Still looking and not even close to a diagnosis yet:( The ELISA is just a screening and apparently has to be followed by a Western Blot. Even if that is positive, Lyme Disease is a clinical diagnosis and my doc would have to take into account my symptoms, pos. test findings, etc.
Hope,
Are you saying that it has been determined that you have Lyme disease or are you still looking for a diagnosis?
I know that people who have Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, can have an abnormal SPE. These people, including others (based off the latest research) who have Th1 inflammatory diseases are at higher risk for cancer ... due to pathogens. If you checked out the links below, there are treatments for these infections and you don't necessarily need a diagnosis to start treatment.
Oh yes I did have the SPE done about 2 yrs ago and the results were a mild positive on IgM I think. i don't remember exactly. My neuro felt it wasn't a strong enough "positive" to mean anything. Who knows??
Hi ! Oh.... okay. Yes, there is a blood test serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and they do the testing off of the plasma in your blood.
Your symptoms do sound like lyme disease or fibromyalgia. As I stated earlier, there are treatments that are helping both fibromyalgia sufferers and lyme patients. Check out the websites for more information or check out http://www.roadback.org/
ITP is a condition that causes a low platelet count.
Hi, thank you for the replies. I haven't had plasmaphoresis and its never been mentioned. I have thought about and researched Guillian Barre and I could have had a mild case of it, b/c some people go into respiratory arrest. I didn't near that thank God! Also, GB is acute and happens really fast. Mine was a little more gradual, with the toes then a couple weeks the foot, then more weeks on up to my knees. It took from summer '06 to Dec to get to my worst state of health - barely walking. I don't know, and I don't think many docs know. I would like to try some treatments if they don't have side effects, definitely.
PS...What is ITP?
Thanks again!
"Johns Hopkins found a positive ELISA for Lymes"
The GREAT news is that even without a diagnosis, there are various treatments to fight infections that are found in not only lyme patients, but CFS, fibromyalgia and patients who have autoimmune diseases as well.
Check out these links for more information:
http://www.immed.org/illness/autoimmune_illness_research.html ---- "Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Scleroderma and other Autoimmune and Degenerative Diseases"
http://www.immed.org/reachus.htm ---- about Dr. Garth Nicolson
Plasmapheresis for ITP or Guillian Barre Syndrome ?