Lyme Disease Support Group

I will explain what this means in depth later. Please do not stop pursuing this. We are actually in a VERY similar boat. I had one doctor tell me the same thing. I will explain why I am skeptical of them saying it's a 'past' infection.

One thing is that in the first 2-6 weeks of an infection the body creates an IgM response. IgM responses are for NEW infections. Infections the body can't recognize, yet.

IgG happens after those 2-6 weeks. This response happens when your body REMEMBERS the infection.

Lyme is just as much bacteriological infection as it is an autoimmune dysfunction. The lyme causes the immune system to malfunction.

Many scientists believe Lyme actually inhibits the bodies ability to make a memory of it, thus not creating an IgG response.

If it can't make a memory, the body is not getting a handle on it. AND the body is treating it like a NEW infection.

The fact that you and I both still have an IgM response, to me says it may be an ACTIVE.

Later i went on to get more testing and i had not only band 23 on that test, the 39 and 41 in IgM along with a bunch of other bands through a controversial lab where I had p100, and visE among others that were ALL positive.

So, please don't give up pursuing this.

In my opinion, get tested again. See if more shows up.

The Lyme changes it's outer proteins every couple weeks. When that happens, the antibodies change as well in response to these proteins, and thus the bands.

More bands = more evidence for ppl like me and you.

Also, if this dr doesn't believe you, find another one. Not just evidence for a doctor, but, for me, peace of mind that I am investigating this as completely as I can, gathering as much data as I can.

If you have ruled everything else out, and you get some more bands that are quite conclusive bands, you will know. Go with you gut.

I hope this helps

I was negative with another lab and only had band 23 and band 41. Since 23 was specific for lyme, I got tested again through Igenex a month later and was very, very positive. If you combined my two tests you ended up with every marker for CDC past and present infection.

At the end of the day, lyme is a clinical diagnosis made by an LLMD. If you have clinical lyme and one of the lyme-specific bands, they will very likely put u on antibiotics. If you have an usual reaction to antibiotics-feeling worse or better-then you have it for sure.

The sicker people have the least markers because the markers are just a measure of your immune system. So if your immune system is tired from the fight, you will be less positive.

Good luck and please find yourself and LLMD. You are in the same boat I was 10 months ago!

Sharon

The only thing you need to understand about band 23 is that it is completely Lyme-specific. Nothing else ever in our bodies will make

band 23 appear.

And you're right. The spirochete does not like the blood as that's where it can be found. So it hides deep in tissues and etc., to keep

safe from our immune functions.