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list of blood test to take PLEASE HELP

Messages
52
i believe my doctor would be willing to do the blood work for me if i could give him a list.

i have been reading here and trying to put a list together, but frankly i am so new i don't know what a lot of the test mean and if they apply to the various virus and what the proper drugs are to take once the test come back.

it would be so helpful to know just what test to take for all the virus possible for both me/cfs.
and the ones for damaged methylation, XMRV, ect

i would so appreciate the input

thanks denise
 
Messages
13
Hi Denise,
Unfortunately you GP will not be able to test you for most of the things you need to look at. That is one of many fun things about this illness. If you haven't done so, start simple with getting your EBV titers tested. You will have to educate yourself on the different results you may see. If you get a combination that indicates a reactivation then you start seriously asking why! They will say to you "I don't know why and it's nothing to worry about". Don't believe them and keep looking for answers. Good luck.
 
Messages
52
Hi Denise,
Unfortunately you GP will not be able to test you for most of the things you need to look at. That is one of many fun things about this illness. If you haven't done so, start simple with getting your EBV titers tested. You will have to educate yourself on the different results you may see. If you get a combination that indicates a reactivation then you start seriously asking why! They will say to you "I don't know why and it's nothing to worry about". Don't believe them and keep looking for answers. Good luck.

but there must be more, like
xmrv, cmv ,hhv6, pcp, culture test i don't know what they are but heard them mentioned

there just has to be a few important one to start with to help me find which virus i have so maybe i can get on some meds.

why can't they test me for these?

thanks
d
 

Tony Mach

Show me the evidence.
Messages
146
Location
Upper Palatinate, Bavaria
First of all, there are two areas where you can do blood tests:
1. For a differential diagnosis (looking what else it could be)
2. For judging ME/CFS

For the first area, there are some tests your doctor should do (if you haven't had these tests already), like test for hypothyroidism, celiac disease, allergies and so on. This should be more or less "standard fare" and your doctor should know these, and he should know which to pick depending on your symptoms.

For the second area, there are no "definitive" blood tests for ME/CFS. There are some blood tests that can be done but you need to have a doctor that can interpret them and knows what treatment to do. There is no "proven" treatment, so the few doctors that there are treating ME/CFS are each doing their own cocktail of treatments, each one has his/her own cause of ME/CFS and it is difficult taking the treatment from one doctor and teaching it to another...

I would do the following tests (not only blood):

- NK-cell function test ( http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/6/1403 and http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010817 )
This should give you an indication if you have ME/CFS or something else. (If you take Vitamin D, this test might be meaningless, as VitD increases nk-cell function)

- Have a cortisol profile made. Many people with ME/CFS have a (more or less) flat profile, some too low in the morning, some too high in the evening. But there is no treatment options, this is just a blood test to "feel".

- Make a tilt-table test (maybe a poor-man's tilt-table test first). Maybe you have POTS/OI ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s1526-5900(09)00574-4 ), maybe some medication targeting alpha- or beta-receptors (low dose beta-blockers or maybe alpha-agonist) might help. A cardiologist could help, but its difficult to find a proper one.

- Test for all Herpes viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, EBV, CMV, VZV, HHV-6). Some active herpes viruses have distinct symptoms (like blisters or zoster) you can look for and most of all, there are anti-virals that help some people with ME/CFS. (It only helps few, but hey!)

- Have a "neutralizing test" for coxsackie group B viruses (a subgroup of Enteroviruses). B3, B4 and B5 are the ones most likely. Then you could try Equilibrant by Dr. John Chia, see if it helps.

- Maybe try John Chia's test for Enteroviruses (but he needs a stomach biopsy and the test is expensive)

- Regarding XMRV, I personally would wait until the Lipkin study announces its result, which maybe will be this year.

It is an awful state of affairs...
 

valia

Senior Member
Messages
207
Location
UK
Hello DANEL,

I took this some time ago from a post made here by Cold Taste of Tears (no longer a member).



BLOOD WORK UP

Consider the following to show immune dysfunction/supression + inflammation/exhaustion.

HS-CRP (Must be HS)
Isoprostanes
Inflammatory Cytokines + Chemokines <----- *Must have test
NKC Function <----- *Must have test
Lymphocyte Enumerational Panel <----- *Must have test
Oxidative injury/Apoptosis <-- Important
Nitric Oxide (NO & iNOS) <-- Important
Cell free DNA: UK test
DNA adducts (pre cancerous lesions measure chemicals etc): UK test
Mitochondrial function through ATP measurement: UK test <-- Important
T Cell count + function <-- Important
B Cell count + function <-- Important
Elastase <-- Important
Perforin
TNF-a
PKR (Protein Kinase)
RN-aseL cleavage (Red Labs Belgium/VIPdx) <-- Important
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
sometimes you have to send blood to special labs for the most accurate testing. for example, igenex is best for lyme, focus or specialty labs is best for the herpes virus antibodies (although PCR might be best at MDL), mycoplasma PCR is best at MDL, etc
 
Messages
52
First of all, there are two areas where you can do blood tests:
1. For a differential diagnosis (looking what else it could be)
2. For judging ME/CFS

For the first area, there are some tests your doctor should do (if you haven't had these tests already), like test for hypothyroidism, celiac disease, allergies and so on. This should be more or less "standard fare" and your doctor should know these, and he should know which to pick depending on your symptoms.

