posted
Maryland dr. needed. I live @20 miles from Wash., DC.
I am 69 and my primary dr. keeps telling me I have arthritis. He looks at me as though I am just an old lady. He ordered blood work in July and I had a C-RP of 6.1. I asked my dr. about this but he gave it little significance. The original lab results did not mention Lymes Disease.
However, when I recently sent for a duplicate of the results to take to another dr., the lab had done the Lyme Ab/Western Blot Relex testing on the specimen which was sent in July and entered these notes:
Lyme IgG/IgM Ab <0.91 index 0.00-0.9 Negative <0.91 Equivocal 0.91-1.09 Positive >1.09
"The CDC currently advises that Western Blot testing be performed following all equivocal or positive EIA reults. Final diagnosis should include appropriate clinical findings and a positive EIA which is also positive by Western blot."
"IgM levels may peak 3-6 weeks post infection, then gradually decline. FDA currently advises that Western Blot testing be performed following all equivocal or positive EIA reults. Final diagnosis should include appropriate clinical findings and a positive EIA which is also positive by Western blot."
Help. What might this possibly mean? This is surprising because nothing was mentioned before. But if this is the reason I am in so much pain, I can go with it. Two years of not knowing why I am hurting is so frustrating.
Posts: 2 | From Maryland | Registered: Oct 2011
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lou4656
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10300
posted
I sent a private message.
-------------------- LouLou Posts: 1276 | From maryland | Registered: Oct 2006
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Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
That looks like a negative lyme test to me. So, that is likely why the doc didn't mention it to you.
If it was done at Quest or LabCorp, just know that their lyme tests miss a lot of folks that have lyme, so you could still easily have lyme.
The best lab to test for lyme is Igenex in California. Ask your doc to test you through them. See Igenex.com You want Western Blot tests #188 and 189. Call Igenex and they will be happy to tell you how to order their tests.
Good for your doc for thinking of lyme disease in your case. And, good for him for doing the Western Blot instead of the EIA. He is on the ball.
Igenex takes Medicare, so ask him to sign the Igenex order form for the lyme Western Blot tests and see what results you get. Get a copy of your results and post them on LymeNet, Medical Questions, and we will tell you what they mean.
You are likely on Medicare, which means many lyme doctors in the area will not take you as a patient.
I know one or 2 good ones that will take Medicare patients, but they don't accept Medicare, so you will have to pay out of pocket. If you want their names, let me know.
Keep pursuing a diagnosis. Don't give up. Lyme causes arthritis symptoms in many people. I suggest you read the Burrascano Lyme Treatment Guidelines found here:
Pages 9-10 give a list of symptoms. The more of these that you have, the more likely your diagnosis is lyme disease.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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