posted
Lately, I'm a little bit of both. Okay, a lotta bit of depressed, and a little bit of the glad. At least we're sure we have an infection. That's a starting point anyway.
Heh, after two years though, I'd hoped we'd be a little further than just a starting point...
When the CDC calls give 'em an earful!
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
Jordana
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45305
posted
Igenex -- they gave me IGG 31, 39, 41 and IGM 41 and 39 IND.
Either MDL is a better test or one year of treatment has released the Kracken.
Posts: 2057 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2015
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Often after some treatment with antibiotics that kill lyme, the immune system will begin to recognize more of the lyme bacteria. Then, it makes more antibodies to it.
So, that is the likeliest explanation for your more positive test results this time.
Here is a quote from Dr. C's explanation of the Western Blot:
"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."
Jordana
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45305
posted
I needed about ten months but I wonder whether even an ID doc would deny it now.
Posts: 2057 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2015
| IP: Logged |
MichaelTampa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24868
posted
quote:Originally posted by Jordana: I needed about ten months but I wonder whether even an ID doc would deny it now.
I would very much think so ... remember, you've had treatment, so obviously you're good ... :-(
Posts: 1927 | From se usa | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
Jordana
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45305
posted
They just don't believe it. I remember reasoning out for myself why it was that people with late/chronic had IgM bands. Obviously because the immune system was seeing Lyme that had been hiding.
To these guys, nope, it's a false positive or a reinfection. Which both make the least amount of sense.
Posts: 2057 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2015
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Dr. C again:
"Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a chronic persistent infection that may last for decades, you would think patients with chronic symptoms would have positive IgG Western blots.
But actually, more IgM blots are positive in chronic borreliosis than IgG. Every time Borrelia burgdorferi reproduces itself, it may stimulate the immune system to form new IgM antibodies."
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
Jordana
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45305
posted
Well Lymenet -- thanks so much for existing. When I first signed on to this board in Feb 2015 I got my First Labcorp after asking about Lyme here -- 41, 66 IGG. Negative.
I got about four negatives after that and finally got a borderline from Armin Labs one year ago even though the seraspot was totally negative.
Igenex...January 2016, now looking more likely.
11 months later it's a no-brainer.
Can you imagine how much prednisone I would have swallowed by now if it weren't for you guys?
Posts: 2057 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2015
| IP: Logged |
Bartenderbonnie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 49177
posted
I went to the E.R. In the summer because I lost use of my legs. Crying on the gurney, the sensations came back. Told E.R. Doc that I had Lyme test done with 3 bands on western blot.
He said western blot is a garbage test. He told me to follow up with my PCP and ask to have a PCR blood test. I asked him if CDC recognizes a positive PCR. He said yes.
When I got home, I googled it.
According to the CDC website...Get ready... The CDC does not recommend ordering a PCR blood test to confirm a Lyme diagnosis because unfortunately borrelia is seldom found in the blood stream.
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)
. ![[bonk]](graemlins/bonk.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic