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Lyme Disease
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Posted 2/17/2011 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
So get the blood test back very recently and trying to digest it and trying to figure out of it is Lyme or something else. Doctor says a spinal tap may be needed. Don't recall any tick bites or rashes in the past few months.

Now I tried looking it up online and I'm stumped. The positives are listed below. All other igm's and igg's are negative including igm 41. My opinion is that it isn't Lyme, but something else. However Lyme could have been dormant for a while and now starting to show up.

igm 23
igm 39
igg 41

But it seems that whatever I read online can't really agree on exactly which numbers mean Lyme and which mean possibly something else.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.
Posted 2/17/2011 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
What I would like to know as well is does it need to be 5 IGG bands positive AND 2 of 3 IGM bands positive? Going through a spinal tap is not something I want to jump at. After reading up on it, it sounds extremely scary.
Posted 2/17/2011 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi MSNC20!!
Welcome to our forum!! I am sorry that you have a need to be here, but I am glad you found us!!

It is well established fact that spinal taps are not a reliable way to test for LD or any other tick-borne infection, it is a procedure that has considerable risks also. YOu really should get in to see a Practitioner that has had some training in recognizing & treating tick-borne illnesses.

Tick can be as small as the period at the end of this sentience. They can attach on the scalp (& elsewhere without being noticed) and get scratched off without the person even knowing it was there to begin with! Another thing is that not everyone gets a rash, as a matter of fact, only about 40 % of

those infected ever see a rash. I'm one of those that have never had a bull's eye rash - I've had a lot of other rashes that I now know were from another tick-borne infection, but no doctor has ever connected them to any tick-borne infection until I saw a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD).

Although I am not medically trained ans cannot diagnose you - with the results that you posted, it is quite likely that you have Lyme Disease - which means you should seek out treatment from a LLMD or other practitioner that is educated about Lyme & other tick-borne infections (called co-infections).

YOu will need to educate yourself about these tick-borne infections, as you will need to be your own health advocate now. A really great, easy way to start or to continue your education is to read through the thread at the top of the

forum titled, "New to Lyme?...Start here!". The members here put together what they believed to be really important info and some really great, informative links for those who are just starting out.

I posted a really good explanation on the Western Blot (can be found in the thread "New to Lyme?") just before I saw your post - I'm sure you will benefit from reading through it!!

Once again, welcome!!! I hope that you feel right at home here!!

Trav
Posted 2/17/2011 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the response. I was hoping it was not Lyme Disease but I want to check with our regular medical doctor (the one that ordered this test was another doctor.

The other thing is the lab didn't explicitly list the number of +++ next to each number but listed the Lyme index as < .09 which according to the lab is negative.
Posted 2/17/2011 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry msnc, I am evidently having some brain fog this am!!! I don't really understand the second paragraph.

IgG & IgM is 'measuring' two different aspects of this disease. IgM is indicative of a recent infection and the IgG is indicative of a past (or long-term) infection.
Posted 2/17/2011 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
I have noticed in my research that some people reported that some of their bands had a specific number of + next to their results. Not sure why that is. However the lab report does not show any + on it.

They listed a Lyme index on the lab report as well. They listed the ranges as Negative, Equivicable, and Positive. The Lyme index was below the negative range.

Still have to get an appointment with the medical doctor, but I'm taking the bull by the horns and trying to research this myself. I'm tired of doctors passing the buck to the next doctor.

There are other underlying things going on that make me suspect it might not be Lyme. But I don't know for sure.
Posted 2/17/2011 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
See http://tinyurl.com/d57zud for more info on what a Western Blot test means...
Posted 2/17/2011 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
In my opinion as well, you have lyme. I had band 39, 41 and 66 and was told it was negative by Dr. 4 years ago when in fact this is a POSITIVE test and should have been diagnosed clinically. Band 39 is very specific to lyme. What symptoms do you have? Many labs do now show + signs but rather positive, negative or equi. I tell people all the time to make sure you get a copy because the CDC guidelines are so totally WRONG that so so many people that have lyme are being misdiagnosed because the medical community does not know lyme and rely solely on lab tests. So when a report comes back negative, they believe the patient does not have lyme when in fact the bottom of the lab says that lyme testing is solely for surveillance reasons and diagnosis must be clinical. WHAT THE HECK!! Why would a test be done by a dr. for surveillance reasons ??? Unbelieveable. But I'm working on getting it changed. LOL!!
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