Girlie said...
Hi wahwahwallace - I'd also like to welcome you here.
Did you have a known tick-bite and /or bulls-eye rash at some point in your life?
It might be worthwhile to have the Igenex Lyme WB IgM and IgG test done for $210.
You can order the test kit from Igenex lab
www.igenex.com/Website/
You can do it sooner...or later...but your Dr. should be doing more tests with those symptoms and finding out what's causing them.
You could do the test for lyme - from the lab that your insurance covers first...maybe ask for that...and see what , if anything it shows...then you can always do the Igenex testing afterwards.
In addition to Girlie's excellent suggestions, here's a sort of explanation...
There are specific lab tests that are done to look for Tick borne infections, that any doctor can have done, however the means they used to test are seeking specific antibodies. The problem with Lyme (Borrelia Burgdorferi spirochetes) is their ability to disguise themselves for self protection so our body may not recognize the invasion or respond to it. Sometimes if your tested immediately upon getting bitten, it can be seen.
But it's still a good idea to try if you have insurance to cover it.
IgeneX laboratory uses more effective testing, and thus is the go to usually, for confirmation, if in doubt from your first lab tests, or if they come back negative.
At any rate, you are welcome to share any Lyme tested results here, because sometimes a non literate Lyme Doctor will interpret the results negative, when in fact they might be reading it wrong.