
I go see a new LLMD tomorrow. I'm assuming he will have Igenex testing done. Extremely nervous/anxious to the point where I'm making myself sick to my stomach. Anyone else get this anxiety before appointments. I guess I just want it to go away and move on with my life.
Posted by Sheryl777 (Member # 17804) on :
The CDC criteria of six bands was put in place for vaccines. You can imagine how much confusion and misdiagnoses this has caused.
Posted by Sheryl777 (Member # 17804) on :
Sounds like the CDC is now using 5 bands but they were requiring six when I got my test in 2008. My test was also done by Quest and they had the six-band requirement written on the test. What a disservice to us. I had two positive IGGs and my lyme docs had no problem beginning to treat me for lyme.
Posted by little_olive (Member # 28063) on :
Well, if I understand how a Western Blot works (and I think I do), then no, they wouldn't be the same.
The bands that show up are your body creating antibodies against certain proteins (each band signifies a different protein); these proteins are how the body identifies infections. And the Lyme bacteria are CONSTANTLY changing their proteins, in order to avoid the immune system. So based on which proteins the bacteria are expressing, is which bands will show up. As the bacteria proteins change, so will the positive bands.
Some are almost always there, such as band 41. This band/protein is in the "tail" of the bacteria that they use to get around.
I suspect with IGeneX you'll show a response to band 39, which is probably THE most specific band there is. It only reacts to the DNA of the Lyme bacteria, and does not cross-react like some others.
Your anxiety is probably an additional symptom of the disease, please keep that in mind. It's not just you. Good luck at your appointment and congratulations for taking your health into your own hands!
little olive
Posted by little_olive (Member # 28063) on :
Well if I can find where I got that from I'll come back and show you
Anyway I hope this helps explain why your tests results came out differently each time, Danielle
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
Danielle
You are not crazy. I have severe anxiety still everytime I go to see my LLMD or my GP. I just want all of this to go away too and cause myself to become anxious.
I find that reading too much on all of this (and my llmd has said the same) will cause you to become very fearful of the whole lyme issue. I try to focus on what my LLMD says and only on the positive remarks made on the forum.
I realize that many are very sick on here and I am not well either, but trying to keep my life moving forward (even though I had to stop working for a year so far) is keeping me sane. Just go to the llmd, see what they have to say and if you are not happy with the answer there are always others. Dont overwhelm yourself with all the information you read. You will catch on gradually.
[email protected] contact me anytime Ann
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
Well, you're + on all tests so no worries just treat.
No need to run a WB so often. Give treatment a good length of time and then consider a retest.
Running other tests may be more useful (i.e. CD-57, virus panel, bartonella, babs, blood count, ferritin, thyroid, other hormones, etc.)
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
I don't waste time or money looking at WB after highly positive in '02. I still have sx, not as severe. I know I'm not dying a slow death today.
I'm still trying to figure out the rest of the story like Paul Harvey would say. Mycoplasma Pn highly ++ in 07 & 09. Doing another test on it soon to see if Rifampin lowered that number in the last year?
Still highly positive with CMV, HHV-6, C-reactive protein. Still trying to find Bart strain, RMSF strain, Rickettsia strain or cousins?
I really think I need to do Bart and some others thru another lab besides LabCorp and Quest.
I've got to attack all the other bad guys. These viruses are no big deal in someone healthy, but when you have an auto-immune illness, lyme and throw these on top...you've got another issue that makes lyme bacteria even harder to get to.
Pam
Posted by DanielleMC (Member # 22997) on :
Thank you all so very much for your replies. I tend to get lost in all the medical terminology and such of lyme and seem to be more confused aftr researching something thatn I was before. The LLMD also told me the wmore some people read the more they worry themselves. So I am going to just ask questions when I have them to get others points of view and stop reading everything else.
That definitley explains though why my tests are always different. At least one thing is justified... I DO have LD for sure. Now if I can only control this anxiety. It's worse than it's ever been. I worry and freak out about everything. Maybe now that I saw the LLMD, he started me on abx and I'm on the right path, that will all clear up as well.