Need info on Igenex Lyme test- is everyone positive??

TINUVIEL

Hi,

Welcome to the board.

Sorry you have been ill and are having to deal with all of this.

Igenex is a highly reputable lab. I did once hear someone say that "everyone is positive from that lab" but I know for a fact that that information is incorrect. I know of several people who have had negatives from Igenex. From what I have been told, Igenex employs only certified technicians whereas some other labs do not and also they use 100% pure Lyme antigen in conducting their tests whereas most other labs do not in order to save money.

If there are a high number of positives, it may very well be because by the time many people's bloodwork is sent to Igenex, that they've shown many Lyme symptoms because they have Lyme. So a high percentage of people sending bloodwork to Igenex are indeed Lyme infected.

There is no test which can absolutely rule out Lyme. As for the ELISA, you may already know this but it is a notoriously inaccurate test that misses over 60% of infections. Even the Western Blot is not completely reliable. There are a number of things which could produce a false negative. For this reason, the CDC states that Lyme is to be a clinical diagnosis.

An interesting fact: in the largest Lyme study conducted to date, that for the Lymerix vaccine which included 10,000 participants, it was found that 36% of the volunteers with proven Lyme disease (culture or DNA positive) never developed a positive western blot.

For more information on testing and treatment of Lyme disease I highly recommend the book 'Everything You Need To Know About Lyme Disease and Other Tick Borne Diseases' by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner.

ticker

Hi sickandconfused, welcome to the board!

I am sorry you have been so sick. Many people who have Lyme were first diagnosed with other diseases including Fibromyalgia, CFS, ALS, and MS.

As was stated, no Lyme test is completely reliable. From what I understand the ELISA is the least reliable and the one most doctors run first. Regarding the Western Blot, the CDC states that a large number of bands need to be positive for the test to be positive. Many people who have Lyme do not get this many bands. Often, Lyme doctors focus on which bands show. Some are positive for Lyme. The CDC also states that a negative test does not rule out Lyme!

Not everyone tests positive at IgeneX.

It is very important to see a knowledgeable doctor. Many doctors do not understand Lyme and treat with outdated protocols. Besides Lyme, ticks can transmit several co-infections including Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma. Many people who have Lyme are co-infected. It is important to be tested.