Does Lyme Disease go away?

Hello Dr., this is my first time in the medhelp forum.  I really need some help with this issue.  I was diagnosed with Lyme in 2007.  My Lyme AB Screen came back with a 1.23 EIA value.  It also shows the Western Blot having a reactive 58 KD band.  I had the rash and flu like symptoms for approx two months prior to find out that I had Lyme.  The fever was low grade every day during this time.  Finally the rash went away and I went on Doxy for approx 4 weeks.  The symptoms went away, does this mean I am cured of this.  Last summer I had another rash went to the Dr., developed a real bad stiff neck, couldn't turn my head, went to a rheumi Dr.  had the MRI's, went through rehab.  That now is fine.  Could I have been re-infected or is it the same reactions from the original diagnosis.  I am so confused.  Just recently I had bloodwork, my eosinophils are elevated along with ALT and AST, whatever that means.  Can you shed some light on this for me.  I would appreciate it  Thank you Dr.

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Your titers and the presence of only one positive band on Western Blot indicates that they diagnosis of Lyme by laboratory criteria were borderline or even negative.  Usually two or more Lyme-associated bands (These most common Lyme-associated bands on Western Blot are: 18K, 23K, 30K, 31K, 34K, 37K, 39K, 83K and 93K) must be positive for a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of Lyme diagnosis.  (Some physicians require more than two bands positive for a positive test result)  However, Lyme Disease can be diagnosed by signs/symptoms alone without a positive lab test, and some Lyme patients do not make antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi organism.  Also, you could have an infection with Lyme-associated microorganisms, such as Mycoplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Babesia, etc. and not show up on the tests that were run.  This could give signs and symptoms but would not by definition be Lyme Disease.  If such infections are detected rather quickly and treated aggressively, then there is usually little to worry about.  The problem is that most physicians are rather conservative about treating Lyme-associated pathogens, and these microorganisms often become the major problem in chronic Lyme Disease.  Re-infections can occur, especially if the first infection was not productive or did not elicit a strong immune reaction that could re-initiate if re-infected from memory immune cells.  It is unlikely that the infections will go away on their own without treatment, but your immune system is a powerful agent in suppressing these infections and some people walk around with these infections and show no signs/symptoms.  ProfGN

[Chatterbox58]

Dr. thanks for the info, I was reading my blood results and did not tell you not only 58KD is reactive but 23 and 41 is reactive also, what does this mean? Where it says B Burgorferi AB has positive. This was on the next page and I inadvertently forgot it.
Do you think it's necessary to take this any further(another physician)?
Thanks again

[Chatterbox58]

Dr., it has in (IGM). forgot to tell you that also.  Hope you can shed some light.  Thanks again

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

A related discussion, Response to Chatterbox58 was started.