Lyme Test Preference?

[maybaby]

We did the Igenex lyme test for my DD and she tested positive/IND for a few bands (IGM 31kDA +, 39 kDa IND, 41 kDa IND & IGG 41 kDa IND). Her doctor then ordered the Ceres Nanotrap Lyme Antigen Urine test. He believes the test has a 99% accurate diagnosis for lyme. The test results came back negative.

 

Has anyone else done with Ceres Nanotrap test? Are there other Lyme tests you would recommend?

 

For now. I'm discontinuing her lyme antibiotic treatment (even though the 8 week of antibiotics significanty reduced her tics/impulsivity/rages/etc.). But, I want to make sure there aren't other lyme tests I should consider.

[Sirena]

May baby, 

Despite what you were told, the western blot results as you have described them are indicative of a positive result and a negative nannotrap doesn't discount the WB results.

Sirena

[Sirena]

So what I mean is that even though the result was weak, the bands indicate exposure. Did you do the co-infection panels? Is there a history of high fever? R u seeing an ilads llmd?

Hang in there...

 

[bobh]

It is not completely clear what 99% accurate (assuming that is true) actually means.

There are different % numbers to consider for tests, and in your situation, the most important number for that Ceres Nanotrap Lyme Antigen Urine test is the false negative rate (i.e. the percentage of times it says no, when the answer is actually yes).  It won't be 0.

The 99% (if that is a good number) is probably the true positive rate (which is the percentage of times it says yes, when the answer is truly yes).  Many tests do well for true positives, but are not so good at being right when they say no.  That's because in some cases, and especially for lyme from what I hear, its hard to tell if its there, and if you can't tell, you have to report "no".

I did a quick search for "Ceres Nanotrap Lyme Antigen Urine" and "false negative rate", but couldn't readily see an independent (i.e. other than the manufacturer's claim) support for a value.  But I didn't look hard - you might want to search more.  Because the test is relatively new, I myself would have trouble trusting it fully (does it catch whatever new types of lyme may have been discovered recently, what if the lyme is in some kind of locked-down "hiding" mode or for some other reason isn't showing itself in urine, etc.).

Test many ways, test often, and if you get just one positive, it is more likely to be correct than several negatives.