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Difference between Elisa and western blot test ? And symptoms worse before period ?
Are these two tests available by general physician doctors ? I mean when our primary care order Lyme test ( I know it's not accurate ) which one they order ?
Last year my general doctor tested me for Lyme and I got the results as Serum levels and it was negative, so is this Elisa test ? Or western blot ?
Is this serum test is the only one available out there ( not considering private labs like Igenex )
The reason I ask is because I was hoping that if the test I had was Elisa ( and I know it's not accurate) that I can at least let my doctor order western blot this time if they have it.. Maybe it will reveal something
I know it's not accurate as well but some people still test positive on it, so at least this could give me a clue on why I feel like crap..so I can then order Igenex to confirm
And yeah by way, do u feel worse around your period time ? Dies that sound like Lyme ? Or that should point to other illness ?
Today my dizziness is worse and my heart is jumping like crazy ...and every time I go from sitting to standing position it's awful( more dizziness and pounding heart ) Is this Lyme symptoms ? Or something else in my brain or nervous system ? Or heart ?
Last year my general doctor tested me for Lyme and I got the results as Serum levels and it was negative, so is this Elisa test ? Or western blot ?
Is this serum test is the only one available out there ( not considering private labs like Igenex )
The reason I ask is because I was hoping that if the test I had was Elisa ( and I know it's not accurate) that I can at least let my doctor order western blot this time if they have it.. Maybe it will reveal something
I know it's not accurate as well but some people still test positive on it, so at least this could give me a clue on why I feel like crap..so I can then order Igenex to confirm
And yeah by way, do u feel worse around your period time ? Dies that sound like Lyme ? Or that should point to other illness ?
Today my dizziness is worse and my heart is jumping like crazy ...and every time I go from sitting to standing position it's awful( more dizziness and pounding heart ) Is this Lyme symptoms ? Or something else in my brain or nervous system ? Or heart ?
Best Answer
IgeneX gives the most accurate Lyme disease testing. I had been bit 20 plus years before being tested and my regular western blot was negative although I definetley had Lyme. False positives are not as likely.
and PS, talk to your doc about taking magnesium supplements, as mentioned in a previous message, I think. It might help with not only anxiety but also heart rhythm. I am NOT medically trained, so this is just a suggestion to discuss with your doc.
The quotations below are from the Mayo Clinic website, discussing Lyme testing:
1 -- ELISA can sometimes give a false positive result:
"Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test: The test used most often to detect Lyme disease, ELISA detects antibodies to B. burgdorferi. But because it can sometimes provide false-positive results, it's not used as the sole basis for diagnosis. This test may not be positive during the early stage of Lyme disease, but the rash is distinctive enough to make the diagnosis without further testing in people who live in areas infested with ticks that transmit Lyme disease.
================================
2 -- Because ELISA (above) can sometimes give a false positive result, Western blot is often used as a second step:
"Western blot test. If the ELISA test is positive, another test — the Western blot — is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. In this two-step approach, the Western blot detects antibodies to several proteins of B. burgdorferi.
================================
3 -- Separately, PCR testing can be used, which does not rely on the immune system as W.blot and ELISA do:
"Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This test helps detect bacterial DNA in fluid drawn from an infected joint. It's not as effective at detecting infection of blood or urine. It's used for people who may have chronic Lyme arthritis. It may also be used to detect persistent infection in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who have nervous system symptoms."
================================
Your other questions:
-- Are these two tests available by general physician doctors ?
Yes. All these tests can be ordered by any MD, but the problem is that many docs don't understand the answers or know what to do next. That's why seeing a good Lyme doc is important.
================================
-- I mean when our primary care order Lyme test ( I know it's not accurate ) which one they order ?
Look at the test result. It will say what the test is. That's why you should always get and keep copies of all your tests, to look back at later and to show a new doc, if at some point you change docs.
================================
-- Last year my general doctor tested me for Lyme and I got the results as Serum levels and it was negative, so is this Elisa test ? Or western blot ?
You need to look at the test results.
================================
-- Is this serum test is the only one available out there ( not considering private labs like Igenex )
IFA is sometimes used instead of ELISA, but I don't know anything about it.
================================
-- The reason I ask is because I was hoping that if the test I had was Elisa ( and I know it's not accurate) that I can at least let my doctor order western blot this time if they have it.. Maybe it will reveal something
I know it's not accurate as well but some people still test positive on it, so at least this could give me a clue on why I feel like crap..so I can then order Igenex to confirm
The tests are not always inaccurate, but they have limitations already mentioned. Just get all three tests done. Then you have all the possible data.
================================
-- And yeah by way, do u feel worse around your period time ? Dies that sound like Lyme ? Or that should point to other illness ?
See how you feel after treatment for Lyme. Lyme messes with the whole hormonal system.
================================
-- Today my dizziness is worse and my heart is jumping like crazy ...and every time I go from sitting to standing position it's awful( more dizziness and pounding heart ) Is this Lyme symptoms ?
