test question

bacflip4

New Member

Joined : Apr 2013

Posts : 1

Posted 11/21/2013 3:35 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Everyone, I had a "bullseye" rash in 2010 and was treated with 3 weeks doxy. To make a long story short I've had nothing but health problems ever since. I always thought in the back of my mind that it had to still be lyme disease. I begged an ID Dr. to test me at the end of 2012. He called me with my test results saying "you had a past infection and its no longer active".

The western blot he did showed all my IgG's as "non-reactive" but showed all my IgM's as "reactive".

My question is. why did he said I was no longer active if all my IgM's were reactive? What are the CDC guidlines with this?

I am asking this question for a reason but, regardless I have since seem an LLMD and have had very positve test through igenex and am now being treated, thankfully.

Traveler

Elite Member

Joined : May 2007

Posts : 36573

Posted 11/21/2013 4:37 PM (GMT 0)

HI bacflip,
Welcome to our community! I'm so sorry that you have had to go through all of that!!

There is no good reason why that doc said that to you, except that he didn't know what he was talking about! Of course you've probably figured that out by now, especially since you only got 3 weeks of abx!

The IgM only reacts to antibodies that are produced at the beginning of these diseases, whereas IgG responds to antibodies that are produced later on in the infection. If anything, you may have a chronic infection and have been reinfected. At least that's as far as my knowledge goes!

If you haven't yet, please do read through our "New to Lyme? Start here!" thread that sits at the top of the forum - even though you aren't really "new" to Lyme. It's packed full of important information, symptom lists (as Lyme rarely is the only infection that is passed), detoxing instructions and more!!

opugirl

Veteran Member

Joined : Nov 2012

Posts : 3923

Posted 11/21/2013 5:57 PM (GMT 0)

Hi bacflip,

I'm with Trav on this one. If you look @ my signature my story is similar to yours. I never tested positive for lyme disease. Three negative lab corp tests and about one month after abx I got an Igenex positive.

Glad to hear you are getting treated. When you get better I would recommend trying to get your story out as much as possible so others don't have to go through what we did. Both you and I were 'early' 'easy' cases that turned into more serious latent stages because of the medical ignorance surrounding lyme disease.

And yes, IgM are short term antibodies. Your body shouldn't be producing them if the infection no longer exists. Its easier for doctors to say "meh - you had an infection " then "I'm not sure what this means...but if it is positive I don't know what to do with you"

~beth

ToddPaul

Veteran Member

Joined : Nov 2012

Posts : 1017

Posted 11/21/2013 6:09 PM (GMT 0)

That's one of the biggest misconceptions with testing for Lyme. The CDC and thus ID docs believe IgM antibodies are a measure of recent infection when they really are a measure of active infection. The CDC guidelines state that after 4 weeks any positive IgM has to be a false positive when that's just not true. I too have multiple reactive bands on the IgM and know I was bit twice years prior to the test yet they call themselves scientists?

Traveler

Elite Member

Joined : May 2007

Posts : 36573

Posted 11/22/2013 7:15 PM (GMT 0)

Makes one wonder what their definition of "scientist" really is sometimes!