AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
Can anyone recommend one lab over the other?
Quest Diagnostics & Labcorp of America are covered by my insurance.
I was not positive enough at Quest and was thinking LabCorp might have different results.
I'm wondering if someone might have had experience with both.
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Try MDL ...some LLMD's use that and sometimes it is covered by ins.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96227 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
my llmd prefers quest, but why I do not know.
Posts: 1572 | From Pa | Registered: Jun 2001
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
I agree that both are lousy... If your insurance covers any portion of IGeneX or MDL, I would go for those - or maybe just pay for it yourself if that is possible. I don't think Quest or LabCorp report IND bands on a WB for example.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
Scott-
When you say IND do you mean individual bands when referring to quest?
yes, they do send a complete band break down.
If testing is used to confirm a or track the disease as our llmd uses it and not to deny treatment then using a lab that you insurance pays for isn't a problem. Our llmd was testing every two months when we started. This would have been a huge bill using MDL and cost nothing at quest.
I have tested positive for bart, RMSF, mycoplasma, ELISA and lyme specfic bands with quest. My son WB and mycoplasma. SO positive for WB, babs and mycoplasma. All with quest.
I was also positive with MDL.
It is really un-fair to get on here and bash labs or specific treatments.
Detailed pros and cons are more useful to newbies.
Posts: 1572 | From Pa | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
I went through LabCorp twice here in the South - I was negative both times. In my circumstance they ran only the ELISA first...since that didn't come back positive they did not even do a Western Blot.
I then went through Quest at John's Hopkins...all tests were negative - not sure if they did a Western Blot because I never got to see my test results. When I called my doctor back a year later he said because I was not a regular patient my results were no longer on file (hmm?) Anyway, I was tested for Ehrlichia, Babesia, and Bartonella...along with a bunch of other stuff...all negative...
This JH doc gave me a script for two months of doxy though and urged me to get home and find another physician who specialized in Tick borne illness. Clinically he felt certain I had Ehrlichia.
Went through IgeneX - I was positive for IgM and IgG's for lyme - hme and hge of Ehrlichia and my Babesia FISH test was positive.
So there are my 'detailed pros and cons' ;0) You can imagine how I feel about LabCorp and Quest. I think their typical protocol is to run an ELISA first and if it isn't positive they do not go on to run a Western Blot. For someone like me that had been sick for at least two years that protocol doesn't work.
Go through IgeneX is my advice.
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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The IND or "equivocal" is explained in the above link.
I didn't mention that Igenex is my first choice as well.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96227 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
IND means indeterminate. It means that if Quest sees "something" but not strongly enough to be a positive, they will not even tell you that they saw "something". IGeneX will and sometimes that is important.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I see a focus on which lab to use but I'm focused on which test to use. I think the figure quoted to me was that 1 and 200 actually get a positive on the Elisa and the WB is grossly inaccurate no matter which lab you use.
Igenex surely has the best lab of all for the WB but even it can miss lyme. The Bowen test is $$ out of your own pocket but for me I couldn't waste any more time dinking around w/these tests. The Bowen tests for babs and ehrlichia, it picked up lyme and babesia on me.
I was already neg. from labcorp w/the WB and neg. with the PCR from Labcorp. It's five years after treatment now and I am working a full schedule and enjoying a rewarding life.
I hope you can get an answer soon.
Good Luck, Curly
Posts: 982 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
In my personal opinion Igenex is the best out of all of them. If I had to pick a different one it would be Quest.
The most accurate test (in my opinion) is the Western Blot. Sometimes some of your "bands" will come back "indeterminant" or negative, but you could definitely still have Lyme and other co-infections!
Make sure you get tested for all of the Lyme co-infections...if you miss those you won't get better.
Ummm...Good luck and keep on keeping on... Best wishes, ~LymeFighter
-------------------- "...Celebrate the bitter, the tart, the sweet of the here and now, all before it succumbs to the pull of what was and vanishes into a fog of what might have been." ~Susan R. Norton Posts: 21 | From Northern California | Registered: Jun 2006
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