It can be. Once 'Lyme' is treated, it should go away, from what I read, but you should tell your doc about all your symptoms, because the doc needs to know, and the doc may want to treat it.
================================
-- Or something else in my brain or nervous system ? Or heart ?
Talk with the doc. Be sure you have communicated all these symptoms and then ask the doc whether it could be something other than Lyme.
These are all reasonable questions, and you should discuss them with your doc.
1 -- ELISA can sometimes give a false positive result:
"Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test: The test used most often to detect Lyme disease, ELISA detects antibodies to B. burgdorferi. But because it can sometimes provide false-positive results, it's not used as the sole basis for diagnosis. This test may not be positive during the early stage of Lyme disease, but the rash is distinctive enough to make the diagnosis without further testing in people who live in areas infested with ticks that transmit Lyme disease.
================================
2 -- Because ELISA (above) can sometimes give a false positive result, Western blot is often used as a second step:
"Western blot test. If the ELISA test is positive, another test — the Western blot — is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. In this two-step approach, the Western blot detects antibodies to several proteins of B. burgdorferi.
================================
3 -- Separately, PCR testing can be used, which does not rely on the immune system as W.blot and ELISA do:
"Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This test helps detect bacterial DNA in fluid drawn from an infected joint. It's not as effective at detecting infection of blood or urine. It's used for people who may have chronic Lyme arthritis. It may also be used to detect persistent infection in the cerebrospinal fluid of people who have nervous system symptoms."
================================
Your other questions:
-- Are these two tests available by general physician doctors ?
Yes. All these tests can be ordered by any MD, but the problem is that many docs don't understand the answers or know what to do next. That's why seeing a good Lyme doc is important.
================================
-- I mean when our primary care order Lyme test ( I know it's not accurate ) which one they order ?
Look at the test result. It will say what the test is. That's why you should always get and keep copies of all your tests, to look back at later and to show a new doc, if at some point you change docs.
================================
-- Last year my general doctor tested me for Lyme and I got the results as Serum levels and it was negative, so is this Elisa test ? Or western blot ?
You need to look at the test results.
================================
-- Is this serum test is the only one available out there ( not considering private labs like Igenex )
IFA is sometimes used instead of ELISA, but I don't know anything about it.
================================
-- The reason I ask is because I was hoping that if the test I had was Elisa ( and I know it's not accurate) that I can at least let my doctor order western blot this time if they have it.. Maybe it will reveal something
I know it's not accurate as well but some people still test positive on it, so at least this could give me a clue on why I feel like crap..so I can then order Igenex to confirm
The tests are not always inaccurate, but they have limitations already mentioned. Just get all three tests done. Then you have all the possible data.
================================
-- And yeah by way, do u feel worse around your period time ? Dies that sound like Lyme ? Or that should point to other illness ?
See how you feel after treatment for Lyme. Lyme messes with the whole hormonal system.
================================
-- Today my dizziness is worse and my heart is jumping like crazy ...and every time I go from sitting to standing position it's awful( more dizziness and pounding heart ) Is this Lyme symptoms ?
It can be. Once 'Lyme' is treated, it should go away, from what I read, but you should tell your doc about all your symptoms, because the doc needs to know, and the doc may want to treat it.
================================
-- Or something else in my brain or nervous system ? Or heart ?
Talk with the doc. Be sure you have communicated all these symptoms and then ask the doc whether it could be something other than Lyme.
These are all reasonable questions, and you should discuss them with your doc.
thank u so much ..so does it also have a false positive chance ( western blot or elisa) ?
also do u have any ideas about my other questions ?
also do u have any ideas about my other questions ?
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Western blot and ELISA are the two tests commonly used. There are also some others.
fwiw. This is from a website called LymeDisease -- dot -- org:
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"The most common tests measure the patient’s antibody response to infection. When your body is invaded by the Lyme spirochetes, your immune system makes antibodies to fight the infection. Tests that measure antibody levels are indirect tests because they measure the body’s response to infection rather than the presence of the bacteria themselves. ...
"Two primary antibody tests are used to diagnose Lyme disease: the ELISA and the Western blot. Doctors commonly order an ELISA first to screen for the disease and then confirm the disease with a Western blot. However, current ELISA tests are not sensitive enough for screening and may miss over half the true cases. Because of this, the best antibody test to use for diagnosis is the Western blot. ...
"Western Blot Test
"The read-out from the Western blot looks like a bar code. The pattern produced by running the test with your blood is compared to a template pattern that represents known cases of Lyme disease. If your blot has bands in the right places, and the right number of bands, it is positive. Some of the bands are more significant than others and your doctor may decide you have Lyme disease even if your western blot does not have enough bands or the right bands to be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for surveillance purposes.
"Different laboratories use different methods and criteria, so you can have a positive test result from one lab and a negative test result from another. Lyme disease is known to inhibit the immune system and 20 to 30% of patients have falsely negative antibody tests. ..."
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