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Posted by annahochstetler (Member # 48794) on :
 
I had the Western Blot Test done and have a couple questions.

Is it possible to have a false positive? Can someone tell me is my test indeed positive? My Dr said it is, but I don't have nearly as many positive numbers as what I see some people do. My numbers are as follows:

Lyme Ab IgG - 58 & 41 abnormal
Lyme Ab IgM - 41 & 23 abnormal

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease earlier this year and have dealt with different health issues over that past 5-7 years. Just seeking answers and thankful to have found a group who understands Lyme! Thank you in advance for your answers.

[ 09-22-2016, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: annahochstetler ]
 
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
 
My well-known Lyme doc says if you have symptoms and at least one significant band show up on the western blot, then there is a 97% chance you have Lyme.

Band 23 is very specific to Lyme, so according to my doc, you most likely have Lyme.

Here's a western blot explanation: http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/42077

Welcome to Lymenet!
 
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
False POSITIVES in Lyme disease are quite RARE.

It's the false negatives that kill people.

I agree with Sick Sam and Dr C.
 
Posted by annahochstetler (Member # 48794) on :
 
Thank you for your responses. I just never expected that test to come back positive so I've questioned it some. I have Epstein Barr as well as other issues that didn't really seem connected but yet I can't seem to get totally well.
 
Posted by SickSam (Member # 45330) on :
 
I questioned my positive test for quite a while, and mine was quite glaringly positive, so I understand your doubt. I finally had a response to antibiotics though, so I was eventually convinced. (:

I had a bunch of very random, seemingly unconnected issues too. Like unimaginable acid reflux, a bad left knee, chest pain, lumbar spine pain, insomnia, and some other problems. It was hard to believe, but Lyme and coinfections actually caused all of them for me.

That's not the case for everyone, but for me, all of it is caused by the infections. It's crazy.
 
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
Oh yes, we all had our doubts. EBV and Lyme often go hand in hand.
 
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
 
Bands 23 and 58 are Lyme-specific. Many feel that even if one Lyme-specific band shows up, that's enough.

Antibodies to Lyme may not show up for lots of reasons. Sometimes more show after some treatment when the immune system is stronger.

See the sticky near the top of Medical Questions called Important Information about Lyme and Co-infections, scroll down to the link: 27 reasons why Lyme tests can come back negative.
 
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
 
I wasn't aware "abnormal" was a result. I thought the result for each band was negative, IND, or a number of pluses or stars from 1-5. I am curious what lab, and if that was the whole report.
 


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