posted
Last year I was dx with chronic lyme. after a few months, they took my cd57 and it was normal. Doc wanted to take me off meds b/c he was thinking it could be something other than lyme. I said, no. I am getting better. He said, that is a whole other story, that I could have a normal cd 57 with lyme too.
Now, a year later he tests my levels, and I am a 1% and a 19! What in the world? How is it going down instead of up? I am getting better, but still pretty sick.
TNT
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 42349
posted
What was your doc considering normal? Was your count previously under 120? If so, that is definitely not normal.
There is a difference of opinions between lyme docs about what normal is. I would say less than 200 is not "normal" (generally, a healthy person's would be around 200).
Posts: 1308 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Oct 2013
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posted
I've tried to find my old labs, just too tired to look past the end of my nose right now. I know it was within range. But I don't remember what.
Enough for him to consider it could be something else. Which it clearly wasn't. Due to me getting better on the meds.
So I accepted that my CD 57 didn't mean much for me. So why is it so low now and not then?
BoxerMom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25251
posted
Did he use the same lab each time? LabCorp and Quest use different scales. LabCorp tends to be more consistent and more accurate.
He may have used a different lab entirely.
It's common for the CD57 to vary during treatment. Chronic Infections, neurotoxins and abx all suppress immunity. Neurotoxins are the big one, so if you are in a herxing phase, your immune cell numbers can plummet.
Don't panic. This is normal. Remember to do your detox. And don't test too frequently. You'll just freak out.
My CD57 has been to some dangerous places, but is now normal after many years of treatment. It's actually Babesia treatment and heavy detox with Cholestyramine that brought it back up, so the neurotoxins were huge for me.
Phoiph
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41238
posted
One of the ways Lyme invades the immune system and becomes established is to upset the balance between Th1 (including Natural Killer cells) and Th2, and shifting to a Th2 dominant response.
Certain antibiotics can also reduce your Th1/Natural Killer Cell production, including:
For example, there is actually a "doxycycline protocol" that is used by fertility specialists to suppress the Th1/NK cell response in an effort to reduce the chances of the body rejecting the embryo:
"...Studies have shown that certain antibiotics will down-regulate the negative effects of natural killer cells, cytokines gamma interferon and TNF alpha to support nurturing and implantation of the embryo. Other antibiotics, however, can cause an increase in the natural killer cells and cytokines thereby moving patients more to the TH1 side, making the uterine environment more hostile. The antibiotics that appear to promote implantation by moving to the TH2 state are: Ampicillin Cefoxitin/Gentamycin Doxycycline Zithromax..."
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