IGG negative

And all I have ever heard on this forum is do not go to an Infectious Disease doctor.

There is only ONE specialist that believes and treats lyme - a lyme literate medical doctor or a naturopath.

So very sorry you had to go through this.

Hang in there - help is on the way with your LLMD.

oh my goodness! I am so sorry for your troubles. Why is the local health department involved? That's NUTS!

I found this breakdown by bands on another source.

Igenex Western Blot Break Down by band.
http://www.mdjunction.com/forums/lyme-disease-support-forums/general-support/61532-breakdown-of-igenix-test-bands

Draw your own conclusions - mine was 31 ind, and 41 ++, this, along with herxing and responding to treatment are enough for me to know I should continue treatment. The link associated with this info from this source was broken.

9 cross-reactive for Borrellia

12 specific for Bb

18 highly specific to Lyme (Many LLMD's say if this band alone is positive, you have lyme - see link above)

20 cross-reactive for Borrellia

21 unknown

22 specific for Bb, probably really the 23/25 band

23-25 outer surface protein C (OspC), specific for Bb

28 unknown

30 unknown; probably an outer surface protein; common in European and

one California strain - Has cross-reactivity with several different types of viruses

31 outer surface protein A (OspA), specific for Bb - Has cross-reactivity with several different types of viruses

34 outer surface protein B (OspCool; specific for Bb

35 specific for Bb

37 specific for Bb

38 cross-reactive for Bb

39 is a major protein of Bb flagellin; specific for Bb

41 flagellin protein of all spirochetes; this is usually the first to appear after a spirochete infection but is NOT specific to Lyme (i.e, other spirochete diseases have flagellas - see link above "Western Blot Made Easy" for more info)

45 cross-reactive for all Borellia

50 cross-reactive for all Borrellia

55 cross-reactive for all Borrellia

57 cross-reactive for all Borrellia

58 unknown but may be a heat-shock Bb protein

60 cross reactive for all Borrellia

66 cross-reactive for all Borrelia, common in all bacteria

83 specific antigen for the Lyme bacterium, probably a cytoplasmic membrane

93 unknown, probably the same protein in band 83, just migrates differently in some patients

PeteZa - thanks for that reminder - found this nice article too - to support understanding.
http://www.personalconsult.com/articles/schaller_articles/SchalArtWesternBlots.pdf
"There are nine known [Lyme] Borrelia burgdorferi species specific Western Blot antibodies (bands): 18, 23, 31, 34, 37, 39, 83 and 93."

Multifacetedme, since you also had two positive bands, do you mind if I ask...was your IGG also negative?

The idiots don't even get it when it's CDC positive. Unbelievable.

In most diseases after a few weeks, the IgM seroconverts to IgG.

BUT, in Lyme disease, this isn't always the case - Igm can show positive for years.


Here is an excerpt from Dr. J's website (LLMD)

"In virtually all infections, the IgM class of antibody (immunoglobulin) appears first and therefore represents a marker for an early infection. In most immune models, the IgM antibody gives way to the well-known IgG antibody class, usually regarded as the major enduring antibody response in chronic infectious diseases or other immune models. In almost all infection models, after just a few weeks, the IgM antibody level wanes to the point of being non-detectable and does not recur. However, a confounding fact in Bb infections is that the IgM antibody may persist for years, a very unusual situation in most disease states. Logically, one would have to conclude that this reflects an ongoing reactivation or persisting and continually renewing infectious state of Bb infection. Most active diagnostic laboratories involved with LD tend to agree with this notion. Therefore, the Jemsek Specialty Clinic acknowledges that a persistently positive IgM antibody response may qualify as laboratory confirmation for an active LD case. "

PeteZa,

I never had any communication with the ID doctor at all. They refused the consult that my rheumatologist sent over (she was the one that ordered my Lyme test). They will not even agree to make an appointment with me. I actually went to the ER and the ER doctor prescribed my ABX when I pulled up my lab results on a smart phone. Such a strange journey I have been on!

I can't remember where, but I thought I read somewhere that to be counted in the CDCs statistics for Lyme, one must be positive on both the ELISA and the WB...

Well someone sent the lab report to the health department and it might have been the rheumy. I bet they had no idea what pandora box they were opening. But, I think it is more likely that the ER told the health department. They would be more likely to do that.

Beeperoni in the regular labs in America, the regular doctors will order an Elisa test and if that is positive they will then order a Western Blot.

With Igenex you can just get the WB.

Not sure which state you are in, but there are "reportable" diseases that have to notified to the Health Department. I had 2 IgM bands positive on my first 2 WB, and was told I was negative for LD by 4 different drs. There was some kind of fine print about the timeline and since my IgM didn't convert to IgG in 6 weeks, they would not take it as a CDC positive test. State Health Dept called and just wanted to ask where I had been, if I had a known tick bite, EM, yada yada; said that LD is a "reportable" disease and that they needed to log my blwk results. But they were VERY adamant that they could not discuss the results with me, nor could they provide a diagnosis based on those results. But the lady did say to be sure I fully understand my results....by that, it took me a full year to get that understanding....I have LD, and wasted a year trying to get a diagnosis when I should have been treating it, vs letting it ravish throughout my body.
You are the only advocate for your health, stick with a LLMD/LLND and trust your instincts. This forum is great for support, or even to read and learn from what other people have been through.