What is the test for Lyme that is definitive?

[Dedee]

Forgive my aging memory. I know there have been several posts and discussions about this before. I am thinking about doing the new test on my son that is new and supposed to be absolute. I know you have to be off antibiotics for like six weeks but he is off them right now. This is my oldest son who we believe is only a strep responder. He has never responded to treatment in the past for lyme. He does have what looks like the "bartonella rash", and has had for a while. I had our LLMD look at it and she thought it looked like it as well. So that was when we decided to treat him and just see if he responded (last year). Treated for 3 months and he said he felt no different one way or another so we stopped. Well a couple of months ago his dermatologist put him on minocyline for acne. All the sudden he starts feeling really bad. Tells me he is having bad headaches, and terrible brain fog, can't think straight, etc. So this is my son who NEVER complains about anything. Doesn't like to bring attention to himself. I told him it could be the antibiotic and maybe it would go away after a week or so. Well after about 3 or 4 days he tells me he just can't take it anymore, he feels so bad and just can hardly think to get through school. Really? I tried to talk to him about how maybe he really does have lyme or bartonella and this is a herx reaction etc. He was in total denial (his favorite coping skill), said nope that's not it. He thinks it's just a bad reaction to the medicine and he wants to stop taking it. Well he is 17 and I can't make him take it. What I do want to do though is test him in the most definitive way possible so that we can both know. I know it's an expensive test but we have met our deductible and I think our insurance will reimburse most of it. Truth is I'm not convinced either. His symptoms aren't clear cut. He is a very private person and a good kid over all. So can anyone help me out here? I really appreciate the testing guidance!

 

Dedee

[LNN]

I think you're talking about Advanced Labs http://www.advanced-lab.com/ I don't know that it will give you the proof your son needs tho. I think it detects about 80% of Bb infections - I don't think it will detect cysts or intra-cellular (l-form) lyme. And it's not a test for bartonella. But worth calling the lab or checking their site.

[philamom]

We did not receive reimbursement from our insurance for the Advanced Lab culture (fyi). It was $500 or 595 when we ran it a year ago. We received a positive culture and was sent a photo with 3 spirochetes shown.

 

The test for biolfilms is from Fry labs, I think. Also expensive.

 

A good test for Bartonella is Galaxy, I believe. Again, also expensive.

[trintiybella]

I am no help.. but thinking of you philamom!!! Your always so helpful to everyone and I hope you get he guidance that you need for your son. Tough age. Ugh!!

[queenmother]

fwiw, I can't take minocycline either. But I have no problem with doxycycline nor does my daughter. I think the minocycline is better and works through the nervous system (or so I'm told) but I just cannot tolerate it at all. Maybe you could try doxy instead. When my daughter took doxycycline for acne, her very-strange-purple-stretchmark-striation rash cleared up and went away. This was before we knew anything at all about Bartonella..had never heard of it. Now we know from her titers that she indeed had Bartonella and she is back on doxy. I only know about the Ignex testing, sorry.

QM