Lyme, or not ??? Test results

Just according to those test results, there's no way to know. Band 41 indicates the tail of the bacteria, so it can cross react to any spirochetal infection like Relapsing Fever, Pintas & Yaws or even Syphilis. So we don't rely on band 41.

Band 66 indicates Oms66 - and outer membrane protein, but it's not Lyme specific either.

Quest is one of the worst labs to use for these tests as they don't train their techs on how to perform the tests or what to use to do the tests. The wrong medium (the stuff in the petri dish) is used and they don't allow enough time for the test to actually work. The Lyme bacteria is not like other bacteria that replicate every few minutes or hours, even days. The Lyme bacteria replicates every few weeks.

Even the CDC says to go by clinical symptoms rather than testing: "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."
www.cdc.gov/lyme/

That's about all they have right on that site, but at least they got something right!!

I don't believe there is a NON-endemic area in the entire US to be honest. I have never been to the East Coast. I was infected in California, Idaho, Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri.

But the question is - Is Oms66 Lyme (Bb) specific? Just because it's found in Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria doesn't mean it's B. burgdorferi specific. I have not found anything that says it's Bb specific as of yet, although I can't say that I've done exhaustive searching for this either. The article you linked to, while interesting, doesn't state that it's specific for Bb. It's like band 41 - it shows up in Bb, but is also present in other spirochete infections, such as Relapsing Fever, Pintas and Yaws, and Syphilis.

The testing simply isn't reliable is all - it's not that I'm saying you don't have Lyme. We are only talking about what the test revealed. The testing is so very flawed! Not only are they only testing for one out of the over 100 strains of Borrelia that have been proven to cause human illness, these tests really aren't sensitive enough to pick up many of those that actually have the infection (the WB misses up to 50% of those that actually have Bb infections) and that's mostly because Lyme inhibits the immune function so the body can't produce those antibodies that these tests rely on.

This is why even the CDC says that Lyme is a clinical diagnosis - the tests aren't reliable enough.

Beeperoni said...
It's sad though, cause even most Dr's don't want to treat unless tests are positive...

The state of affairs with these infections is downright pathetic.

However, there are LLMD's who will diagnose clinically - based upon symptoms. More likely than not, the LLMD you see next month will run an IGenex test which stands a better chance of positive results.

If you're able to convince *some* doctor to run the test for you, all the better because the results will be back by the time you see your LLMD.

And, if you think you've been dealing with this for a long time, please do not become discouraged if even the IGenex test comes back negative.

I believe I already explained how this happens.

Bottom line, a Lyme-savvy doctor should be able to diagnose you clinically. You might want to take a peek at the "New to Lyme" thread for suggestions on questions to ask a potential doctor. You'll know soon enough by his/her answers whether or not they stand a chance of helping you.