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Posted 5/7/2020 11:02 AM (GMT 0)
Can someone please help me interpret these
results?

Lyme IgG/IgM Ab
<0.91
Ref Range: 0.00-0.90 ISR
Negative <0.91
Equivocal 0.91 - 1.09
Positive >1.09


Lyme Disease Ab, Quant, IgM
<0.80
Ref Range: 0.00-0.79 index
Negative <0.80
Equivocal 0.80 - 1.19
Positive >1.19
.
Posted 5/7/2020 3:02 PM (GMT 0)
It’s negative. Looks like labcorp or quest. If you have lyme symptoms then consider testing with Igenex. Their test is more accurate for various reasons.
Posted 5/7/2020 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
I also had a western blot test which only shows band 41 positive. I’ve been hearing mixed reviews regarding band 41. For example, if you have ebv or an autoimmune disease it will be positive.
Posted 5/7/2020 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone has band 41. I know some people think its the "flagella" or the tail of the lyme, and I'm sure it can be. But I've yet to see a person test negative for band 41. Obviously it should lose all predictive power if thats the case, but yet people still seem to cling to that as a diagnosis for lyme
Posted 5/7/2020 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
If band 41 is the only one that came back positive, should I not treat for Lyme?
Posted 5/7/2020 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Those tests are negative, but that doesn't mean much. My first few Lyme tests through LabCorp and Quest were negative, too.

There are many tick-borne infections other than Borrelia bergdorferi. I am referring to Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, etc. but also to dozens of other species of Borrelia that cause similar symptoms. Antibody testing is flawed for a variety of reasons, chief among them that the immune dysfunction caused by Lyme can stop antibody production. You could try other labs that do more sensitive antibody testing (like IGeneX) or labs that use PCR testing (which look for bacterial DNA instead of antibodies). There are other lab values, such as CD57 natural killer cells and c4a, that can point toward Lyme, too.

Keep in mind that Lyme and co-infections are a clinical diagnosis, meaning diagnosis is based on signs and symptoms, not just lab tests. A Lyme-literate practitioner should know this and be able to help you decide on what to focus.

Also remember that Lyme treatment is not just antimicrobial. Responsible LLMDs treat the gut, immune system, nutrition, nervous system, lymphatic circulation, detoxification pathways, and many other aspects of health. They'll also factor in chronic viruses, mold exposure, heavy metal toxicity, and other potential causes of symptoms. Chances are that whatever is going on with you will respond well to those things. Keep in mind that there are many options for Lyme treatment, some of which can be started slowly.

Do you have a Lyme-literate medical practitioner? What do they think?
Posted 5/7/2020 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't put much stock in elisa or western blot done by labcorp or quest. I get a different band every time I test with them - sometimes 18, sometimes 41 and other times no bands at all. The person reading the test gets to decide if your band is positive or not. If it's faint, they may not report it. Igenex gives a level of positive for each band. So if you are showing a faint line on the blot, they will mark it with and IND or one +. If you get a strong positive it will be +++. It's all based on how strong your immune system reacts. If you have symptoms that can't be explained by other diagnosis, then I'd either test with IGeneX (you can order a western blot yourself through truehealthlabs - you can look up draw locations on their site) or find a LLMD who will likely order the test.
Posted 5/7/2020 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, I just ordered a kit from Igenex. Should I get tested for the co-infections as well?
Posted 5/7/2020 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
Stephie - what are your symptoms? Do you have a history of tick bites?
Posted 5/7/2020 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
No history that I’m aware of...weird burning sensations on skin and head, headaches, random joint pain, upset stomach.
Posted 5/7/2020 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
If you ordered directly from Igenex then you will need a doctor to sign off on it. You may be able to submit it to your insurance and get reimbursed for part of the test.
Posted 5/7/2020 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
LLMD's will extensively go over your history. There's a lot of other things they look at like coinfections, viruses, parasites, heavy metals, mold illness, genetics. It's always nice to have guidance with chronic illness.

Is there anything significant that triggered your symptoms? Like, did you have stress or an illness?
Posted 5/8/2020 2:09 AM (GMT 0)
If you really want to provoke symptoms to get a positive test then take some Cat’s Claw for a week or so before your blood draw. But be prepared to herx.
Posted 5/8/2020 10:49 AM (GMT 0)
Well for about a month my dog was sick and I was stressed out about then. Then I came down with the flu...
Posted 5/8/2020 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, so you were fine before flu? A lot of us find we had some stress and some type of event which tips the whole thing off.

I had a yeast infection in Jan, bad reaction to treatment which led to a miserable cystitis. I was peeing every 15 min with burning pain in between. It wasn’t a uti and I was stressed and so worried it would never get better. It did get better but took over 6 wks. I still have flare ups. Shortly after this, I developed numbness in my foot that snowballed in a matter of weeks to a dozen symptoms. This was during winter so if Lyme then it wasn’t a recent bite.

I suspect it’s a mix of things all dependent upon the individual (environment, diet, infections). This is why just focusing on lyme treatment alone may not work.

Have you found anything makes you feel better? How long ago was the flu?
Posted 6/25/2020 11:53 AM (GMT 0)
I had the flu back in March...I just had an Igenex test done and I'm going to post the results in a new post. smile

Thank you!
Posted 6/25/2020 7:55 PM (GMT 0)

Stephie0580 said...
I had the flu back in March...I just had an Igenex test done and I'm going to post the results in a new post. smile

Thank you!

Great! Hopefully you’ll get some answers. I just read through all the comments here and noticed you said symptoms started after your dog got sick. Any chance your dog got Lyme or another tick disease? You also mentioned the flu. Did you test positive for a strain of influenza or simply have a flu-like illness? Early Lyme often presents as a flu-like illness.
Posted 6/25/2020 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, my dog has cushing’s disease and I did test positive for the flu via a nasal swab.

I ended up tearing with Igenex.


TBRF Borrellia IND (Detected 1 TBRF Borrellia species-specific antibody.)

B. Duncani IFA - IGM Serum 20 =20 (May or may not indicate an active infection.)

My LLMD is treating me for both now.

Post Edited (Stephie0580) : 6/25/2020 4:31:12 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/25/2020 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
I also had an indeterminate result on the Igenex TBRF test as ordered by my LLMD. Then I went to another doc who ordered a more specific test through Imugen in MA for b. miyamotoi (one of the borellia species included on the TBRF test) which came back positive.
My LLMD does not think specificity is important as relates to the TBRF test results since treatment is basically the same for those species of borellia as it is for b. burgdorferi.
Probably worth pursuing the indeterminate TBRF result.
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