Is Stage 1 Lyme disease curable?

Is Stage 1 Lyme disease curable?

If diagnosed in the early stages, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics. Without treatment, complications involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. But these symptoms are still treatable and curable.

Can a positive Lyme test be something else?

A positive result means that Borrelia antibodies were found and that you may have had or have Lyme disease. False-positive results sometimes do occur. This means the test could say you have the infection when you don’t.

How long do Lyme titers stay positive?

In the absence of treatment, IgM titers usually peak 6-8 weeks after infection and disappear within 4-6 months, although levels sometimes remain elevated for several months or years. IgG antibodies are typically detectable within 6-8 weeks after infection, peak within 4-6 months, and remain elevated indefinitely.

Will you test positive for Lyme after treatment?

Once you have Lyme disease, the antibodies remain in your blood. So even after you have been treated for the disease, you might still have positive blood tests. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Your doctor will discuss your course of treatment in detail if you test positive for the bacterial infection.

Which antibiotic is best for Lyme disease?

Antibiotics. Oral antibiotics. These are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease. These usually include doxycycline for adults and children older than 8, or amoxicillin or cefuroxime for adults, younger children, and pregnant or breast-feeding women.

What are the steps to test for Lyme disease?

CDC currently recommends a two-step testing process for Lyme disease. Both steps are required and can be done using the same blood sample. If this first step is negative, no further testing is recommended. If the first step is positive or indeterminate (sometimes called “equivocal”), the second step should be performed.

How often do igenex test positive for Lyme disease?

In these studies IGenex required two positive bands from the following 23-25, 31, 34, 39, 41, and 83-93. The tests were performed on blood samples known to be positive for Lyme 36% of the time. Even though band 41 is not that specific for Lyme, IGenex still includes it in determining a positive Lyme test.

When to disregard a positive Lyme disease test?

According to the CDC, “Positive IgM results should be disregarded if the patient has been ill for more than 30 days.” In 2019, the CDC added a second test system to its recommended tests, the Modified Two-Tiered Test (MTTT). In the MTTT, the second tier is a different ELISA that is FDA-cleared specifically for the MTTT.

What is the IgM score for Lyme disease?

The Lyme IgM Western Blot test measures 3 different types of antibodies. The North American IgM Western Blot is considered positive only if 2 of 3 IgM bands are positive (or reactive). The scored IgM bands are 24 kDa (OspC)†, 39 kDa (BmpA), and 41 kDa (Fla).