Lab results

[John4300]

I've been having some medical issues over the last several months. Symptoms do have some resemblance to Lyme Disease. I've been tested for countless things and with the severe fatigue, I've done sleep studies that had me with apnea and have been using CPAP with no improvement. LT which I'm taking meds for with no real results. I even had an issue 3 weeks ago with difficulty speaking. The thought I'd had a stroke and did all kinds of scans and decided it was either stress related or TIA. I've been off work since then as the stress of worrying about losing my job was overwhelming so who knows there.

At one point I did ask my GP to do a Lyme test. In addition to my day job I own a business in the hunting industry. With hunting as much as I do, I'd guarantee I have countless tick bites. I've even missed a few from time to time for a day, so I know I've been bitten more than most. i live in Southern Illinois which doesn't appear to be a "hot spot" and my doctor agreed to the test even though he felt Lyme was over hyped, especially in our area.

None the less, he ordered the test. When the results came back, a nurse called me and said that the test show that I have been exposed to Lyme at some point but was not active? I thought you pretty much had to nuke this stuff to get rid of it so I'm wondering how I was able to be exposed and overcome it without treatment. At this point I'm not sure if they are correct, if I do have the bacterial or signs of it and really not sure I want to trust the GP after he down played it.

The results to the test they performed are below. I see that I'm in the norm on one but not the other. I've called a few local infectious disease specialist to see about getting an appointment, but they all require a referral.  

Any opinions, comments or advice?

Test Results (not even sure what test these were, I've seen that there are 3 types:
Lyme_AB_IGM      <0.91         Normal: 0 - 0.9
Lyme/Total            1.73           Normal: 0 - 0.9

[mojogal]

I agree with you bob, I think the figures are much higher and I wouldn't chose to be a guinea pig for a Lyme vaccine.

[cave76]

If you were a hunter and had that many tick bites the chances are very good (not the right term, but you know what I mean) that you have Lyme and perhaps even one or more co-infections.

There is a good Lyme doctor in MO in case you can't find one closer. His name is Dr. Crist (no 'h' in the name).

From what I've read Illinois doesn't seem to have many good Lyme doctors----but what happens a lot of times is they stay 'under the radar' for good reason. Getting in touch with some support groups might elicit a name but there are also a lot of doctors loved by their patients who treat holistically/herbs etc.

As you mentioned----- you thought Lyme had to be 'nuked'. LOL Well that's one way of saying that long term, aggressive antibiotics is often the only way of getting a handle on it. But some people are lucky and just a few months or years might do it----- if it's chronic.

Lyme CAN go into remission with no treatment But it can also come out of remission for no known reason.

Also the Western Blot tests can give different results on different days. Lyme pretty much breaks all the rules so IgM and IgG don't mean as much with Lyme.

[nutrinut_bob]

Maybe with the CDC now saying that Lyme is 10X more prevalent than what they were thinking a person can get some treatment.  I think their 10X figure is low too, once you factor in all the people misdiagnosed and consequently mistreated, by those who "don't believe" in Lyme.  Someone must've came up with a vaccine they can push on us, only reason I can figure for the CDC to relent.  I'll be passing on the vaccine.

[mojogal]

John, chances are high that your neurological problems are from Lyme and co-infections.

I was bit over 20 years ago, I was ill but nothing that bad until 2 years ago. Then I was unable to walk, muscle weakness in my arms, periods of blindness and more. I was misdiagnosed with MS and Lupus and other diseases.

My Lyme tests were negative from mainstream labs that my GP ordered.
It wasn't until I went to a Lyme literate Dr ( LLMD ) that I found out I had Lyme and 2 co-infections. LLMD use a special lab called IgeneX. Their tests are more sensitive.

Lyme is every where.  You should go to ILADS.org and read articles. You can contact them to find an LLMD near you.

Let us know if you have other questions. Best of luck.

[cave76]

I have to leave the computer for a while---- but the first thing I noticed is that you were tested for Lyme via a lab (maybe Quest or Labcorp?) that does not test completely and has a 50 % chance of being right or wrong.

It's good that you can't get in to see an ID doctor. Although there MIGHT be a couple that will test correctly or treat correctly the chances are s/he will be  Lyme Denier!

I'll come back to explain that further.