Western Blot Results

[Guest guest]

I finally got my Western Blot test results. PCR was negative as was

the Lyme Dot Blot. Here are the WB numbers.

IgG

39 +/-

41 ++

45 +/-

58 +/-

66 +

IgM

18 +

39 +/-

45 +/-

66 +

To me it doesn't look like I have Lyme. I see my lyme doc on the

13th to discuss. Is there anything other spirochete that can look

like this and cause the same symptoms of localized weakness, overall

muscle fascilulations, muscle pain, and cramping as well as others?

Or is this Lyme??

Thanks for any information the group can provide.

Phil

[Guest guest]

> IgG

> 39 +/-

> 41 ++

> 45 +/-

> 58 +/-

> 66 +

>

> IgM

> 18 +

> 39 +/-

> 45 +/-

> 66 +

>

> To me it doesn't look like I have Lyme.

Results somewhat point to Lyme, the 39 band in both IgG and IgM points

to Lyme. As you know, Lyme testing is pretty poor, allot of people show

clinical Lyme symptoms and abx help, but they don't test + for Lyme. Lyme

is first and foremost, a Clinical diagnosis, even the test results have this

statement from the CDC on them. If you match the symptoms AND show this 39

band , most LLMDs would probably consider you a Lymie. Is your Dr a

LLMD, or 'just' a Dr? Most Drs refuse to see Lyme, and its even harder to

get a dx if you don't live in what they ignorantly consider 'Lyme Country'

I went 17 years misdxed because of ignorant Drs and now I am all but

housebound. Don't let this happen to you. Seek a LLMD and go from there.

Maybe you don't have Lyme, but then again, maybe you do. Take care and

best of luck,

> IgG

> 39 +/- Means they found 'some' but not enough to be truly false or

positive 39 is specific for Lyme

> 41 ++ Protein of all Spirochetes, if not Lyme Spirochete, than what

else?

> 45 +/- Also means 'some' cross reactive for all Borrelia

> 58 +/- " " " unknown, maybe heat shock Bb

Protein

> 66 + Common in all bacteria

>

> IgM

> 18 + Unknown

> 39 +/- Means they found 'some' but not enough to be truly false

or positive 39 is specific for Lyme

> 45 +/- Also means 'some' cross reactive for all Borrelia

> 66 + Common in all Bacteria

>

[Guest guest]

Yours is the million dollar question. I will say that many folks

here have " negative " test results (per their md), have symptoms and

histories compatible with lymes and improve when given lymes

treatments... thus our (and llmd's) frustration…(but also keep in

mind that not everyone with one " one " band or " some " bands on WB has

lymes)

Here are some additional thoughts:

1. the igenex internet site (igenex.com) explains the cdc

criterion and theirs by listing which bands are required to be

present for a test result to be considered " positive " . You can look

at their site to see if your test results meet their criterion.

(please keep in mind that antibody numbers decrease with time so if

you've been symptomatic a number of years.. you may not have high

enough number of antibodies (ie " minimum threshold number " ) for any

test to count you as positive. (If its been a real long time you may

have zero antibodies and still have lymes.) (ie zero bands on WB)

2. the lymes disease association has a *very* good book which

goes over the tests, which ones are best, which to order, which

definition of test results are best, why the cdc definition

shouldn't be used for diagnosis (its meant only for research!!) etc.

its $8 and can be ordered online

((http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org) or by mail. I recommend it.

It also goes over just about everything else too!!)

hth,

cfsguy

------------------------

My primary care doc says that while I have bands that are lighting

up, it does not meet the criteria for having Lyme. should I just go

to an LLMD right now?

Thanks for all your help.

Whitney