Humans need to know....why they are ill. I was not born with this illness but acquired it and only by knowing what my enemies were could I fight them more effectively.
I wish I could say it was as simple as "here's the test and here's the treatment don't let the door hit your arse on the way out"....many of these tests are not recognised by the NHS or Insurance companies so it's a battle to go this route. Private Doctors are expensive but if you get the right private Doctor then it will be time and money well spent and that's why I value On-Line Chat Groups as they are helpful and pass on details that can help in lots of different ways, products, supplements, books, therapists, Doctors, etc
Getting a positive test result does not guarantee you treatment !!
Even people who have been tested positive could find that they are given a few weeks of therapy and then told they you are....(a) cured… (b) never had it in the first place.... (c) you now have post lyme syndrome....hmm....
Blood Tests
Borellia Burgdorferi
in 'Cystic' or Coccoid form
Elisa & Western Blot
These tests should be done by a Lyme Literate Doctor (LLMD) the results will then be taken as part of the overall assessment and not the last word. If you go to a GP he will just accept the (most probable negative) result and that will be the end of it. Both tests have a very high failure rate in detecting Chronic Lyme vs early stage lyme which can also result in negative readings even after several tests. Igenex in the US has the most reliable Western Blot though nothing is 100% Dr. Shoemaker used this test on me. www.igenex.com
Borellia invading Cell
Live Blood Analysis
Under the microscope – seeing is believing! This has to be carried out by someone who is used to looking for Borrelia.
Bowen Labs, Florida
This is a blood test which looks for the organism itself NOT antibodies www.bowen.org
Medical Diagnostic Labs LLC, New Jersey
This is a Complete Tick Panel which tests for the most common pathogens, Babesia, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Borrelia and Ehrlichia www.mdlab.com. These tests should only be interpreted by an LLMD.
Note: Most Labs in the US will require a doctor to order the tests even though you are paying privately they will only send the results to your Doctor.
Other Useful Blood tips....
Transport....Fed Ex
www.fedex.com are well versed in handling blood samples, they will provide you with the appropriate forms and are very helpful. You simply put the blood vials in a styrofoam container and plastic bag, then a padded envelope, do not seal it Fed Ex will do that after they have inspected it....that’s the procedure!
Getting your blood taken if your Doctor is too far away....
if like me your Doctor is agreeable to ordering the tests but you can’t get to him....ring around to private hospitals in your area they should charge you a very reasonable fee to use their nurse to take it and hand it back to you. They will also spin it or separate it if necessary. A Doctor's request form and instructions on how the blood needs to be treated is essential. Usually it's just a matter of filling the vials and handing them back to you, they are not fazed at all. If you get rejected by a hospital, then try another one, someone will want to make some money!
Other Tests….
Contrast Visual Sensitivity Test CVS
This is probably the cheapest and most instant test you can do in the privacy of your own home. It was this test that got me started. It’s the test that confirmed that I had a Neurotoxin Mediated Illness. Once established I then had to find out WHAT the toxin or toxins were and where they came from, infection, chemicals, metals, pesticides, sick building syndrome, moulds etc. www.chronicneurotoxins.com
Fat (Needle) Biopsy
Since the body tries to protect vital organs, brain, heart, lungs etc, it stores toxins in the fat tissue, so looking at blood makes little sense (unless the exposure is recent and constant) FAT is where your history lies....a simple needle jab with a syringe in my 'spare tyre' was over in less than 10 seconds it was so simple and painless even for a wimp like me....I was expecting a small operation with a scapel....whew!
Biolab Weymouth Street, London www.biolab.co.uk
Hair Testing
Sometimes this works very well www.gsdl.com are one of several places doing this, personally I have not had any correlation, my hair samples never reflected what was going on, but its different for every one and when you are being the detective in your own illness you follow all the leads you can afford.
Toxic Element Profile
One of the most comprehensive tests for various metals, it uses urine and not blood. This test should be taken as a 'challenge or provocation' this means that you take a chelation drug like DMSA or DMPS whilst collecting the urine for 24 hours. These drugs pull the stored metals out into the urine if you do not take the drug then the metals stay where they are....in the bones and tissues and you will not have a true picture. My first lead result was 2.21 'unchallenged' and 42.87 when 'challenged'!
www.gsdl.com & www.biolab.co.uk
Mitochondrial Function Test
Tells you how you are managing your energy and where the deficits are, this is the reason why I am not interested in doing any graded exercise program where you just do 'another minute' after you know you are knackered! eg: When you run out of ATP then rest. This test is great for showing you specifically where you are deficient in vitamins and minerals, much better than just guessing and trying things randomly. The blood was just mailed by next day post to Biolab in London so I didn’t even have to go there. www.biolab.com
Cerebral Spinal Fluid via Lumbar Puncture
One of the members on the chat group said that she was talked into this procedure being told that if it wasn’t in the blood test it would definitely show up in the CSF....wrong it did no such thing and she has never been the same health wise since the procedure. Personally, I would never allow this procedure to be done on me as I have chronic back pain anyway and there are less invasive ways to answer my questions.
If free healthcare with no other options is being dangled in front of people I can understand the pressures to have this test, but there is no guarantee, if antibodies are not in the blood chances are they are not in the CSF either. Do further research and talk to as many people as you can, preferably patients, as with everything make informed decisions.
Chlamydia Test
Chlamydia is a common bacterial infection that can cause many symptoms such as prostatitis, urethritis, bladder and abdominal pains. It can even lead to infertility. Any GP will be able to test for this but you can also do a self test (a simple test similar to a pregnancy test kit) and get the answer in about 10 minutes £13.50 from www.testnow.co.uk
Often we write off everything to Lyme as it has so many symptoms, so this simple test should be done to rule it out of the equation.