posted
I was pm'd info to some LLMD's, the closest one is 90 or so miles away. It says under his info in my PM that he only uses Bowen IFA flowcytometry test.
Is this a good or bad thing?
-------------------- Dx w/ Fibromyalgia in 02, not totally buying it
Arachnoid Cyst & Venous Angioma in the brain
Blue Cross & Blue Shield PERMANENT DECLINED Posts: 18 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
Well, neither Dr. B or Dr. F used the Bowen lab as they felt it had too many positives.
Consider that if you want the true answer to your problems that you need to invest some time getting lots of tests.
For lyme testing, try the following labs (in addition to Bowen if you want to):
Some good labs for lyme testing are Igenex lab www.igenex.com
It is suggested that one orders an IgG and IgM Western Blot test, at the very least. Ask the lab to report ALL bands. Ordering tests from more than one lab is also a good idea.
Good luck....Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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bejoy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11129
posted
Bowen is closed. Central Florida Research has the Flow Cytometry test.
It is similar to the Bowen test and not the same. I took the CFR test and it came back neg, so from my perspective they don't all come back positive.
I do think its a good test, maybe the best test out there, but don't know why mine is negative. Maybe a different strain they don't test for?
bejoy
-------------------- bejoy!
"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 1918 | From Alive and Well! | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I dunno about ordering alot of tests as I have noooo health insurance and cant get it. Im curious about which is the most accurate. I have read about Igenix, just thought it was weird a dr is listed as only going off of the one test. Im wondering if thats a good thing or a bad thing that he is that specific about using that test.
-------------------- Dx w/ Fibromyalgia in 02, not totally buying it
Arachnoid Cyst & Venous Angioma in the brain
Blue Cross & Blue Shield PERMANENT DECLINED Posts: 18 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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Seems to me that if the Flow test is good enough for an LLMD to use exclusively, there must be some reasons. I would guess he likes the technology, likes the price and is willing to defend his decisions to treat based on the test results as well as his clinical evaluation.
It also seems to me that one test vs many may be cheaper. If you do the typical protocal, you start with Lab Corp and a pee test, move to alisa, then to the WB and then the PCR. Each of those cost something and when taken together may add up to more than the Flow. Some Doctors then want the brain scan and or the spinal tap. Neither cheap.
Posts: 219 | From Aubur,Al. USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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stymielymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10044
posted
my doc in fl uses bowen tests. i started seeing him after 5 years of treatment and many positve tests. he said we should get one, i said what will it show, we know i have lyme. he said your right, i really don't need it. he started iv treatment on the original tests i took 5 years previously, and by symptoms.
docdave
Posts: 1820 | From Boone and Southport, NC | Registered: Sep 2006
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hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
Where does this doctor send his patient's blood to test for coinfections?
CFR has state approved to do the flow cytometry test.
Bowen has state approval for the Western blot test. But, it's a commercial test, so they don't report all the bands on the Western blot...they omit the 31 and 34 kDa bands.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Bowen or Central FL Research has done any validation tests for coinfections. Bowen may have tested for coinfections in the past, but I don't think they weren't approved by the state of FL.
Ignoring coinfections will certainly cause treatment failure.
Why won't he use another lab?
Be cautious. Know the limitations of just testing and treating only Lyme.
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
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quote:Originally posted by stymielymie: my doc in fl uses bowen tests. i started seeing him after 5 years of treatment and many positve tests. he said we should get one, i said what will it show, we know i have lyme. he said your right, i really don't need it. he started iv treatment on the original tests i took 5 years previously, and by symptoms.
docdave
Would this be in Dufiank Springs?
-------------------- Dx w/ Fibromyalgia in 02, not totally buying it
Arachnoid Cyst & Venous Angioma in the brain
Blue Cross & Blue Shield PERMANENT DECLINED Posts: 18 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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-------------------- Dx w/ Fibromyalgia in 02, not totally buying it
Arachnoid Cyst & Venous Angioma in the brain
Blue Cross & Blue Shield PERMANENT DECLINED Posts: 18 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
Dear Tired,
I got the Bowen test twice ( had highest blood level of Lyme on their tests) and tested negative for co-infections with them. I got the IGenX Lyme test also, and was positive on that as well, but didn't get tested for co-infections with them. I've just been doing a Babesia handling "just in case," and it's been helping, so this may have been missed.
At any rate, the Bowen lab is closed. I don't know if the Central Florida Research lab has any confirming data or what strains of Bb they test for. It has just started up with this new test, so its accuracy is not field-tested.
The Bowen lab test was $250, plus the kit with the tubes, the draw charge where you got the blood taken and the cost of shipping your blood sample. IGenX was $250 also, with a draw charge at the lab that draws your blood separate, when I had that done.
I have been doing a LOT of research on tests recently, and NOTHING is definitive as negative so you know for SURE you don't have it, and many tests are falsely negative, so they miss people who need Lyme treatment. It's always test+clinical symptoms.
Since you can't do the test your doc wants, I'd recommend you do some research, find out what test would tell you something you want to know, and recommend that instead.
Best,
Cass A
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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