In Feb 2011 my IGeneX results showed I was IgG CDC "negative" w/ only 2 bands positive and IgM CDC "positive" w/ 7 bands positive.
I was treated for 9 months w/ oral ABX. I took off 10 weeks & then had an Advanced Labs Spirochete Borrelia Blood Culture test. It's been 6 weeks today & I still have not heard anything back. I understand this to be GOOD news because my friend who is extremely sick w/ Lyme & Bart got hers back in record time >> in only 11 days! She told me the faster the lab can grow the bacteria out of your blood sample, it means the more live bacteria you have in your blood (and that is, of course, BAD).
My LLMD said that it can take up to 16 weeks to get back your results. So, apparently that's how long the lab gives it to try to grow more live bacteria from your blood sample. If they can't get any to grow, then you must not have had any live Spirochetes in that blood sample.
So, anyway, I'm shocked that my sample has not showed any live bacteria yet & am worried about something someone at a Minnesota Lyme Assoc meeting told me the other day. She said that I should NOT have ran on my treadmill the morning of my test because the oxygen in my blood from running probably killed all the live spirochetes, so that when they took my blood sample that afternoon, they got only dead Spirochetes & that's why they haven't had any luck growing any live ones.
Don't get me wrong, I'm SUPER HAPPY that so far they've been unable to grow any in 6 weeks, BUT I'm just wondering if there is any validity to the idea that vigorous exercise would kill the spirochetes in your blood w/ the oxygen ??? If that were really the case, then couldn't we all just run on treadmills for a few weeks to kill off all of our Lyme?! That seems ridiculous.
Anyway, what happened w/ your Advanced Labs Blood Cultures? How long did yours take to come back?
Posts: 83 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2011
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poppy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5355
posted
Those WB results look peculiar. Are you sure you have this right? Do you have a copy of the test results?
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by debilyn: Oh, I don't think I would worry about the treadmill.
First, it is unlikely you would kill all the spirochetes and have none reappear hours later when your blood was drawn.
Second, there is no way of knowing or testing the veracity of that hypothesis; to focus on it won't help the test results.
I was one who got a positive culture in 10 days. But I had never treated for Lyme and had been sick for six years.
The advanced labs was my first Lyme test ever.
Hang in there. The waiting is hard for sure.
Debilyn: Were you taking any meds or herbs at the time you got tested? Were you heavily symptomatic at the time of taking your test? Do you remember the time of the day they drew your blood and at what time the FedEx was sent out?
I am saving up for this test, but want to make sure that I do everything is as perfect as possible before spending all that money for it, only to find out there was something further I should have known before getting it done. I know the basics of being off ABX for at least 6 weeks and getting it drawn & sent out on a mon-thur, etc.
Thanks in advance.
Posts: 85 | From Northeast | Registered: Mar 2011
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I was not taking any meds or herbs for Lyme and co's. I was
living with a Lupus dx and on prednisone when I took the
Advanced Labs test. My doc then never considered Lyme
until the Advancd Labs test became available; he said we
should try it.
I was definitely symptomatic when we went for the blood draw. I nearly rescheduled b/c I felt horrible.
They drew my blood at about 11:00 am on a Tuesday. I do
not know how long my blood was there before they sent it to
Advanced Labs. I trusted the doc's staff would send it correctly.
I think the trick is having borrelia in your blood at the time of the draw. But how to ensure that happens, I dont know.
Posts: 331 | From West Coast | Registered: Jan 2012
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Thanks for your response, Debilyn. I've had Chronic Fatigue & Fibromyalgia symptoms for about 13 years. I haven't gotten any restorative sleep in 13 years. I never knew what was wrong w/ me. I was a X-Country runner, avid trail runner, & hiker & I've been bitten by zillions of ticks over the years. I grew up w/ ticks. Never knew my symptoms were what Lyme Disease was. No one told me!!
I still have my problem where I don't get anything out of my sleep & both my hips are super sore, all the time. So, I don't see how I could be cured after only 9 months of treatment, after unkowingly having Chronic Lyme for over a decade!!
Plus, my CD57 taken in May was only 42.
So, I was just worried (like NJguy was just saying) that I had blown $600 on the Advanced Labs Spirochete Culture by running on my treadmill that morning! I didn't even feel well enough to run on the treadmill, either, but I had it in my mind that it would shake-loose the Spirochetes that were in my tissue & get them moving around in my blood, so that they would get them when they drew my blood samples. But, then this girl got me paranoid about it, that the oxygen from running killed them & now they wouldn't show up!
So, I was just worried that I was going to get a FALSE Negative. Then, I'd have to re-test again after waiting 6 more weeks (cuz I'm on ABX right now) >> Doxy, Plaquenil, Biaxin.
Thanks for your reply Debilyn! This whole thing is just crazy & SUPER EXPENSIVE! JenniferMN
Posts: 83 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2011
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You're just supposed to wait about 8 weeks after you've quit your ABX, have the blood drawn in the afternoon because that is when the spirochetes are supposedly most active, & obviously, do it on a Mon or Tues so the lab gets it before the weekend.
The problem is...
Lyme spirochetes have growth cycles. It's supposed to be about one month on, one month off, approximately for most people.
If you get your blood drawn when your spirochetes are not in their active growth phase, they may not capture them in the sample.
I'm worried about that & I'm also worried that I killed the ones in my blood from oxygen from running. Oxygen kills them which is why some people try Hyperberic chambers to hit them w/ pure oxygen...
I'm like you, I don't want to have wasted $600 & get a FALSE negative.
JenniferMN
Posts: 83 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2011
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posted
Debilyn & JenniferMN: Thanks to both of you for your insight.
I cannot see how running on the treadmill would give effect your test in a negative manner, especially if you were symptomatic at the time of your blood draw. I`m sure we will here from you shortly that you received a positive test.
I`m thinking of maybe doing a heavy Salt/C protocol before I get tested. I would think that might get something going if I herx on it. I`d be surprised if that would have any negative effect on the test, but what do I know?
Posts: 85 | From Northeast | Registered: Mar 2011
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