Lyme Tests

I'm not sure there is much by way of testing that can helpfully track recovery from Lyme
certainly, none that can prove a cure

some may claim test results with lower antibody counts might indicate less infection - but the Lyme organism messes with the immune system so much patients have changeable antibody responses and as a result, this is likely to be unreliable.

some maintain that if you have a low CD57+ count when ill, that increasing numbers signify recovery - but again - not everyone with Lyme has Low CD57+ cell counts ( some even have high CD57+ counts ) and some people have low CD57+ counts naturally - before getting Lyme - so again it would seem to be of limited value.

overall symptoms seem to be about the best indication

it may well be that some of the metabolomic test technologies could shed some light on this in the future = here they would directly measure some unique metabolite only made by Lyme spirochetes and as a result, get a direct marker of activity in the body - but this is only theoretical at the moment..
the technology is evolving rapidly through

in terms of diagnostic tests
the Tickplex test is good value compared t most, as it tests for multiple organisms in one test.

it also uses whole-cell lysates of wild type Lyme organisms including European strains (Alfzeli and Garinii ) rather than just selected proteins of a single lab-grown strain ( eg BB B31 strain - which is what most Lyme tests do - and one of the reasons they miss many positives )

the manufacturers published a reasonable paper in Nature on its utility, sensitivity, and specificity - so i think it's a credible effort to make a good test - but it is still based on serology and so fallible.

As another anecdote about Armin: I tested positive for Lyme and Bartonella through Armin Labs, but negative for Babesia. I think my test cost $250. I also had 4 bands show up on the Western Blot, which was sent to a different lab -- not Igenex or Armin.

I think one of the reasons I tested positive was because I was on colloidal silver, oregano oil capsules, and olive leaf extract for over a month, and had stupidly tried Cat's Claw for a week -- because I had no clue if I had Lyme and I was basically doing a science experiment on myself. So I think I accidentally provoked a positive test result.

That said, I don't think there is any value in re-testing to see if you still have Lyme. Spend your money on treatment. My dr. has never brought up re-testing.

Everybody says that but never provides any sources or proof. I trust my dr. over random internet guy.

also worth mentioning the many of the tests Armin offer are not invented or produced by Armin - but made by the test kit manufacturer and just performed by Armin to the manufacturer's specification.
eg the Tickplex test

What affordable lyme test do y'all think has the best accuracy/ reputation?

I’m personally very speculative about Armin. My 2 daughters & husband all tested positive over 5 years ago (my son was negative - he actually was the one not well after meningitis vaccine). I think they also have a high false positive rate. Either that or they have lyme with no symptoms. Just my opinion. I trust Igenex.

There’s a new FDA approved lyme test (Zeus) that says it’s more accurate than standard 2 tier. Should be covered by insurance. Not sure how good it is for late stage.

I'd be curious to know how different that Zeus test is from the C6, other than it appears to be C10.

Garzie said...
testing is a rather deep subject
but the best general rule of thumb that i think applies here is:

ALL serology based tests for Lyme ( tests depending on antibody production - ELISA, C6 ELISA, Western Blots, immunoBlots etc ) have high false-negative rates - There are no exceptions.
this is due to how the immune system and the borrelia organism interact. - and is independent of the tests themselves ( which are a separate set of variables with their own strengths and weaknesses)

Very few folks have a serology test that produce no antibody response. The problem is the interpretation of those results produces a false negative. Not the test itself. Some labs give copies of the western blot very useful for a doctor and the patient.

there is no perfect black and white test - at least not yet
the topic is complex and includes co-infection testing ( as Lyme seems rarely to be a single infection once chronic )

sensitivity for most of these tests is the main issue still.( false negatives )
the best advice is to get several reputable tests - understand their true sensitivity and specificity numbers and use this data along with symptoms pattern to form an opinion on whether it is Lyme or not.

this is not an easy process i know, many of us here have been going through the process for a number of years. if you do not feel equipped to do this yourself then the best option is to find an LLMD to work with.

I wish there was a quick fix or a cheap fix - but at this point in time there is not

people here are extremely compassionate and helpful - and will help where they can

MDL labs test is good. You may even be able to get a primary care doctor to order it. Its covered by insurance and you get a copy of the blot paper. With a high deductible plan the western blot and bartonella, and babesia tests were $54 total.

I thinks both are peptides derived from an outer-surface protein called VlsE, one that is allegedly highly conserved between strains.

You want to have some fun? Look at the history of C6 studies. You will see many of the usual suspects that hawk the unassailable accuracy of the 2-Tier suddenly, and in writing, and multiple times over ten years starting in like 1998, admit that the 2-Tier is full of holes.