posted
How do you get tested for mycoplasma? Do any Lyme specialists test for this?
After reading some about mycoplasma, it sounds highly suspicious. Suspected in CFS, Gulf War Illness, etc.
It would also help explain why a lot of people say their family and friends caught Lyme disease from them, since it's transmissible between people.
Posts: 98 | From San Francisco | Registered: Oct 2006
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Jellybelly
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posted
There is a newer antibodies test that is very reliable now. When I got tested the best thing was PCR/DNA. My son was tested with that and it came back negative. My doc recently retested him with the newer test and he was off the chart positive.
It does not give you the specific species, but will tell you if it is Mycoplasma.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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luvs2ride
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posted
Jellybelly,
What is the name of that test?
I have been on low dose minocycline now for 1 yr. My duck rheumie doesn't believe in an infectious cause and won't test me for it. He claims there is no way to test.
I knew he was lying on that one.
He only prescribes the mino because I won't go on the methotrexate.
I'm changing rheumies to one that does work the abx protocol and he may be willing to test. No sense in my taking mino if mycoplasmas are not my problem.
Luvs
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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Truthfinder
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posted
Jelly, is that the "cold aglutinin" test? (probably not spelled right)
If so, any doc can order that test, and should show positive if you have some strain of mycoplasma going on, so my PCP doc tells me.
I think he was right: I had the cold ag. test done, which was negative. Later, I had specific tests done for 4 types of mycoplasma and all were negative, too.
If no one posts here about where to get tested, I looked up some info 3 months ago about this for a friend. I will try to dig out that info.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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treepatrol
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Member # 4117
With the MCF, low titers are significant. Sometimes disease activity is not sufficient to produce a measurable level of antibody to mycoplasma. In this case, when antibiotics are administered, the subsequent attack on the organism generates a higher level of antibodies which than can be measured. An early test which was negative may become positive after a period of antibiotic treatment
Mycoplasma Sound familar Maybe mycoplasmas are related to Bb?
Eight most common species of Mycoplasma and Acholeoplasma. Our MycoSensor PCR Assay Kit detects the eight most common contaminant species of mycoplasma and acholeoplasma.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
Jellybelly
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Member # 7142
posted
I'm sorry, I don't know exactly what it is called. It was my sons test and the doc just told me what the results were. My son is grown, so they would give the paper results to him.
I have to call and make an appt. I will try to remember to ask what it is called.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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Mathias
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posted
Some people have recovered from mycoplasma infections taking olive leaf (capsules?). I read it in a book by dr. morton walker called olive leaf extract. The book is not well laid out, but the stories and studies are in there.
I tried taking it before I resolved the detox/adrenal issues and really couldn't handle the stress from whatever it was doing. (Lots of rash/fatigue.)
-------------------- When I lost my grip on Faith in the maze of illness, Hope gently clasped my hand and led on.
RuthRuth Posts: 478 | From California | Registered: Jan 2007
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kelmo
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posted
Many of us on the board of mycoplasma, as well as other viruses (myco isn't a virus or bacteria).
My daughter had it pretty bad. It actually showed up on a test from Labquest. I'm grateful for the PA who ordered it, because it set the wheels in motion and gave me leverage to seek treatment.
After a year of antibiotics, it's improved, but when she goes off zithromax, it comes back.
We are going to start systemic enzyme therapy with Wobenzyme for many reasons, but I believe it's good for breaking down the mycoplasma film.
Jellybelly
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posted
Kelmo, I have treated that film/fibrin. First I was on heparin for over 3 years and now I use Nattokinase. I believe it is vital to remove this film, in treting the Mycos and Lyme and all infections of this sort.
This fibrin covers everythig and makes it much more difficult for the ABX to reach it's target. It has been described like Teflon.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Mathias, I went back and read some of your previous posts about mycoplasma and see that you had an ALS presentation (which I now have). Some people with this do well on lyme treatment, while others do not. I am wondering if the difference is mycoplasma.
