Just got results back- help!

Hey all! I’m new here and I just got my western blot for Lyme blood test results back and have no idea what they mean! My doctor never called me back! So I was hoping for some guidance here! My test results show that I am IgM P39 Ab. &
IgG P23 Ab. Positive. Any insight?

dktwo said...
Hey all! I’m new here and I just got my western blot for Lyme blood test results back and have no idea what they mean! My doctor never called me back! So I was hoping for some guidance here! My test results show that I am IgM P39 Ab. &
IgG P23 Ab. Positive. Any insight?

Hi dktwo - welcome!

Both bands 39 and 23 are lyme ‘specific’ - meaning that only Lyme will cause those bands to show.

I assume you have symptoms that can be attributed to Lyme disease and it prompted you to test?

Those test results will back up a clinical diagnosis.

Do you need help finding a lyme Literate dr?
Re: testing for the coinfections - you might want to wait and see what the LLMD suggests as some don’t ask for more testing - and those that do may have specific tests they want you to have.

We encourage all new members to look through the information in the thread: “New to Lyme?... Start Here!”

Yeah, the combo of multi-systemic symptoms and positive band 23 (lyme specific) would indicate lyme is in play. Unfortunately treatment is often expensive, many llmds can't take insurance because the companies will go after them for treating outside of the conventional guidelines.

One alternative is pursuing herbal treatments. It can still be somewhat expensive but not as expensive as the LLMD route. Stephen Buhner's website and books on these infections are very informative. It can take a lot of do-it yourself research to figure out the right strategies, and quite a bit of trial and error. I'd look into Buhner's basic protocols (on his website) and would try out the lyme protocol first if you decide to go that route. Dr Horowitz's book How Can I Get Better is also a good resource, but it is a more pharma-based approach.

This stuff can be overwhelming! But over time as you research little by little you'll get a better handle on things. It can be a bit of a process, but there are many ways to get better from this stuff. Many angles to look at.

Do you think your kids' have lyme? it has been documented that it can be passed from mother to child in utero.

dktwo said...
Yes. I was looking through that post and was reading through the symptoms and I literally have like 90% of the symptoms . I’m pretty sure I was bitten when I was a young girl. Probably around the age of 13 or so. I am 29 now. I specifically remember being bit actually and just recently where I was bitten, in my scalp, I now have a bald spot from losing chunks of hair. Always just thought I was out of shape or something. But over the past few years the burning sensation in my muscles have intensified greatly. I do need to find an ilads certified doctor. But I’m told that none accept insurance . Is this true ? I’ve also heard that I can pass it on to my children while they were in my uterus ? Does anyone know anything about that? I’m so glad I found this forum. I’m overwhelmed and exhausted. And terrified . I hear treatment is very expensive. Thanks for your responses!!

I think there are some llmd's that accept insurance - but they may be few and far between.

Yes, it can be passed on in utero. There is a specific test - they test the cord of the newborn for lyme.

You will need to keep an eye on your children for symptoms....and having them tested is a good idea as well.

drop11 said...
What about a single band (Inderterminate) intensity on 41* IgM? Is that Lyme specific as well?

Band 41 isn’t considered specific but it does mean a flagella (tail) of a spirochete... which can be borrelia.
Band 41 combined with other bands can equal a positive test result.

The testing should be used as a backup to a clinical diagnosis (symptoms, known tick bite, in endemic area...)