I had two negative whole blood tests...one was through IgeneX but the simultaneous FISH test they ran on the same sample of blood was Very Positive.

I recommend the FISH test from my personal experience.

Apparently, the FISH tests for a different strain than the others.

THis year I had all Igenex testing for babs come out negative including FISH. LLMD still says babs needs to be treated.

Pippy,I know your LLMD is on a big kick to treat babs before continuing to lyme even of all tests come out neg...I have several friends that are in this situation with that LLMD. THey are very concerned that they dont have babs. I am not sure why this is the new protocol: treat babs no matter what the tests are. ANyone know?

This has been very good for the people who needed to be treated. But every person is different. No doctor is always right. The trick is to know when to go ahead with a treatment, and when to hold back.

I personally gave the babesia protocol a try, but eeverything in me rebelled. I also didn't do well on it, but it's hard to go by that, because people always feel miserable on it.

All I can say, is I stuck it out for six weeks on Mepron, then quit. Before that I had done months of Artemesinin and other things to work up to the Mepron. It may have been long enough to do me some good, I'm not sure.

But I am SO MUCH better after changing my treatment protocols. Treating babesia is the only protocol I have regretted doing. It was that bad, and I really can't say I felt any improvement.

It took a couple of months to get back to where I was before trying to treat babesia.

I know, pippy, you are really trying to make a hard decision. So many people found treating babesia was the big answer for them. It could be for you, as well, for all we know.

BTW, I did do the FISH test, and was negative on that, along with every other possible babesia test that could be done. So maybe doing the testing would help in making your decision?

Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Apr;10(4):622-9. Related Articles, Links

Babesia divergens-like infection, Washington State.

Herwaldt BL, de Bruyn G, Pieniazek NJ, Homer M, Lofy KH, Slemenda SB, Fritsche TR, Persing DH, Limaye AP.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Most reported U.S. zoonotic cases of babesiosis have occurred in the Northeast and been caused by Babesia microti. In Washington State, three cases of babesiosis have been reported previously, which were caused by WA1 (for "Washington 1")-type parasites. We investigated a case of babesiosis in Washington in an 82-year-old man whose spleen had been removed and whose parasitemia level was 41.4%. The complete 18S ribosomal RNA gene of the parasite was amplified from specimens of his whole blood by polymerase chain reaction. Phylogenetic analysis showed the parasite is most closely related, but not identical, to B. divergens (similarity score, 99.5%), a bovine parasite in Europe. By indirect fluorescent-antibody testing, his serum reacted to B. divergens but not to B. microti or WA1 antigens. This case demonstrates that babesiosis can be caused by novel parasites detectable by manual examination of blood smears but not by serologic or molecular testing for B. microti or WA1-type parasites.

My doc thinks that's enough to go ahead and treat - and wants to use Zith/Artemisinin combo. Haven't tried it yet.