Positive 23 band, positive 41 band, negative western blot

I am convinced I have Lyme disease……live in high-lyme state, frequently walk dogs in woods, have picked ticks off dogs. Because of clinical symptoms (exhaustion, joint pain and swelling, numbness) I requested a Lyme test from my doc. Blood cam back high equivocal (1.08….1.09 is positive) with positive bands 23 and 41. Western Blot negative so my doc says no,,,,,shouldn't docs treat with clinical symptoms and any positive bands??? Am new to this…. thanks for your input

By the way, your WB seems positive to me. you need only 2 positive bands on igm, so that would make you positive. Or 5 positive on igg, which is just ridiculous. Did your bands show up positive on igg?

Regardless, you need to see a LLMD. You have a more positive test than I do.

Hi Misfitmama!
Welcome to our community!
If you haven't already, it would be helpful for you to start with reading through the thread at the top of the forum titled,"New to Lyme?...Start here!!", as it is packed full of important information, symptom lists (as Lyme rarely occurs by itself), helpful links and pdf's, how to detox when one has these infections, and a list of questions that you can ask any doctor that you are seeking treatment from!

The IFA, ELISA, and the Western Blot all measure antibodies that the immune system produces to an infection that frequently suppresses the immune system - so they aren't worth much as they frequently give false negative results.

The good news though is that since you tested positive for band 23, which is highly specific for Lyme disease, you can know that you do have it. Band 41 indicates the tail of the bacteria and can cross react with other spirochetal infections, so it's not a good indicator.

Yes, doctors are supposed to treat based on symptoms, not on the tests (even the CDC website says this!!) but the reality is that many doctors won't operate this way if they haven't been specifically trained by ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society).

For information on finding a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, you can start a new thread titled something like:"Looking for LLMD/LLND in the _______ area." Although you will need to enable your email option in your profile in order to receive any recommendations, as we don't allow doctor's names and contact info to be posted on the forum for several reasons. You can enable your email option in your profile, under 'edit profile'. Be sure to click the submit button to actually save your preference.

You can also email Stephanie at: [email protected] You can also go to: www.turnthecorner.org/ if you want to learn a little bit more about Lyme Disease.

You can also go to The Lyme Disease Association and search for LLMD's 3 times in a month. You have to register first. Here is the link:www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277&Itemid=74

You will want to find an ILADS (International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society) trained doctor, as ID Docs (Infectious Disease Doctors) believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme. The ILADS site is another great place to read to get you started on your Lyme journey. www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_clearing_ilads.html

Let us know if you need help!!