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Early Antigen EBV

LiveAgain

Senior Member
Messages
103
I've been working with my Dr. to try and find out what is causing my POTS and CFS. Good luck, right? I had positive early antigen EBV 9 and 10 years ago, so he decided to test again and it still shows as positive. Does this mean anything? He's saying it may be causing CFS and is thinking of trying me on Valtrex. I am ridiculously sensitive to medication and am hesitant to try this, unless this could really be IT. I've read that healthy people with no symptoms can show positive EBV. Anyone know anything? Also, has anyone here testing positive for EBV been significantly helped by Valtrex?

Thanks,
Naomi
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Hi LiveAgain, successful use of drugs like Valtrex has been hot news in our community for a decade. Some don't respond, some don't get much help, but most find it works to improve health. However, don't expect a short course will have any effect. Both Montoya and Lerner who research this find a prolonged course is necessary. Run a search on this site and you should get lots of hits. Bye, Alex
 

soxfan

Senior Member
Messages
995
Location
North Carolina
Do you know what your EA was? I read one of Montoya's criteria was for the EBV EA to be over 80 and mine was only 40...I am still trying to figure out if I should be treating or not..
 

LiveAgain

Senior Member
Messages
103
This is from 1999 -

EBV Capsid AB, IGG - 3.79 Ref. .00-.90
EBNA-G Antibody- 5.55 Ref. .00-110
EBV EA Antibody- 404.0 Ref. .00-110
EBV, Capsid AB, IGM- .00 Negative Ref. .00-.90

This is from 2000

EBV Capsid Ab, IGM- .22 Negative Ref. .00-.90
EBV EA AB- 333 Ref. .00-110
EBV Capsid AB (IGG) 4.62 Ref. .00-.90
EBNA AB (IGG) 3.61 Ref. .00-.90

I don't have numbers on my recent testing - the Dr. just said the Early Antigen is still positive. He said the lab just gives positive and negative, no numbers. What does all this mean?
 

Grape Funk

Senior Member
Messages
113
Location
USA
Definitely give it a try. I am on generic of Valtrex right now(3g day), and have been for 4 months almost. No results yet, but im waiting out the 7 months that is recommended by the doctors with experience with AVs. I did not test positive ever to EA igG, but i did to VCA (out of range) and EBNA. Also IgM was high every time i was in a bad relapse. Give it a try, just make sure if you have bacterial co- infections you take an antibiotic at the same time. I just found this out recently and in 2 weeks have got to ask for for my icky colored mucus.
 
Messages
26
Location
California
Are there principles of viral therapy?

Alex, thanks for the message. So you and others have found Valtrex can be effective over long period of time.
Interesting. I was in the office of Dr. Kogelnik, and he told me that's essentially useless and you have to go to
Valcyte. Well, Valcyte tore me to shreds. I am now wondering about returning to Valtrex, although it didn't seem to be
doing much --- but the Valcyte was doing way TOO MUCH!!!!

But none of my doctors checked viral PCR levels, which
might hold an important clue. If you have positive viral pcrs repeatedly with Valtrex, the inference might be that the drug is not working very effectively. It would then make sense to me to go on a somewhat reduced dosage of Valtrex
and check pcrs. I don't know why that is not used more often.

If one was treating a bacterial infection of the bladder, for example, one would be checking bacterial levels in the
urine by ordering repeat cultures. One would not rely one whether the patient reported feeling this or that. I'm
afraid I really don't understand the use of the principles behind purine analogs. Or maybe
there aren't any PRINCIPLES per se. Is it the drugs that are sloppy? Or is it the DOCTORS?????