western blot?

I have a question, I went to get a second opinion on my lyme test the other day with an infectious disease doc, and she said the test is actually a false positive.

She explained that the test only showed 1 positive  out of 10 on the igm, which needs 5 to be positive. And on the other test needs 2 positives out of the 3, i only had 1. Has anybody had this happen? Was she wrong? Why was there even 1 positive?

I still feel crappy, (epstein barr). Any answers???????

Hi copwife, welcome to the board!  How long have you been sick?

Which lab did your Western Blot?  No test for Lyme is completely reliable, and resutls can vary by lab.  Although the CDC requires a large number of bands to show for it to be considered positive, many people who have Lyme do not have this many bands show.  Lyme doctors often focus on which bands show, some are specific for Lyme. It is important to be tested by a Lyme reputable lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA.  They have more sensitive tests and list more Lyme-specific bands on the Western Blot.  Testing should be used as an aid in diagnosis not solely for diagnosis.  A lyme knowledgeable doctor will not rely solely on test results to diagnose tick-borne illnesses. 

It is very important to see a knowledgable doctor.  Infectious disease doctors are not usually the best to see unless they specialize in Lyme.  Besides Lyme, ticks can also transmit several co-infections including Babesiosis, two types of Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma.  Many people who have Lyme are co-infected.  It may affect treatment choice and progress.  It is important to be tested for these by a Lyme reputable lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA.  Have you been tested for these?

If you need a doctor recommendation, you can email me at [email protected] 

It is also important to learn as much as possible.  I recommend reading Dr. Joseph Burrascano's 2005 Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines For Lyme and Other Tick Borne Illnesses at http://www.ilads.org/burrascano_0905.html  He is one of the top Lyme doctors in the country, and many Lyme doctors follow his protocols.  I also recommend the books "Everything You Need To Know about Lyme Disease Second Edition" by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner and "The Lyme Disease Solution" by Kenneth B. Singleton MD.

copwife, it is important to be tested by a Lyme lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA.  They list two additional Lyme specific bands--31 and 34--that labs such as Quest do not.  Which lab did your test?

Band 41 is often the first to show in an infection.

Have you been tested for the co-infections listed?

In my opinion, the most important thing someone who has or who may have Lyme can do is see a Lyme knowledgeable doctor.  

copwife, you can contact IgeneX at 800-832-3200.  They can send you a test kit for Lyme and the co-infections Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis (two types HME & HGE), and Bartonella.  You can take the kit to doctor who is willing to draw the blood and send it to them.  The results will be reported to the doctor only.  It typically takes about three weeks.  They are located in CA, so be aware of the time difference.  Sjogrens is not a tick-borne disease.

Big medical institutions such as Mayo and Cleveland Clinic are typically not knowledgeable about tick-borne diseases.  If you would like a doctor recommendation, you can email me at [email protected]  

Thank you so much,

Ticker, i will e-mail you later for some more info, again thanks! Until i can find a llmd close to palm beach county, florida, i will try another infectious doc and tell them that i am sick, and have a positive blood test, have them take it again, and demand to be treated! The sooner i can be given antibiotic therapy the better, i am asuming thats the correct way to go? I am so tired of being tired!!! i can barely take care of my 21month old!!! I still do not understand how i got this, just the begining of last month i started feeling sick, like wham out of the blue. Is that how it usually starts?