Help needed with Igenex Babesia results

Hi Sick of Ticks!!
Great screen name! Welcome to our little spot!! I am so sorry that you have a need to be here, but I am really glad you found us! How long do you believe you have been infected?

If you haven't already, it would be beneficial 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 relevant information, symptom lists and informative links that have been put together by our members here! Most of those who have read through it have said that it was very helpful!! We also have a pretty good search function on this forum to help you narrow down your search for information from past posts. We must be our own health advocates now and the best thing to arm yourself with is knowledge!

As for your test results, can you tell us if you had any other positives on your test and what bands produced a positive result? A lot of LLMD's unfortunately still believe that the tests are the way to diagnose a TBI (tick-borne infection), when even the CDC has said that these infections should be diagnosed clinically (by symptoms).

This is from the CDC's site (www.cdc.gov/lyme/)
"Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods."

Testing for tick-borne infections is far from good, with many false negatives, leaving those who trust the test with an unrecognized infection which they will not likely get treatment for until it becomes much worse.

Band 41 only indicates a spirochetal infection, and Lyme is only one of several. So a positive on band 41 can mean something other than Lyme, which is why symptoms become so important.

In our "New to Lyme?" thread you will find a "Master symptom list" for Lyme Disease - by using that to compare to, you can get a much better idea if you have Lyme Disease. For symptoms lists for the other TBI's, I like to use 'Dr. Jones kids' site for looking into symptoms -it's easy to read. Here is a link to that site:
www.drjoneskids.com/

We look forward to getting to know you through your posts!!!

since we r on the subjects of bands...*yes its angel asking more ??'s*.....band 23 on the western blot...whats that one?

Here's some results that are in question by me:

B. microti IgM <20
B. microti IgG 40

Igenex interpretation: IgG 40 to 160: "May or may not indicate active infection. In patients with previously high titers, such titers indicate resolving infection."

<40 in IgG is negative so obviously i have or had Babesia, correct?

Western Blot IgM

41 kDa: IND

Western blot IgG

41 kDa: ++

All the other bands came out negative.

Thanks for the help.  I have been seeing a lyme specialist for awhile now.

I came here because the post on "need help with babesia igenex blott" led me.

Person above, if you have present or past babesiosis, is this not the protozoa? I mean, ZERO antibiotics affect protozoa; they are creatures not bacteria and demand according to ILADS, 2 medications (one is a flavor of quinine) as well as wormwood (artemisia) which kills all kinds of parasitic protozoan.

There is a need for a table of Western Blott bands and which co-infection they are related to. I will start with what I have researched for Ehrlichia, tested POS via PCR (wrong test 16 years into it, only good first 6 weeks), but never TREATED for. I am a 30+ year lyme vet unphased by 7 month-long courses of IV Rocephin, just as sick as ever, no benefit from, which they now know is hallmark of co-infections. Lyme ABX did not begin until 14 years AFTER infection and several misdiagnoses.

ONE of my coinfections sickened my recent fiance. Useful for narrowing down which contagious element of lyme coinfections it is, because he has a small subset of my symptoms. Complicated by fact that just prior to lyme rash 1 mo. after tick bite, I and sibling had "measles" which turns out to have been scarlet fever, and mine lingered all this time in chronic ear infection never delved into blamed on lyme. (scarlet/rheumatic fever indeed has the palms/soles phenomenon of peeling)

His first noticed things were:
drooling in his sleep
sweating all night waking up drenched
a peeling rash first on palms, then 2 wks later on soles.
various rashes
All symptoms began about 10 days after first kiss.

which progressed now to:
heavy morning eye discharge
heart palpitations (he never had that before)
worse shortness of breath (he has asthma from childhood)
higher blood pressure
almost daily headache especially upon waking.

I have noticed the contagiosity for more than 30 years now, as I am the linking factor and watch the people I meet both in hindsight and now in guarded current sight. The most common things I see / have seen are:
eating off same dishes at whatever home, brings 3-4 weeks later the following:

MONO (more than 1 same household, same time) -- this was my first "wrong" lyme diagnosis --more than 7 individuals
new "DIABETES", the RARER kind - including almost coma state, cant see or speak 800 blood sugar-- more than 5 individuals
CFS - later Lupus, Leukemias, Hodgkins, etc -- various "cancers" -- more than 6 individuals who have since passed away, all got sick after eating with me/sharing dishes
Depressions of various sorts

For Ehrlichia, this is what I gathered on net from medical papers:
Bands 28, 29, and 44 kd are positive markers for Ehrlichia HME
Bands 40, 44, 65kd for HGE

I have seen ALL of those bands on my blotts! Can you have both??

I am interested in this, because I retain all western blotts done by 7 previous llmd's top of their field on east coast, and there were a total of 27 bands not lyme related which cropped up from time to time over all that testing. Others out there must have same records / same usefulness for.

