Questionable lyme

Hi! I cannot answer why only your IgM is showing up. But I can tell you that my son back in 2014 tested negative for all IgM bands and IgG bands on the western blot - however he was very symptomatic.

Are you working with an LLMD? If not, I would suggest starting a new thread titled " looking for an LLMD in Alabama"

Some smart folk will be along soon to explain why after an extended period only your IGM is lighting up not your IgG.

Welcome to the forums!

PeppermintTea

Thanks! I'm looking into getting into an ILADS dr in Atlanta but my current primary care manager is fighting the referral and believes he can figure out how to treat this. Grrrr

Lund said...
Been having symptoms since March 2017 that have checked almost all the Lyme disease symptoms. Igenex testing just came back strong IgM positive for B. Burgdorferi but not IgG positive. If anything, I would have suspected positive IgG since symptoms have been going on for 8 months now. Auto immune disorders testing and everything else says normal but debilitating symptoms. Anyone else only IgM positive? Southern Alabama, my current location has nobody who can explain this to me.

Lund - in most diseases, the IgM antibodies will seroconvert to IgG after weeks...but it's not always the case with Lyme disease. The IgM can persist months or even years.

Here is what Dr. Jemsek (well-known, experienced LLMD) says on his website:

"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. "

jemsekspecialty.com/laboratory-testing-for-lyme-disease/

Lund -

I agree with the others' info - Lyme changes all the rules with IgG and IgM so they are not very reliable at telling you "hey, this is a recent immune response to a new infection or a reactivated response to an old infection" or "way old response and probably not what is causing current symptoms".

But the good news is your IGenex showed positive IgM - the medical system prefers an IgM response, since an IgG response is supposed to be old and not requiring treatment.

I was infected 16+ yrs before I was FINALLY tested ($@#*%^&) doctors - and I lived in an endemic part of the country!) and still only IgM showed up positive. The tests and the results of the tests are ONLY really important in the process of getting an MD to prescribe the treatment you need - they are a LOT less important in actually telling you the information you need to know about your infection, unfortunately.

I also agree w/ Girlie - it's awesome that your MD has you started on doxy - it's a good start. But you will invariably run into multiple problems getting through tx with someone who isn't a specialist. Do what you can to get what you need from him but let us help you find a specialist near you. You can email any of the mods and you can also post a new thread with the title "Looking for a Lyme specialist in _________" and indicate the nearest metro area.

Hope this is helpful - Welcome to the forum!

-p

Hi Beaufort,
Welcome to the forum. I do encourage you to read the thread at the top of the page entitled "new to Lyme" that will give you a lot of good information.

I will tell you from a medical standpoint that a "false positive" is when they do a ELISA test which is a quick test for Lyme if that is positive then they "confirm it" using a western blot. The problem is there is no such thing as a false positive test in Lymes.
The testing that they use was developed by the CDC for tracking purposes only so they could track the spread of the disease and is not meant to be used to rule out infection, and that is per the CDC.

If you were positive with the ELISA test or the western blot then you are positive and need to seek out an MD who is Lyme Literate, also called an LLMD. You can find one close to you by posting a new thread and say something like "looking for LLMD near ____" and the members here can point you in the right direction.

Nick

beaufort said...
what is a false positive, I have been suffering fierce head pain, thought it was tmj, now suspect lymes, due to having had rash about 8 weeks ago, also tired a lot, my bloods came back falso pos

Hi beaufort!

There are two reasons (that I know of) - why NON LLMD's say you're false positive:

1) You are positive on the ELISA or IFA 'screening' tests and then negative on the WB.

2) If you've had the infection for a long time and you are positive on the IgM.

With Lyme disease, the IgM antibodies can persist months, years later.

You had the rash followed by symptoms - I would see a LLMD if I were you.
Nick (nberg) has explained what to do if you want help seeking out a LLMD.

In addition to his suggestion, you can also contact me - via email and I may have some suggestions for you.