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Posted 1/29/2020 2:09 PM (GMT -5)
I've now had the following done so far:

- Elisa (twice, both negative)
- Bartonella Hensalae IgM (negative)
- Bartonella Hensalae IgG (negative)
- Western Blot (negative aside from 41)

I know it's possible to have negative testing but still be affected. Is the 41 band being positive meaningful?

I have an appointment with a Dr who speciaizes in Lyme next month, FWIW.
Posted 1/29/2020 4:26 PM (GMT -5)
I had all of those results, too. Doesn't mean much.

It took years for my body to produce antibodies to Borrelia bergdorferi so that I could test positive on a western blot, since one of Lyme's best tricks is messing up the immune system. I was negative via IGeneX as well. I tested positive to Borrelia hermsii first, early on. Then positive for the three Bs through PCR urine testing. Then years later I tested positive for Borrelia bergdorferi for the first time, but of course I had assumed I had it all along and had been treating accordingly.

The LLMD you see will know how to test you more accurately. They know which tests and labs are most accurate, and can make clinical diagnoses.
Posted 1/29/2020 4:28 PM (GMT -5)
If it took years to get there, did you have to wait to start treatment?
Posted 1/29/2020 4:48 PM (GMT -5)
You could always buy some Cat's Claw on amazon and take it to see if you herx... then when you get tested again in a month you might have a more positive result. That's what I did, kind of unintentionally, before I knew I had Lyme.
Posted 1/29/2020 4:56 PM (GMT -5)
No, I had an LLMD who diagnosed me clinically (meaning based on signs and symptoms). There are other tests that can point toward Lyme, too, like c4a and CD57. It helped that I had the positive test for Borrelia hermsii, though, so my doctor could be sure that there was a tick involved and therefore likely many other infections. You definitely can start treatment without a positive test.
Posted 1/29/2020 5:05 PM (GMT -5)
Does one band being positive suggest if I have something it is in the early stages? I hope treatment has helped you!
Posted 1/29/2020 5:28 PM (GMT -5)

UAZip05 said...
I've now had the following done so far:

- Elisa (twice, both negative)
- Bartonella Hensalae IgM (negative)
- Bartonella Hensalae IgG (negative)
- Western Blot (negative aside from 41)

I know it's possible to have negative testing but still be affected. Is the 41 band being positive meaningful?

I have an appointment with a Dr who speciaizes in Lyme next month, FWIW.

Was this an Igenex WB?

Yes, band 41 is meaningful.
Band 41 represents the flagella (tail) of a spirochete. Lyme, along with some other bacteria’s (periodontal disease, Syphillis, Relapsing Fever plus a couple others) can result in band 41.

If you have symptoms consistent with lyme, it’s probably lyme with band 41.

Lyme is a clinical diagnosis with testing used to back it up
Posted 1/29/2020 5:43 PM (GMT -5)
It was not Igenex, my PCP ordered it.

If it is Lyme, does only having one band suggest anything else (severity of disease, stage of infection, etc)? Would Igenex show more?
Posted 1/29/2020 5:44 PM (GMT -5)

orbitingaround said...
You could always buy some Cat's Claw on amazon and take it to see if you herx... then when you get tested again in a month you might have a more positive result. That's what I did, kind of unintentionally, before I knew I had Lyme.

What is Cat's Claw? I'm new to all of this!
Posted 1/29/2020 6:14 PM (GMT -5)

UAZip05 said...
It was not Igenex, my PCP ordered it.

If it is Lyme, does only having one band suggest anything else (severity of disease, stage of infection, etc)? Would Igenex show more?

If it’s important to you - you can test via Igenex. Lyme WB IgM and IgG is $250

No it doesn’t show severity or stage if infection.
The Western Blot relies on our immune system to mount a response - often with lyme our immune system is weakened - and won’t produce the antibodies necessary for a positive test result.


Igenex is one of the best Labs for testing tickborne illnesses - they specialize in it - it’s all they do.

Some labs don’t test for all the lyme specific bands.
Posted 1/29/2020 6:17 PM (GMT -5)

Girlie said...

UAZip05 said...
It was not Igenex, my PCP ordered it.

If it is Lyme, does only having one band suggest anything else (severity of disease, stage of infection, etc)? Would Igenex show more?

If it’s important to you - you can test via Igenex. Lyme WB IgM and IgG is $250

No it doesn’t show severity or stage if infection.
The Western Blot relies on our immune system to mount a response - often with lyme our immune system is weakened - and won’t produce the antibodies necessary for a positive test result.


Igenex is one of the best Labs for testing tickborne illnesses - they specialize in it - it’s all they do.

Some labs don’t test for all the lyme specific bands.

Would it show more than the one I had done? My results showed I was tested for this:

18 KD (IGG) BAND
23 KD (IGG) BAND
28 KD (IGG) BAND
30 KD (IGG) BAND
39 KD (IGG) BAND
41 KD (IGG) BAND
45 KD (IGG) BAND
58 KD (IGG) BAND
66 KD (IGG) BAND
93 KD (IGG) BAND
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