Also my CMV (cytomegalovirus) IgG/IgM Ab were 10.0 high (>1.0 is positive) and I have many Lyme symptoms - fatigue, joint pain, stiffness and swelling, hair shedding, weight gain, trouble sleeping, high liver enzymes too. Trying to understand if these are menopause symptoms as well.
Any help with understanding what this means would be appreciated. I am planning to follow up with one the recommended LLMDs soon. I had mono about 30 yrs ago.
I posted this in "Seeking Doctor" as well.
Posts: 23 | From New jersey | Registered: Jun 2011
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Hello and Welcome to Lymenet!!
I had 'mono' too in 1994, which looking back turned out to be my first exposure to Lyme. I was told I had 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' and would always be easily run down. I was never the same after that and it took 2 years to get any semblense of life back. I then got rebit by a tick in 2003 and my life ended.
Your docs should have also checked you for co-infections (that you also can get from a tick bite) such as Erlichiosis, Bartonella, and Babesiosis. They can be as problematic or even moreso than Lyme.
As far as being positive on CMV, it looks like 50-80% of the US has been exposed to it by age 40. Having lyme means having a compromised immune system, and you could unknowlingly being carrying lots of other fun viruses (and/or parasites) as well.
Systemic Candida is also a problem for many of us before, during, and after treatment. Issues such as joint pain and stiffness, hair loss and weight changes could also be from Candida (aka yeast).
Lots of reading here to help. Go to the posts at the top of the Medical Board marked with the ! for help with a lot of commonly asked questions. Or feel free to post here with your questions - someone will almost always have something helpful to offer.
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Same here on the "mono" .. I began going downhill from that point on.
If you've had Lyme for 30 yrs, then it is hard to get a clearly positive test because your immune system has been so suppressed. It makes it hard to register an antibody response on the test.
Band 23 is specific to Lyme. You may want to follow up with a test thru Igenex lab. They test for ALL POSSIBLE BANDS.
If you could get some antibiotics right now and take them for a month and then test, (after staying off for 2 wks) your test may show many more bands.
posted
I assume a LLMD can figured out how the mono, Lyme, and CMV antibodies are related or cross-reactive. It is not clear to me yet how taking antibiotics will make the lyme bands test positive but I just started my research on this stuff! Thanks for the suggestion and I will follow up with it.
Posts: 23 | From New jersey | Registered: Jun 2011
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philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
You can read the following link on explaining the WB.
quote:Antibiotics may actually help with the laboratory diagnosis. But patients need to be off antibiotics about 10 to 14 days before the Western blot is repeated. This sounds like a contradiction. Antibiotics may help convert the test to positive, but patients need to be off antibiotics when the specimen is drawn.
It is well documented in medical literature that the presence of antibiotics may cause false negative borreliosis testing. Therefore, your system should be free of all antibiotics for an accurate blot result.
When the Lyme borrelia are alive, they are geniuses at avoiding the immune system. They may do things like go inside your white blood cells, and come out enclosed by the cell membrane of your own white blood cells! This may partly explain why antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi are often not found when patients are tested.
What may happen when patients are given 4 weeks of tetracycline (or other antibiotics) is that some of the bacteria die. When Borrelia burgdorferi dies, it is less efficient at avoiding the immune system. That's when antibodies may be formed against Borrelia burgdorferi, converting the negative or equivocal Western blot to positive, in about 36% of cases.
If you cannot get yourself some abx prior, then you can also try doing a challenge with herbs. I know I've read which herbs somewhere but I cannot remember. Someone else may know though or you may find some info online.
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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You may want to consider putting quote marks where you're quoting Dr C.
I think that last paragraph is yours??
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
Thanks! Fixed the post.
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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posted
Thanks for the info. I agree with the quote! I have been searching for the cause of my symptoms and there is always more to learn. I feel like I am back in school!
Posts: 23 | From New jersey | Registered: Jun 2011
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philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
I hear ya! It can be a bit overwhelming at times too. But we really do need to be actively involved in our treatment plans imo. Good luck to ya!
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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