posted
I strongly suspect that I have bartonella but have not tested positive for it.
My question is, what lab offers best testing methods for bartonella?
thanks! joshzz
Posts: 107 | From new jersey | Registered: Dec 2009
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
You are in luck. Quest, which is often covered by insurance, seems to have the better test for detecting antibodies to Bartonella.
Their test (order the antibody panel) will check for several strains and I've noted, as have some docs- I heard recently, that they are much better at detecting expose than labs using the PCR tests.
posted
There is also a new lab - Galaxy - in North Carolina that was started by a vet who claims to be able to identify a zillion Bart strains
Posts: 360 | From New York | Registered: Oct 2009
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nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
My previous LLMD told me there are over 200 strains of bart and the labs only test for two. That is why diagnosis is based upon symptoms.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
I'm not sure which is the best lab -- I just used Sunrise, which I think used Mayo -- and they probably aren't the best.
But has anyone used an antibiotic trial (similar to the 4 weeks before WB) to test for Bart?
In my case, I originally tested negative, but after being on Doxy for several months (and a week of Bactrim), I ended up testing positive. Just curious if antibiotics can get Bart antibodies going...
Posts: 584 | From NY | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
My first choice would be a bloodslide from Clongen -- at $100 it is pretty cheap. It won't tell you if what they see is bartonella or BLO or mycoplasma -- but all are treated pretty much with the same meds.
Second choice would be Galaxy. But hubby's LLMD charges $633 for this test and right now that is just too expensive for us.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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CD57
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11749
posted
Clongen Galaxy Quest
not Igenex or Labcorp
Posts: 3528 | From US | Registered: Apr 2007
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