Several years ago you posted a great list of response to various drugs, from the medical literature, including citations, I seem to recall. That post is no longer to be found, must have been whacked in the periodic purge of old posts. Is there any chance you could post this again, maybe have it in a file somewhere? The reason I ask is that fluoroquinolones are out for me, due to tendon damage from a short round of avelox. Am I in trouble here? Hoping there will be something else that works. And btw, minocin for two years has not stopped the muscle wasting.
I tested positive for M. fermentans by PCR several years ago. A test last year came up negative but I was on abx at the time, and the test instructions above said to be off meds for a month. Don't like the sound of this; two months off abx several years ago left me with permanent eye damage.
[ 02. February 2007, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: lou ]
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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Marz
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posted
I tested positive for mycoplasma general by qualitative PCR and have wondered if I'm morally obligated to tell family to get tested. One has symptoms of fatigue but not really lyme symptoms.
I was negative for mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Isn't it common to have mycoplasma in the population in general? I know it's common as a co-infection of lyme.
Posts: 1297 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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..."Green tea and black tea showed antimicrobial activities against M. pneumoniae. At a concentration of 0.2% green tea and black tea showed microbicidal activities against M. pneumoniae and M. orale but not against M. salivarium.
Extracts of pu-erh tea showed a slight microbicidal activity against M. pneumoniae and M. orale. EGCg purified from green tea and TF3 from black tea markedly showed microbicidal activities against M. pneumoniae. M. orale and M. salivarium.
These results suggest that tea and catechins can be used as prophylactic agents against Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection." -----------------------------------------------
...."showed antimicrobial activities at nanomolar levels; (ii) most compounds were more active than were medicinal antibiotics, such as tetracycline or vancomycin, at comparable concentrations;
(iii) the bactericidal activities of the teas could be accounted for by the levels of catechins and theaflavins as determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography; (iv) freshly prepared tea infusions were more active than day-old teas;" -----------------------------------------------
There's also mycobacteria, which are equally nasty. I've done some research on herbs/herb-constituents effective against these as well. I'll have more to post about both sometime when I have more energy/am less foggy.
-------------------- "You know, the worst, meanest, nastiest, ticks in the world are politicks," - Steve Nostrum Posts: 242 | From South NJ | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
thanks everybody for the information, about olive leaf extract, green tea, testing, etc.
kelmo, did your daughter ever try a course of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, like levofloxacin (levaquin) or ciprofloxacin? i read that these are best for certain strains of mycoplasma.
Posts: 98 | From San Francisco | Registered: Oct 2006
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Mathias
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posted
Lou,
Here is the link to the antibiotics protocols. Yes I definitely had an ALS presentation due to an m. fermentans infection.
Mycoplasma penetrans Levofloxacin (Levaquin) Ofloxacin (Floxin) Telithromycin (Ketek) Clarithromycin (Biaxin) Azithromycin (Zithromax) Doxycycline or Minocycline or Tetracycline --------------------------
Minocin is not one of the better choices based on my research for M. fermentans. Doxycycline is helping me right now except when I have a flair-up at which time I need to add Factive to it. I've also done prolonged floroquinlone treatment in the past so much of my infection is probably under control already.
Your best bets are probably Clindamycin or Telithromycin. Problem I see is BBB penetration with both of those. Perhaps a combination of one of them and either doxy or mino? Ketek was a breakthrough antibiotic for me, the first one that helped at all.
Good luck and keep me posted.
-------------------- Mathias Posts: 1242 | From New Jersey | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Well, how come I didn't find that thread!! I did do a search.
Thanks, Mathias. Just what I was looking for. In re-reading the thread, I see that you only stopped abx for 3 days before PCR. This contradicts what the testing info says: 30 days. Going off abx for an extended period makes me very nervous. Stopping for two months gave me permanent damage to my eyesight in one eye. But three days is do-able. Maybe will try again if doc okays. It would be nice to reduce the number of variables.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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Mathias
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posted
Lou,
3 days worked for me but I was on a combination of Rocephin/Biaxin/Plaquenil not of which touch m. fermentans so it may not be how long I was off but more so what I was on that allow me to test positive by PCR.
-------------------- Mathias Posts: 1242 | From New Jersey | Registered: Feb 2004
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CherylSue
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up
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