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Most Accurate Bartonella testing?
There are a few other bart posts here.
***But, I am wondering whats the most accurate bart testing. ***
I have had the purple streak lines/ rash that looked like bart rash. My LLMD doesnt test much for bart, and thinks the basic bart test from quest is pretty good (but I tested neg) as opposed to quest lyme titter which is useless.
My immune cells are low as shown on three other immune tests so any tic born tests seem to not work well for me.
Currently on doxy, flagyl, ceftin (the shotgun aproach for lyme). and four herbs. Seems like doxy is also for bart.
thanks
***But, I am wondering whats the most accurate bart testing. ***
I have had the purple streak lines/ rash that looked like bart rash. My LLMD doesnt test much for bart, and thinks the basic bart test from quest is pretty good (but I tested neg) as opposed to quest lyme titter which is useless.
My immune cells are low as shown on three other immune tests so any tic born tests seem to not work well for me.
Currently on doxy, flagyl, ceftin (the shotgun aproach for lyme). and four herbs. Seems like doxy is also for bart.
thanks
Galaxy
http://www.galaxydx.com/web/
If the cost puts you off, you could always try IGeneX. They have an antibody test and a FISH test. I turned up "not negative" on the b. henselae antibody test.
I believe the culture test looks for multiple species, so if you have a variation of Bart that's not b. henselae, it should still find it.
http://www.galaxydx.com/web/
If the cost puts you off, you could always try IGeneX. They have an antibody test and a FISH test. I turned up "not negative" on the b. henselae antibody test.
I believe the culture test looks for multiple species, so if you have a variation of Bart that's not b. henselae, it should still find it.
In addition to other symptoms, I've had all of this too:
"pain in the lower legs and feet, cause neuro symtpoms, numbness/tingling in the extremeties, and blurry vision, anxiety, blurry vision, numbness/tingling in my hands, tingling in my legs and lower torso and scalp/neck, skin sensitivity, fatigue, short term memory problems, and GI problems, including my liver"
- and the purple rash. Most of these can be lyme symptoms too (minus the purple stretch looking rash), so its confusing. At least doxy is good for Bart and Lyme, and I seem to tolerate the doxy OK.
After almost three months on 3 abx, after the herx has seemed to subside, I am not feeling all that greatly improved, its like I was before the herx. Ive had these symptoms of and on (more on) for at least 20 - 25 years though.
Does anyone konw the name of this Bart culture test , info, that Dr. Breitschwerdt at NC State who developed?
"pain in the lower legs and feet, cause neuro symtpoms, numbness/tingling in the extremeties, and blurry vision, anxiety, blurry vision, numbness/tingling in my hands, tingling in my legs and lower torso and scalp/neck, skin sensitivity, fatigue, short term memory problems, and GI problems, including my liver"
- and the purple rash. Most of these can be lyme symptoms too (minus the purple stretch looking rash), so its confusing. At least doxy is good for Bart and Lyme, and I seem to tolerate the doxy OK.
After almost three months on 3 abx, after the herx has seemed to subside, I am not feeling all that greatly improved, its like I was before the herx. Ive had these symptoms of and on (more on) for at least 20 - 25 years though.
Does anyone konw the name of this Bart culture test , info, that Dr. Breitschwerdt at NC State who developed?
Even if a Bart test is "pretty good", it will only find the antibodies of the particular species it is looking for. Bart can be a neurological infection, so if your blood antibodies are below the cutoff, you'll still test "negative." I was "Not Negative" on my b. henselae test at IGeneX. I would have been "negative" anywhere else. My antibody level was 80, and a positive requires 160. I have no doubt that I have Bartonella. I still have it 2 years after diagnosis, so antibody level was not a good measure for me.
The CDC says there are 14 different species of Bart that infect humans, and you could very well have something other than Bartonella Henselae, the only one most labs look for.
I think IGeneX has a Bartonella Quintana test. B. Quintana causes "Trench Fever" or "Shin Bone Fever." It usually causes pain in the lower legs and feet, whereas Bartonella Henselae is more likely to cause neuro symtpoms, numbness/tingling in the extremeties, and blurry vision. Both can cause a variety of multi-systemic symptoms that are in common with Lyme.
A small study of Bartonella in May 2012 by the CDC found B. Koehlerae in quite a few patients. I haven't heard of a commercial test for this species yet, but it's possible there's one out there.
Dr. Breitschwerdt at NC State has been researching Bart for years and waving red flags about this hidden epidemic. He worked with a lab to develop a culture test as he's very concerned about how many people who have Bartonella are turning up false negative on standard blood tests. (He has a story about how his father died of what he believes was sero-negative Bartonella. For him, it's personal.)
If you want lab confirmation, go for the culture test. It's better than the antibody tests.
From what I understand, the red/purple stretch mark looking rash is definitive for Bartonella. I believe some LLMDs will diagnose on that rash alone.
I've never had that rash, but I have had anxiety, blurry vision, numbness/tingling in my hands, tingling in my legs and lower torso and scalp/neck, skin sensitivity, fatigue, short term memory problems, and GI problems, including my liver. I have B. Henselae, but I could also have another species we didn't test for.
The CDC says there are 14 different species of Bart that infect humans, and you could very well have something other than Bartonella Henselae, the only one most labs look for.
I think IGeneX has a Bartonella Quintana test. B. Quintana causes "Trench Fever" or "Shin Bone Fever." It usually causes pain in the lower legs and feet, whereas Bartonella Henselae is more likely to cause neuro symtpoms, numbness/tingling in the extremeties, and blurry vision. Both can cause a variety of multi-systemic symptoms that are in common with Lyme.
A small study of Bartonella in May 2012 by the CDC found B. Koehlerae in quite a few patients. I haven't heard of a commercial test for this species yet, but it's possible there's one out there.
Dr. Breitschwerdt at NC State has been researching Bart for years and waving red flags about this hidden epidemic. He worked with a lab to develop a culture test as he's very concerned about how many people who have Bartonella are turning up false negative on standard blood tests. (He has a story about how his father died of what he believes was sero-negative Bartonella. For him, it's personal.)
If you want lab confirmation, go for the culture test. It's better than the antibody tests.
From what I understand, the red/purple stretch mark looking rash is definitive for Bartonella. I believe some LLMDs will diagnose on that rash alone.
I've never had that rash, but I have had anxiety, blurry vision, numbness/tingling in my hands, tingling in my legs and lower torso and scalp/neck, skin sensitivity, fatigue, short term memory problems, and GI problems, including my liver. I have B. Henselae, but I could also have another species we didn't test for.
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