Help Reading Results

Last year I had Igenex lab work done:

IFA: Equivocal
IGG: IND 41
IGM: IND 41, IND 31*

*31 epitope test was done and was negative for Borreliosis (false positive)

Last month after 3 months of ABX (no herx):

IFA: >80, positive
IGG: IND 41, IND 31
IGM: IND 41

My symptoms: Twitching, brain fog, fatigue, stuttering, sore neck some mornings

I am 22 years old and I am a junior nursing student, I also have a 3.8 GPA, so I may not be as neurologically impaired as I believe to be. After my second set of lab work from Igenex, I am leaning more towards an EBV infection than Lyme. MY IFA results, however, scare me and makes me believe I have Lyme, although the test tends to be inaccurate and cross-reactive. Do you think these test results support Lyme? Should I do another 31 epitope test again to get a more detailed answer? Is it rare to get the same results twice in a row? My LLMD told me he was 70% sure I have Lyme, however, that was after my first tests from Igenex, not the second. I do not have enough money for another appointment, however, if you think I do have Lyme, I will talk to my parents and see if they will assist me financially for another appointment.
Thanks for your help (:

Hi Jimbutts!
Welcome to our community! I'm so glad you found us.

Because these infections can be passed from a number of different insects (mosquitoes and deer flies have been proven to carry them), I would encourage you to do this questionnaire: lymeontario.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Horowitz-Questionnaire.pdf
It may shed more light on if it's EBV or Lyme and company. Your symptoms will tell you more than any test will, because all the testing that is used at this time is not sensitive enough to be able to pick up these infections in everyone that has them.

Also, if you haven't yet, please do read through our "new to Lyme?" thread, as it's packed with important and helpful information as well.

An equivocal test is usually a positive in a person that has a low immune function. Lyme disease lowers the immune function so that it can survive easier, so there are lots and lots of false negatives - and we surely don't want you to have to live with undiagnosed and untreated Lyme for a long time!

If you choose to use a LLMD, I would encourage you to talk to your parents - you don't want to have these infections for a long time without treating them, as they will continue to do damage, even if your symptoms are not debilitating.

PeteZa said...
Were you bit by a tick that you know of? Did you ever have a bite mark or rash?

We really do need to understand that many more insects than just ticks carry and pass these infections. There have been studies done to prove this, but they have only tested a few insects at this time, so we really don't know the full scope of just what insects really pass these infections. Here are a few studies that I can find quickly:

"Two genospecies B. garinii and B. afzelii were identified among all strains originating from ticks, mosquitoes, rodents and mites obtained during the years 1996-2001."
/www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/ap.2008.53.issue-2/s11686-008-0028-5/s11686-008-0028-5.pdf

" Females of Aedes cantans, Ae. sticticus, Ae. vexans, Culex pipiens and Cx pipiens biotype molestus (but not Ae. geniculatus or Culiseta annulata) harboured spirochaetes, the frequencies ranging from 0.7% to 7.8%. One isolate (BR-53) from Ae. vexans was identified as Borrelia afzelii genospecies. "

europepmc.org/abstract/med/9513946


"The spirochetes were observed in 5% of the mosquitoes investigated. One of the five isolated strains of spirochetes (BR-84) was identified as Borrelia afzelii.
link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs150100050029?LI=true