Quest lab test negative??? - Lyme Disease Message Board

gottagetbetter · 02-09-2005, 11:22 PM

hi all!! Well after many calls to the DR's office I finally have someone tell me my results on my tests. She informed me they were negative. I still have an appt with her this thursday morning. I am not sure if I should waste my co-pay going to see her or just hold out for Dr Crist. Do you think I should go in to get a copy of the test to take with me to Dr Crist. My appt with this DR was not a good one(didn't even care what my symptoms were). I know DR Crist is totally out of pocket and this DR is covered I am just not sure what to do. Any advice would be sooo appreciated!!
~P

cjFTWORTH · 02-10-2005, 08:13 AM

grrr...
so she does use quest with insurance. KNOWING all she knows.
You can have the lab results faxed to you. I did before my appts - they would also mail them to you. I no nothing about how informative quest results are - same readout as igenex??
I may not be the most unbiased person to ask. But if your tests are negative, I do wonder why you would need to put out more money with this doc. However, she very well may choose to treat you based on clinical symptoms. She's written research papers on all this that are on *****!!
If you do go back, I encourage you to go with some preparation - mentally, emotionally. If the copay is low, maybe you would learn something...

I still am amazed she sends blood to quest. I would think she'd tell you that insurance won't pay and advise you to pay the difference out of pocket, if that was the case...

Sorry for making this so much about me. Stirs up stuff, for sure. SO GLAD for you to have an appt. with Crist - that is FOR SURE!! Blessings, cj

sleeperwoken · 02-10-2005, 08:20 AM

Hi Gottagetbetter. I would definitely get a copy of that test sent to you before your visit with dr. C. Many traditional non-lyme doctors are taught that less than five bands of the ten potential bands can show a positive result and it would still be considered a negative result. That's really not a good way to look at it, I only had two bands and I was sick as a dog. Most doctors would have told me I had a negative test. Thank God my doctor treated me and I'm getting better.

If I were you, I would want to see all ten bands and even more detail if possible. Write back to us when you get your test and tell us what it says. Ticker will tell you what it means.

Betterdaysforme · 02-10-2005, 10:56 AM

Hi gottagetbetter
We almost have the same thread name, at least in spirit. When I had a Lyme test done 2 1/2 years ago by Quest it came back negative. When I went back to my doctor last summer he was still using Quest and it still came back negative but 1 band out of the 5 required came back reactive. I guess they just changed the way they were showing the tests. Anyway, I was still convinced it might be Lyme and my family doctor questioned why even one band would come back reactive if it wasn't Lyme. He felt it should have been no bands at all. He told me to contact an infectious disease doctor and I did. I gathered everything I could on Lyme and all of my symptoms, news articles, etc. and forwarded it to him to review. I really don't think he was 100% convinced but I approached it like I was not a total nut case (which by the way a lot of doctor's think especially if you don't live in the right part of the country like Dallas). His nurse and pharamcist said that he was very impressed with what I had to say and that is why he took a chance. Unfortunately my liver went crazy after 9 weeks on the Rocephin IV but after a 3 week layoff he has put me back on oral Doxy (not a large enough dose but a start). He finally became convinced it was Lyme when a lot (not all) of my symptoms started to go away. He also redid the Lyme test with Labcorp (not my choice but at least a different lab). It also came back reactive so at least I had 2 different labs saying there was some reactive stuff going on with me. I am probably facing a very long road ahead of me but at least something is being done. My suggestion is that if you can't find a Lyme doctor make sure you have all your ducks in order for whoever you see. They may not believe 100% but maybe you will be lucky enough to find somebody like I did. Now if I can just get him to raise my dosage after my next liver labs I'll be happy as a clam. I plan on seeing him armed with some of the threads from people on this website who are getting better even on 400 mg of Doxy ( double what he gave me). Good Luck and hang in there. Keep us posted.
betterdaysforme

gottagetbetter · 02-10-2005, 05:39 PM

I am asking myself if this DR as different personalties??? She was totally social to me this time. She was not surprsed that Quest came back neg. She also feels I do not have lyme. She says Lyme would not make my glands swollen for 2 yrs. I wouldn't have a low white blood count, I wouldn't be sick all the time with infections, and it wouldn't hit me like this has. As she was leaving the ofice she stated that she couldn't say one lab was better then the other but then she opened her eyes real big and said she couldn't tell me to test with Igenex. At this point I am thinking where is she coming from. She then asked why I hadn't started the Elavil that she perscribed. The lab results from Quest are weird ... they just say beside each band non reactive, they do not specifiy what each on was (ELISA). So I guess they are taking it open them selves if I am active or not. I had a test through lab cor ad that was neg too. Makes me wonder what the heck is wrong with me. I sure hope DR C can figure it out. I can tell you all this I CAN NOT go on living like this any longer.
~P