Non lyme symptoms of myself are: (adding in what I already have above for fiance)
the red eyes/ eye migraine like knives behind the eyes
Light sensitivity
Bone pain, severe
Muscle pain
blood clots - frequent
kidney severe problems
periodic liver swelling that subsides
initial highly swollen spleen, high fever, chills, bladder loss (onset teen years)
Heart swelling (food stuck behind heart area when I eat, leading to most painful reflex hiccoughs)
Thyroid abnormalities
EEG Brain abnormalities
72 ectopy on 24 hr. holter
MRI brain abnormalities inconsistent with age
heart attack in early 20s
Nerve loss to the legs, feet, skin in general for heat and pain

SEVEREST FATIGUE, need to sleep/naps, meals knock me out have to go to sleep
Air hunger / breathe too fast / short of breath
shaky arms after simple exertion (carrying a grocery bag for 5 minutes), loss of blood to arms
repetitive action with arms makes measureable increase of forearm diameter 3/4", hands/wrists freeze up like a fly in the snow
arthritis
Stomach acid oddities, vomiting unchanged food up to 24 hours later, abnormal
If I dont have milk daily, will throw up acid / get nauseous
Daily fever, frequent 96 temps below normal
Way high white count
Anemic
atherosclerotic arterial clots
atherosclerotic plaque along spine
herniated disks x 8 and scoliosis
cant turn head without risking whiplash, same happens if hold arms out from self (forget about lifting arms)
dizziness
lack of appetite - not eat for days but increases symptoms so try to avoid
zero alcohol tolerance
eyes tear from sun
lyme onset also brought sudden cat allergy (raised with cats, never before) also dust, newsprint ink,
sore feet (beyond normal) and heels (when only on feet 1 hr)
need to constantly sit
undefined severe pain left lower abdomen that no test has pinpointed, motion-triggered (something enlarges when bent/hunched -
hysterectomy didnt relieve, hernia ruled out 4x including during a surgery visually -- when enlarged, "hanging" while laying on side to sleep, hurts while lying on same side, relieves -- as if its very heavy. (aneurysm? wrong side appendicitis?)
........especially triggered by gagging, remains 3-6 weeks as bulge I can feel, then subsides again).
facial/foot/leg/back cramps
possible yeast - fetching from fish tank causes yeast bloom without fail, visible on the glass as tiny beige pairs
unidentified gram neg. cocci in sputum sample
terrible abd. pain from time to time
lack of bowel movement for a week at a clip, then avalanche of catch-up in one day (peristalsis loss?)
loss of ability to swallow from time to time, hard to swallow from back of tongue (front only reflex)
during kidney flare ups, poss. adrenal involvement (jump at slightest sound)
changes in volume one ear since teen years
violent shivering if "too cold" (60 degrees will do it, like air conditioned environment without sweater)
sweating if more than 70 degrees
bottom ribs pain
Earlier at time of rocephin year 14: stuttering (resolved), MS "hairband" symptom (resolved), "speech delay" (hard to talk, average 30 seconds or more to make mouth say response, writing much easier) -- resolved.
Even a hug, hurts. So does massaging. Worst spots: outside/upper thigh area, shins
Vitamin D deficient
involuntary eye tremor/flutter during reading or try to focus on small object
Vision darker one eye in dim light (could be unequal pupil dilation as well)

Self remedy observations:
after + ehrlichia not acted upon, researched and took quinine 4 weeks - saw 3 MONTHS of feeling some energy where none before, also saw hair growth (stunted before) 4x normal rate for healthy adult - but not permanent benefit, sick as ever. Am going to try again this time with Artemesia.

Herb TIPI (anamu) anti-fungal herb, helped with the arms freezing from repetitive use, but tastes grotesque - was about the 4 week point of drinking the tea.

any clues on the bands? A table would benefit everyone whos been thru lyme testing, especially in states where LLMD's are non-existant, like where I am right now.

Thanks, and mind you I have probably forgotten 50 symptoms because the list is as long as I am. I am not yet 50, former track runner/bike rider 5 mi. / day, and not ready to hand in the towel because of medical ignorance in my state. (forgetful to beat the band!)

Hi Sick of Ticks

p41 indicates Lyme if the other spirochetes are ruled out;
babesia past, with lyme, is known that both diseases will NOT go away, rather linger

A paper for you to read, which is the utmost authority on lyme, is here:
(I lost the link and its sitting in the print queue: google search this:
ADVANCED TOPICS IN LYME DISEASE
DIAGNOSTIC HINTS AND TREATMENT GUIDE FOR LYME AND OTHER TICK BORNE ILLNESSES
16TH EDITION, OCT. 2008
JOSEPH BURRASCANO, MD
if you cant find it with that, its on www.ilads.org (or com)
international lyme and associated diseases society


It also recommends that babesiosis and lyme, not be treated without the third ingredient, herbal Artemisia (a natural herb that kills a plethora of parasites including malaria) -- and treatment is ineffective against babesiosis without adding this Artemisia herb.

Also, any suggestions "babesia" may have cured itself when present with Lyme, and vice versa, is known to be wrong, The coinfections of lyme both prevent the lyme remedy from curing the lyme, and cause it to linger; while things like Ehrlichia coinfection alone, may heal over time, they do NOT if also lyme spirochete is present, and can be even fatal. It says even "carrier states" of babesia protozoan must be treated because simply of the fact that blood transfusion infections have occurred, and even low numbers still indicate directly that you have a protozoan infection. The only use the titer numbers give, is to measure response during treatment -- a lowering titer, indicates positive reaction, etc. , while a rising titer indicates a new infection getting rapidly worse, etc. It isnt used to say you once had it from what I have read.

ALSO: there are thought to be up to 24 different "kinds" of similar protozoan, but only 2 are testable under today's tests -- therefore, if you have the symptoms similar to babesia (known flavors) they are supposed to treat and NEVER rely on the tests for this reason.

Read Dr. Burruscanos' paper link above. :) It says for babesiosis, the treatment is atavaquone, artemesia, plus optional metronidazole or bactrim, but the last 2 optional's, are of questionable helping. So youre meprol is the atavaquone, and you are lacking the artemesia.