posted
No bands ..... He tested for all the above ..... I just don't want to be chasing the "dragon" it's the wrong dragon .....
Posts: 61 | From DE/PA | Registered: Jul 2013
| IP: Logged |
Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
The ELISA was positive, and this test rarely gives a false positive.
Western Blots done by regular labs usually do not report or test all the bands, including some which are Lyme-specific. So your negative Western Blot may be a false negative.
Furthermore, you have positive co-infection tests. And most LLMD's recognize that these co-infections seldom occur without Lyme...especially given your positive ELISA...
If you need more proof, ask for Doxy 400mg/day and see if you herx...
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4167 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
Lab is medical diagnostic in Hamilton nj just FYI Posts: 61 | From DE/PA | Registered: Jul 2013
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Lucy,
Especially since you are still crossing paths with doctors who will put down those with lyme, you may want to be very careful and avoid ALL nicknames around this disease.
You say above that you "have no issue being a lymer" and that nickname is less offensive than some, however, it is still never a good idea to refer to yourself with a nickname in connection with any disease.
Tdiscussion below may be able to help you hold a shred of dignity when mixing with doctors who really would just as soon call us all kinds of nicknames and load on the judgement and stigma that always goes with a nickname that,
just by a shift in the tone of voice, can turn derogatory, or at the least, reduce those with this illness to members of a club. Some thoughts about all that:
posted
Sorry been calling myself mser ( and the other folks as well in ms-land blogs....)
Didn't ruffle any feathers with in that community.... but no problem ( I sell cars for a living were a carass bunch )
We have much biggie issues to worry about Right:/
I just hate to think I have a disease I dont or vs vice versa
I just don't know how someone like myself can determine if i have Lyme or not and how aggressively I treat
Maybe folks within ms community try so hard to shoehorn themselves into anything other than ms ( many times Lyme)
And much of that shoehorning is nativity about the severity of lyme
I don't want to be that person
But hearing you folks say a positive elisa is valuable is comforting )
I'm well read in ms I'm as green as they come Lyme
Posts: 61 | From DE/PA | Registered: Jul 2013
| IP: Logged |
'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
posted
Lucy- The 41 band Musta been +, huh?... atleast on the IgG results... but it only indicates anti-bodies have been made by your immune system in response to the tails ALL spirochetes shed, including simple ones that are harmless & found in the flora of the mouth, for example.
Just FYI... IF the "ELISA" is positive, it indicates your overall level of the 'variety' of anti-bodies they're looking for was significant enough to cause your Lyme titre (pronounced "tighter") to be 1.0 or greater [rather than say 0.4 or 0.6].
IN THAT CASE, all labs THEN run the "Western Bolts", to further determine what if any bands are positive for the anti-body 'lengths' (kDa) typically encountered when the Lyme bugs break down into their predictable lengths.
These pieces are what stimulate our bodies to create the "Lyme-specific" antibodies, which, *in turn* are picked up by the Western blot assays.
Problem is, some folks' immune systems don't react with a healthy enough response to the spirochete 'debris', so the bands can show only as 'IND' or often 'NEG' (no band seen).
This is why a good approach is a short course of abx (like "doxy") for maybe 3 to 4 weeks followed by a Western blot panel. Any 'ketes in- or near- the blood stream get Zzzzapped, & the 'dead' pieces stimulate the Lyme-specific antibodies.
But with 'entrenched' late-stage Lyme, often there is not enough initial "kill" to create a fresh immune response. And the individual may also have suppressed immune system isssues, as well! It takes an experienced LLMD to make a good call, using all the info available to him or her... & even then, it's just the 1st step.
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!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic