Here is a patient who states he has been sick his entire life - seeing a parade of doctors for as long as he can remember. Childhood was tough and he was maladjusted. Diagnosed with: learning disabilities, ADD, depression and Asberger's syndrome at varying times. Always sickly, missing a lot of school. Abdominal pain, fatigue, fevers, colds, flus, headaches and other ailments. Now treated for depression and sleep apnea he feels he is not thinking as clearly for the last year. He notes: increased anxiety, trouble finding words, worsening depression, more ADD symptoms. He also admits to drinking too much and using marijuana about three days a week. Things have not gone well at work or at home recently.
He recalls removing a tick from his dog a few years ago - not sure what kind. He has some vague pains in his joints and muscles, occasional pins and needles in his hands and feet, some twitching around his eyes and occasional tremors. He grew up in Arizona in the 70s, moved here 10 years ago. And then someone said: get a Lyme test.
An LLMD sent extensive tests to IgeneX. Everything was negative except the Lyme Western Blot. He had IgM bands: 18,31,34. He saw an LLMD who diagnosed Lyme. He was treated with herbs and a month of antibiotics. It didn't help. He saw an infectious disease doctor who ordered a Western Blot through Labcorp. Only a 23 IgM showed up. He was told he did not have Lyme disease.
He now wants a third opinion - great.
A Western Blot from Stony Brook showed IgM bands 41 and 93.
His exam showed a mild postural tremor, otherwise normal.
OK, so maybe you are thinking he got Lyme by vertical transmission from his mother. Seems pretty unlikely in Arizona in the 60s.
The labs are positive for Lyme, right. All three labs found highly specific bands; they just didn't agree. Not even a little. Labcorp, 23 band, OspC. IgeneX 31,34, Osp A and B. Stony Brook 93 band, flagellum protein, only found in Lyme.
He didn't Herx.
I ordered a course of high dose antibiotics and asked the patient to return for a Lyme PCR in two weeks.
I am discouraged about Western Blots. All three labs use different kits and different procedures. I have noticed certain biases. Labcorp gets a lot of 23s. Stony Brook gets a lot of 93s. And IgeneX finds more 31s.
People can interpret the tests according to their own biases. The IDSA is wrong but all test results need to be interpreted with caution.
This is a frustrating case. The next test will likely be negative.
My answer: Lets fix the other stuff and then see what remains. He needs to be checked for: B12, Vit D, Celiac and a few others. Perhaps I can be persuaded to check: DHEAS, Histamine, Copper, Zinc, TIBC/ Ferritin, TSH and thyroid antibodies with new guidelines and screen for heavy metals.
Sorting out the chaff from the grain is not going to be easy.
I would be doing him a disservice if I treat for Lyme now.
Acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal therapy would be much better than what I have to offer - along side Western psychiatric help.
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