Is this Lyme?

[Wtlb]

Recently had labs done and wondering if I should pursue more in depth tests through Igenex. These results were from LabCorp
CD8-/CD57+lymphs 1.0 L           range: 2.0-17.0
Abs.CD8-57+ lymphs  29L/uL.    range: 60-360
Lyme Ab/Western Blot Reflex
   Lyme IgG/IgM Ab.   Negative
   Lyme Disease Ab, Quant, IgM  Negative

I hale from a county in NC where Lyme has finally been recognized and actually declared endemic.

My son-in-law has chronic Lyme so this is very front and center in my mind.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[mojogal]

Your CD-57 being low points to your having Lyme. There are a lot of people who don't believe in this test anymore. I have a friend who is very sick yet his CD-57 is very high at 411. I believe I read as a first test it is more reliable.

[JackieCalifornia]

A family friend of ours had sarcoidosis about 30 years ago, and it sounds like the docs are still working on it. Here's a thought:  since 'Lyme doctors' can be any kind of doc from a GP to an immunologist [as my doc was]  to who-knows-what, you may be able to find an MD who covers both bases:  sarcoidosis and Lyme.  Might take some digging, but the internet is our friend, and so is ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society), the main voluntary group for MDs who practice in the Lyme field.

If you go to the ILADS website, there is a referral function you might try, telling them
  -- about where you are located (Lexington KY or whatever suits) and
  -- how far you can travel and
  -- most importantly request a Lyme doc with experience with ... [whatever description fits in your view].  

You could start with sarcoidosis and also broaden it out to whatever more general umbrella such a doc would inhabit:  immunology?  I don't know.  

To catch the eye here on this website, I would start a new thread titled something like 'Need Lyme MD/[immunologist] near Louisville/Nashville/Cincinnati' or '...within 100 miles of Lexington KY' or however far you are able to travel.  Once established with a Lyme doc, my appointments were about once a month, so it might be driveable to Lex. esp. with a friend or relative to go with you.

All Lyme docs are some brand of MD:  general practitioner, immunologist (as mine was), and whatever other specialist seems relevant.  One group however that is NOT very warm and fuzzy about Lyme are ... infectious disease docs!  Strange, huh?  They are the most obvious kind of MD to treat an infectious disease, but they often don't understand Lyme, which is (all together now) *an infectious disease.*  There are exceptions, so snooping around on websites like this can be very help in finding a Lyme-friendly doc near you who is of a specialty you would like.  

You might also put up another post here titled something like 'Need LLMD near Lexington KY.'   Because we try to protect from vengeful medical boards who don't 'believe' in Lyme, we generally do NOT put LLMD's names in public here, but instead send a private message.  More on that if you can't locate the function here on this site.

Sorry if this is choppy -- got interrupted a few times.  Let us know how we can help, okay?  Best wishes!

[Wtlb]

Interestingly, my son-in-law is on an antibiotic regimen through a clinic in CO. The huge divide in the medical community is a major issue. I have found my veterinarian to be my most reliable source of information.

One of my concerns is that I was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis in '07.  my symptoms are similar in many ways to my SIL's. I have been on immunosuppressant for many years and now IV Remicade is being prescribed. With this recent and new piece of information, I feel caught between a rock & a hard place.

I moved to the Lexington,KY area last year so if you could point me to an LLMD to help me sort this out I would very much appreciate it.

[JackieCalifornia]

Welcome to MedHelp Lyme --

As a rule of thumb, if there is any concern that you may have Lyme, then I would have the additional testing done:  the risks and aggravation (and eventual loss of income and quality of life) if you do have Lyme and do not treat it are far more significant than the cost of an IGeneX test and a doc to guide you through it.

You may already be aware that Lyme has the ability to suppress your immune system, and the tests you have already had rely on the activity of your immune system to diagnose Lyme.  As a result, you can have Lyme but have negative results on the Western blot/ELISA tests.

The IGeneX tests do not rely on immune system activity to obtain a positive result, but instead look for DNA [genetic material] from the Lyme bacteria:  that is, a direct test rather than the indirect Wblot/ELISA tests.

There is a huge split in the medical community about how widespread Lyme is, how serious Lyme is, how to test for it, and how to treat it -- which pretty much covers all the bases.  The view held by the 'it's no big deal' docs is that Lyme is rare, hard to get, and easy to cure, and that any remaining symptoms are just over-reaction of your immune system to a now-dead infection.  Uhh, no.  One of these days, those docs will catch up to more recent views, but for now, it's up to the patient to perceive the split in the medical community and to find an up-to-date MD.

You may also want to invite your son-in-law to have a consult with your Lyme doc at some point:  better late than never for diagnosis and treatment, since Lyme will not just go away by itself.

Given your location and your awareness already, you should be able to find a good Lyme MD nearby, but if you need help locating a doc, please let us know -- we can give you some ideas.  

Best wishes to you and your family --