igenix lyme testing

[Kathy4Him]

IgeneX tests for lyme

 

For those of you who have done this test, can you please tell me which tests I should order.

 

I have ordered kit, his Dr is going to test and want to make sure we do right ones.

 

The Complete lyme test is one but what about for co-infections???

 

We know when our son was 7-9 he was bit by ticks in Arkansas...Petijean and Degray Lake.

 

Thanks!!!!

 

Kathy

Edited July 8, 2013 by Kathy N

[LNN]

We just did the basic lyme panel for $200 (back then). I decided to put the money we might've spent on additional testing toward the first consult with our LLMD and then let him decide what additional testing was necessary. He then used a different lab to test for bartonella that was covered by insurance and he never felt the other co-infections applied to my DS.

 

You may also want to call them and see what they might recommend, given your geographical risks. UNF recently discovered new strains of lyme that aren't part of current tests http://news.wjct.org/post/unf-researchers-make-big-discovery-about-lyme-disease - so in addition to all the pitfalls of lyme testing, there's the added pitfall that not all strains are tested for. It's one reason that lyme remains a clinical diagnosis, like Pandas.

 

Your other option is to look into Advanced Labs' test http://www.advanced-lab.com/spirochete.php which would give you "proof" of a live spirochette - but I don't know it their culture is specific to Borellia Burgdorfi or additional strains. May be worth a call to them as well. I know Philamom has done their test. You may want to send her a PM for her thoughts.

[philamom]

My suggestions would be the same as LLM. We run the Igenex Western Blot IgM/IgG (on back of form separately) for $200. We do at times run individual co-infections through Igenex, but they are always negative. Our Bartonella testing is done through Specialty Lab/Nicholas (now ran by Quest but needs to be written to be done at their calif lab) and was positive. Bartonella is very elusive and difficult to yield a positive.

 

I'm pretty sure the Advanced Culture is only checking for Borrelia. You could always call them to ask - they were very friendly on the phone with my questions.

Edited July 9, 2013 by philamom

[momcap]

I'm not sure what their current prices are, but a few years ago I spent $600 on the complete lyme panel for myself, and when it came back positive (CDC positive too) I took my whole family to a LLMD. The LLMD ordered the western blot IgM & IgG only for $200. They all came back positive. So I feel like the complete $600 test was overkill in my situation and I wasted some money.

[msimon3]

We did the full coinfection panel, and we were glad we did. Our rationale was that Lyme testing is not perfect, and more tests correlating to a positive result or a negative result would be good to have. Statistically speaking, more data would be better than less data, especially when confronting false positives or false negatives. Also, since Lyme is one of many tick-borne diseases then there is a good chance that we would see one or more coinfections, which we did. We also paired the Igenex test with a Western Blot from a standard lab (Labcorp) to look for any correlation on WB bands.

[Pandasphilly]

We just paid $750 for what I believe is the igenex complete coinfection panel ordered by Dr. Kenneth Bock on our first visit. I can pull the paperwork if you'd like me to get the test number. I am still awaiting results but we felt it would be helpful to either rule in or rule out.