Positive EBV Test - Possible Lyme?

[tzodrow]

This is my recent health history:

Came down and tested positive for mono in Feb 2017 (Severe throat, chills, ache, mild fatigue). Throughout 2017 every 5-6 weeks I would feel "sick" (mild aches/chills) for 48-72 hours. Not ideal, but not a disaster. As of Dec 1, I have been chronically ill and have not shown any improvement (Aches, chills, anxiety/depression). Had my blood work done for a variety of tests and was negative for everything (Including Western Blot) but Positive for EBV. Test results below:

EBV AB VCA IgM - 46 (>44 is positive)
EBV Early Antigen AB, IgG - 33 (>11 is positive)
EBV AB VCA, IgG - >600 (>22 is positive)
EBV Nuclear Antigen AB IgG - 79 (>22 is positive)

So essentially across the board HIGH EBV. My question is - does anyone think this could actually be lyme? I want to make sure as I know how insidious that can be. My symptoms don't honestly seem to fit either lyme or EBV (I have no fatigue). I really don't know how to interpret these results and if I should just assume it is a re-flare of the EBV/Mono I previously had and just something I might have to live with on/off for years.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[jodiesattva]

I have the same EBV results as you and I've had them for years, which aren't supposed to be possible and most doctors are very dismissive about it. I've "had mono" i.e. tested positive for the active infection at least 3 times in my life, which is also not supposed to be possible. But listen to me tell a doctor that and hear what the response usually is... crickets.

The EBV antibody tests alone don't show any relation to Lyme. EBV is viral and Lyme is bacterial, and they are contracted very differently. That doesn't mean you don't have concurrent infections. The western blot doesn't necessarily show all possible iterations of Lyme, but further Lyme tests are expensive and controversial.

As far as your symptoms, be glad you don't have fatigue. I hope you never get it or PEM leading to ME/CFS. As it stands now, I would assume that this is a re-up of mono and be super careful in your activity from now on. My final trigger seemed to be a combination of stress and weightlifting/exercise/calorie restriction. Not that losing weight isn't an important thing to do if you need to, but the amount of stress I was under at the time I think was the breaking point and was limiting my sleep as well - very bad.