FRUSTRATED! Another EBV question.

[mamasof4]

Sorry to be posting this here but the EBV forum was of no help to me.

After finding out I tested + for EBV on Friday I put in a call to my dr to find out if it was an "active" EBV or the once + always + test. Well apparently my dr can't call me back. The nurse called and said that the EBV was "pretty recent" but my number was on the low end of the scale(which still doesn't tell me what test they ran) and that he is now testing the IGM and IGG to see what those numbers are doing. I am so frustrated because I don't really know what any of this means. I have no symptoms as far as being sick with mono. All I have are the muscle fasciculations and neck and shoulder pain. So, what do I make of any of this??

[Quixotic1]

I think that severe anxiety must be the most horrible thing in the world to endure.  You have my greatest sympathy and I hope you can find something to help with it.  As I have said at least once before, there is nothing in what you have told us that suggests that the problems with the fasciculations and pain might be MS.  I hope you can hold on to those words.

I'lll go read your story.

Q

[mamasof4]

I have terrible anxiety. I actually went today to my first psychiatrist appt. I have OCD and she does NOT believe that I have MS and that it's just the OCD talking. My dr. is saying that my symptoms are most likely from the virus (EBV) but I had these exact same symptoms 3 years ago (my first MS scare). I'm really confused and scared.  I posted my full story yesterday, if you would please read it and give me your thoughts Quix.

[Quixotic1]

There are several antibody titers that tell whether an infection is active including

heterophile
VCA IgM.
VCA IgG
EBNA
EA

VCA= viral capsid antigen
EBNA = Eptstein Barr nuclear antigen
EA = early antigen

antigens are the proteins that stimulate the antibody production.

Here is a table that tells you how to interpret all of the results together.

http://www.pathology.med.umich.edu/Handbook/Tables/6ebvab.htm

Mama, I am afraid that without a lot more specific info you can't make much of anything.  EBV is not treatable so there is not a lot you could do even if you knew what your EBV status was.  And remember that almost everyone in the world has had this infection.  You obviously don't have mononucleosis, so there is not much to be very worried about with regard to these tests.

Do you usually have quite a high level of anxiety regarding symptoms?  I know that people feel like they are going crazy with muscle fasciculations, but far and away the most likely cause of these is Benign Fasiculation Syndrome (BFS).  Has your doctor evaluated your spine to look for a pinched nerve?  Are you afraid that this is something extremely serious?

Quix