lyme test negative -- how accurate?

[somethingfast]

hey all,

i was really hoping for a positive result on my lyme's test but it came back negative.  my questions is, how accurate is the test?  ive heard you can ge false negatives.  all my symptoms (peripheral neuropathy and fatigue) seem to jive with lyme's and my dog contracted it before i came down with it (dog eventually died).  is it worth seeking out a specialist?  do long-term antibiotics help?  any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[margypops]

Yup mine was negative also , they just did what they called the Lyme Titer, he wouldnt order anything else, said he didnt think I had it, wouldnt listen, The only LLMD near me is a Naturopath and doesnt take any insurance its $495 for an hours visit and dont ask how much all the tests are , I am still contemplating whether to spend and just do it, the DH says listen to the Doc ,you havent got Lyme, I think I have .... brick wall.... I have given up, and the sypmtoms are worse than ever.

[Hope75]

You have to be very specific with what test and what lab.  Most are NOT accurate:)  Especially inaccurate is the screening test that you most likely had, the ELISA, as Patsy mentioned.  I also have peripheral neuropathy and fatigue - and have had 3 negative Lyme tests and finally got a positive ELISA at Johns Hopkins and then a positive IgM Western Blot thru Ignenex Labs, CA.  I live on the east coast, so I had my blood Fed Exed to CA.  It's that important, so please look into it.  Take care and keep us posted.

[patsy10]

What test did you have?  The first screening test that is usually ordered is the ELISA.  Not very accurate.  I think less than 40% accurate if I remember correctly.  I would consider seeing a doctor who specializes in lyme for an evaluation.  The antibiotics certainly helped me but it took awhile.