Need info on effect of antibiotics on tests for Lyme

[JackieCalifornia]

Hi everybody --

A couple of weeks ago, someone posted here with the very good reminder (which I had forgotten) that if you are on antibiotics or have been recently, that can interfere with the Lyme tests and say that you are not infected, when really you are.

This may apply only to ELISA/Western blot tests, which rely on the immune system reaction to Lyme to confirm Lyme, while the IGeneX PCR test may not be affected -- ?  

I can't now find that post, and ask that if you remember it, please repost it, or if you have information on this topic, please post that as well.  One of our current posters here is going to get tested and may be on abx already.

(By the time I got to an LLMD and started abx, I already had positive ELISA/Western blot results in hand from a previous doc, so this point just isn't on my radar.)

Thanks!

[JackieCalifornia]

oops!

I accidentally clicked the 'best answer' button while scrolling, but you know, it IS a 'best answer' when you find a really good doc!  Keep us posted.

[JackieCalifornia]

Thank you!!  Someone posted here about being on abx and going to be tested, but I couldn't find your post.  Now I'll go search for the person who posted about taking the test soon.  :)

Thanks again.

[jjewell1076]

I had asked about that in a post a little while back. I called Igenex and they told me that I needed to be off the antibiotics for 3 weeks. They told me that It definitely would affect the PCR test!