Re: Question about Lyme tests and ABX

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Not sure if anyone answered this question for you, there are many

reasons why one would test negative on the WB tests, and probably the

Babesia too. Here are a few from the LDF:

Nine reasons for false negative Lyme disease test results:

The Lyme Disease Foundation (LDF), in their brochure entitled " LDF

Frequently Asked Questions About Lyme Disease " lists the following

nine reasons for false negative Lyme disease test results:

[brackets contain my words]

a. Antibodies against Bb are present, but the laboratory is unable to

detect them. [borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) is the Lyme disease bacteria.]

b. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in patients

with Lyme disease. Reasons are listed below.

1. The patient is currently on, or has recently taken, antibiotics.

The antibacterial effect of antibiotics can reduce the body's production of

antibodies.

2. The patient is currently on or has previously taken

anti-inflammatory steroidal drugs (such as those taken to treat

rheumatoid arthritis) or certain anticancer drugs. These can suppress a

person's immune system, thus reducing or preventing an antibody response.

3. The patient's antibodies may be bound with the bacteria with not enough

free antibodies available for testing. [i think this reason is very

important and prevalent. For this reason, some of the worst cases of Lyme

disease test negative - too much bacteria for the immune system to handle.]

4. The patient could be immunosuppressed for a number of other

reasons and the immune system is not reacting to the bacterium.

5. The bacterium has changed its makeup (antigenic shift) limiting

recognition by the patient's immune system.

6. The patient's immune response has not been stimulated to produce

antibodies, i.e., the blood test is taken too soon after the tick-bite (2-6

weeks). Please do not interpret this statement as implying that you should

wait for a positive test to begin treatment.

7. The laboratory has raised its cutoff so high that a patient's

previously positive test is now borderline or negative.

8. The patient is reacting to the Lyme bacterium, but is not

producing the " right " bands to be considered positive.

Lyme Disease Foundation

1 Financial Plaza

Hartford, CT 06103

(860)525-2000

fax (860)525-TICK

Lyme Disease National Hotline (800)886-LYME

email: mailto:lymefnd@...

web page: http://www.lyme.org/index2.html

>From: ne Kieffer <theocean@...>

>

>Hello all,

>

>I am going to get tested again for Lyme next week. I am getting mostly

>blood tested, not the urine LUAT. Can someone anyone tell me if its

>okay to be on antibiotics while getting tested for things like the

>Western blot and bebesia? I don't know if being on antibiotics will

>screw up the results of the test or not? thanks,