For the second area, there are no "definitive" blood tests for ME/CFS. There are some blood tests that can be done but you need to have a doctor that can interpret them and knows what treatment to do. There is no "proven" treatment, so the few doctors that there are treating ME/CFS are each doing their own cocktail of treatments, each one has his/her own cause of ME/CFS and it is difficult taking the treatment from one doctor and teaching it to another...

I would do the following tests (not only blood):

- NK-cell function test ( http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/6/1403 and http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010817 )
This should give you an indication if you have ME/CFS or something else. (If you take Vitamin D, this test might be meaningless, as VitD increases nk-cell function)

- Have a cortisol profile made. Many people with ME/CFS have a (more or less) flat profile, some too low in the morning, some too high in the evening. But there is no treatment options, this is just a blood test to "feel".

- Make a tilt-table test (maybe a poor-man's tilt-table test first). Maybe you have POTS/OI ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s1526-5900(09)00574-4 ), maybe some medication targeting alpha- or beta-receptors (low dose beta-blockers or maybe alpha-agonist) might help. A cardiologist could help, but its difficult to find a proper one.

- Test for all Herpes viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, EBV, CMV, VZV, HHV-6). Some active herpes viruses have distinct symptoms (like blisters or zoster) you can look for and most of all, there are anti-virals that help some people with ME/CFS. (It only helps few, but hey!)

- Have a "neutralizing test" for coxsackie group B viruses (a subgroup of Enteroviruses). B3, B4 and B5 are the ones most likely. Then you could try Equilibrant by Dr. John Chia, see if it helps.

- Maybe try John Chia's test for Enteroviruses (but he needs a stomach biopsy and the test is expensive)

- Regarding XMRV, I personally would wait until the Lipkin study announces its result, which maybe will be this year.

It is an awful state of affairs...

tony,
thank you so much for this. i will start there, but i have had the standard blood test done. i have mold illness, infections, heavy metals, thyroid hashmoto, high rt3, had stool test done, gut is a mess, with yeast/fungus/2 parasites, high trigy and homeocysteine, low chlolesterol, glu, cysteine, minerals, on and on

want to find the right methy cycle protocol for me and address the infections, esp viruse.

any more suggestions please say

thanks for the help

denise
 
Messages
52
Hello DANEL,

I took this some time ago from a post made here by Cold Taste of Tears (no longer a member).



BLOOD WORK UP

Consider the following to show immune dysfunction/supression + inflammation/exhaustion.

HS-CRP (Must be HS)
Isoprostanes
Inflammatory Cytokines + Chemokines <----- *Must have test
NKC Function <----- *Must have test
Lymphocyte Enumerational Panel <----- *Must have test
Oxidative injury/Apoptosis <-- Important
Nitric Oxide (NO & iNOS) <-- Important
Cell free DNA: UK test
DNA adducts (pre cancerous lesions measure chemicals etc): UK test
Mitochondrial function through ATP measurement: UK test <-- Important
T Cell count + function <-- Important
B Cell count + function <-- Important
Elastase <-- Important
Perforin
TNF-a
PKR (Protein Kinase)
RN-aseL cleavage (Red Labs Belgium/VIPdx) <-- Important

thank you ,

did you do any testing or any of this or the ones tony mentioned?

how necessary is the testing?
or do we just start the protocols and supplemnets for methy, chelate heavy metals, and address mold. i really think i need to address the virus part of this. with supplements, homeo, and maybe the valcyte or valtrex

what are your thoughts

thanks

denise
 
Messages
52
sometimes you have to send blood to special labs for the most accurate testing. for example, igenex is best for lyme, focus or specialty labs is best for the herpes virus antibodies (although PCR might be best at MDL), mycoplasma PCR is best at MDL, etc

it is like greek, whay is this so hard to diagnose and treat. seems to be hit and miss?

do people get well and recover from this, with getting the methy straightened out, chelation, detox mold, etc.

somedays it feels so hopeless.

denise
 
Messages
52
Hi Denise~ First make sure your doctor has ruled out these: http://chronicfatigue.stanford.edu/overview/diagnosis.html
Then click on each infection, then "lab tests" to find some other tests to run: http://chronicfatigue.stanford.edu/infections/
Then click on this link: http://chronicfatigue.stanford.edu/resources/ and scroll down and read about "Instructions and Order Forms for Laboratory Tests"

Hope this helps.
Timaca

i have printed all this off and i see a environmental dr in sept and will present all. i want to be checked for lyme and patogens and endovirus.

i know i have mold illness, so unsure if i test all dr shoemakers list and dreaded gene or just treat with csm, natural, homeo, sauna, etc the sx and avoid mold.

i know i have the heavy metals, so i am chelating with dr cutler protocol. it is all just so slow.

biggest problem is gut, suffer every day, in a couple of weeks having colonoscopy to rule out the worst. and trying to heal gut, down to just a few foods, lots of weight lose.

it's the virus, bacteria i think is doing the worst damage.
and hard to find a dr. the DO i am seeing now says he is infectious disease and helps with lyme through abx and herbal, yet only wants to treat me with muscles testing, i have to beg for lab work,
so i will see this other guy and hope he can help.

it is difficult to find a mold, mercury, me/cfs, infectious disease, dr all rolled into one.
thanks for the help

denise