C3a and C4a

[lss]

Has anyone had the C3a and C4a run to test for lyme, if so, what do you doctors say about this?

[Fixit]

Has anyone had the C3a and C4a run to test for lyme, if so, what do you doctors say about this?

 

LLM...i'm stealing a post you had on the pandas site...

thought this might be useful for lss

 

3. C3a and C4a immune complexes (these are early markers of lyme and might be covered by insurance - http://www.surviving..._08_glovsky.pdf)

4. C3d immune complex - a rise in this can tell you if there's a chronic infection and elevated complexes can cause false negatives on other tests (tho if you're doing the C3a and C4a, this one could probably be skipped - as far as I know, it isn't a test for a specific antigen)

[MichaelTampa]

These posts are timely for me, thank you. Just had my LLMD apptment yesterday, see him about every 8-10 weeks. We feel like I am getting close to end of treatment, ordering CD57 test again (was still horribly low 2 months ago, but that's a long time ago), but he also ordered C4A (no C3, just C4A). He didn't explain it, I know about a lot of other treatments and tests, I could tell the way he was talking he thought I knew about it. While I have heard them posted on this board or PANDAS, no idea what the test was for.

[MichaelTampa]

That link Fixit posted doesn't load up (at least now, on my computer). Here is one from ilads that has some info.

 

http://www.ilads.org/files/compendium07/Stricker.pdf

[LNN]

Try this

http://www.survivingmold.com/docs/Resources/Shoemaker%20Papers/Lyme_acute_C4a_1_08_glovsky.pdf

 

From my (very) limited reading, C3a and C4a immune complexes both rise in early lyme. In chronic lyme, only C4a is elevated. But these are also involved in other diseases (lupus and HIV are the ones I remember). I think it's just another way of looking for indirect evidence of certain infections that are known to activate these immune pathways. Congratulations on your closing in on the finish line!

 

(Fixit - steal away!)

[Fixit]

Michael..SOOO EXCITING!!!!

Do you feel that you are close to end of treatment..

has your body responded correspondingly!!!

 

i guess i'm asking if you agree with your doctor.

 

Thanks llm and i didn't check to see if it worked when i move it over...

[MichaelTampa]

My symptoms have just reduced a lot. They are still there, and the fatigue varies by day now, which is a huge improvement over extreme fatigue every day. So that's what makes me feel I'm close. He has this sheet where you grade your symptoms each visit, and that guides him a lot, and it was from those numbers (at least in part) that made him suggest we may be close to an end.

 

He said the way he like to stop is "pulsing". He told me to start by skipping the drugs on Saturday/Sunday, and then after a while, also skip Tuesday/Thursday, and then after a while, stop completely. He said I'll know better than anyone when the right time is to do these things, and just watch how things go, if things get worse, then it was too early. We'll see. I'm not inclined to even stop for weekends until I see a really nice CD57.

 

Yes, yes, it is a bit exciting, even if it is just talking and thinking about the finish line.