quote: New medical trick can help catch some infections such as Babesia missed by even great labs. The patient is given at least two Babesia killing medications such as Mepron, artesunate at a high useful dose, or Malarone (given for the proguanil). These medications are used for ten days at a dose you and your physician feel is worth the risk, and hopefully will kill a few Babesia parasites. Approximately four weeks later, the patient is tested for antibodies to microti or .......duncani and ECP. If the ECP is increased significantly or the antibodies are positive, one probably has Babesia. Stealthy low volume Babesia is a common problem in tick and flea infection treatment. Talented health care workers commonly miss these red blood cell parasites, but this trick usually causes them to show up and can save someone from years of failed treatment.
Does anyone have a dr who uses this test to monitor babs? I've had negative babs testing and a few symptoms. Either way, I am going to be taking Mepron. I thought it would be good to get a baseline before taking mepron.
I had ecp test done through labcorp and the range is very different from Quest. Labcorp's range is 4-54. My number was 18. Quest has a range of 2-10. I also see that National Jewish is a preferred lab for this test.
Does your doc use this test? If so, which lab?
Posts: 77 | From Denver | Registered: Feb 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes, my husband has been to two different llmd's who check ECP. Quest was used both times with less than 10 being in the normal range. His was 30 the last time.
Posts: 554 | From Naples, Italy | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
ooo! Thanks for posting, Sojourner. I am going to Quest to get it done this week!
Posts: 77 | From Denver | Registered: Feb 2012
| IP: Logged |
ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
My doc uses the ECP, two years now. This week I am at 10 and the goal is 10 or lower. I will do just one more round of artemesia. Could babs really be gone? I don't have any symptoms.
My boys' ECP's are in the 20's so they are still doing malarone. They were in 90's last summer.
We use LabCorp for testing. I believe their reference range changed this year. Doc still goes with the 10.
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
CherylSue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13077
posted
Congrats Kari! Did you ever take mepron or malarone with the Art? Do you take Zhangs Art II 3 times daily each month for 10 days?
Art II is very powerful. I've worked up to 1 a day. It's a lot stronger than the other Zhang's Art.
I'm awaiting test results from our doc. My ECP had spiked from 19 to 31 and then down to 24. I'm hoping it goes down further. It's good to hear that things are working out for you!
Posts: 1954 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2007
| IP: Logged |
ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
I never did take malarone or art. I think plaquenil for what was thought to be lupus earlier helped with babesia. I never had high ECP numbers like my boys.
Yes, took Zhang's Art II 3 times a dayf or 10 days a month for 2 years.
Panic- my doc prefers LabCorp for the testing. Not sure why. The same is true for the CD57.
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic