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Valentijn I could only recall that you two had used Infecto labs (anyone that has used Infectolabs is welcome to chime in). I have the paperwork for Infectolabs and Igenex. Since Igenex was such a weak result (overall negative but some response on WB for four lyme bands). I am hesitant to pay for another Igenex test, worried results will not be any different (not a reflection on IGenex just my immune system condition).
Now I am trying to decide and I'm leaning towards Infecto labs since they will communicate results to me directly and they have some co-infection tests I am interested in having run (I did not have any co-infection tests run at IGenex). Should I let Infectolabs know about IGenex results and CD57 or just see what they find (thinking about not telling them the other results to minimize possible bias if that is even possible).
Some questions I have (I am also sending some of these ?'s to Infectolab).
1. They mention specific color caps for the tubes....are these colors recognized internationally? Is a red cap EDTA tube the same thing in USA as in Germany? I want to be sure my lab will be collecting the blood in the tubes Germany expects.
2. The Germany symptom list seems very small, not to mention that I do not have these symptoms all the time (they come and go). I was thinking about adding some additional symps in an email to them. They want me to fill out the symplist to determine which co-infection tests I might benefit from taking.
3. Infectolab does not list Chlamydia fermentans (they test for two other varieties but my research seems to imply here in USA fermentans is often a co-infection). Did anyone also get tested for fermentans at Infectolab?
4. I did one round of antibiotics in January, 3000mg/day Amoxy, the last dose was about 1/21/14. I am reluctant to get the antibodies tests again but wonder if the antibioics might have stirred up the little buggers so that they might finally show up with stronger response. This is where I am torn, I believe is comparing apples to apples and if I do the antibodes test (Borrelia WB) part of me thinks it should be done at IGenex again. Or maybe I should just focus on the LTT tests and forget the antibody tests for all tests. Can you tell I'm confused. I want to make the dollars I spend end in useful information.
5. Are Infectolab results accepted by CDC? If they come back positive I want to finally be counted and added to the CDC's bogus numbers!
6. I have to convert dollars to Euros but I expect Infectolabs will send me an invoice once I decide on the tests I want. The form asks if I want to send to my doctor the results and to me or to my doctor (requires her signature), I seem to recall people having issues getting a copy of the results if they marked both was that your expereince?
7. Looking at the Infectolabs test form (which is really tiny print) here are the tests I'm thinking about (is it overkill? still not sure about taking antibody tests, I feeling slightly better sortof).
- Borrelia Elispot LTT
- Borrelia IgG IgM Blot ?
- Ehrlichia LTT
- Ehrlichia IgM IgG ?
- Bartonella IgG
- Babesia IgG
- Chlamydia pneu and trach?
- Chlamydia LTT pneu and trach?
- Mycoplasma antibiodies
- Ricketsia IgG ?
- Toxoplasmosis ?
I know they list Anaplasma but I cnt find it on the list of tests do you guys know if this is represented by just letters (HSV, CMV, CCP - I need to look these up so I dont know if one of these is another name for anaplama). I dont think I need any other test they list but that is a guess since I AM NOT A DOCTOR and I CANT FIND A DOCTOR TO MAKE THESE DECISONS!!!!
I'm confident I do not need EBV - always comes back showing prior infection. I dont know what Yersinia, Ricketsia, HSV, CMV, CCP, Toxsoplasmosis, Coxsackie are and need to look them up tonight. I dont need the Diarrhea/Celiac - already know I am gluten sensitive but not celiac (at least that is what Drs have said). I dont think I am going to do an PCR tests since the PCR track record is not good (my IGenex PCR for borrelia came back negative).
I might consider the heavy metals test but that is urine test. Probably can be done here at some lab.
Not going to do ANA since usually comes back elevated due to EBV past infection
Any other comments / suggestions related to getting tested at Infectolabs? I have to pay them up front fro all tests and shipping and will wire directly to their account. I see my PCP tomorrow and will try to get her on board with this since she has to request the blood draw from LabCorp. I'm going to ask her to give me the blood order so I can just do a walk in when I receive the kit (is there a kit?).
I'm sorry this is so long but I feel this is my last good chance to get some empirical answers. I'm at the point of never wanting to be tested again since it never really shows anything. I do plan to have my doctor request an ALT/AST test tomorrow. I am still not sure about the saliva cortisol/hormones/neurotransmitters test from Neuroscience/Pharmasan since I keep finind comments that those tests are scams (I have taken them the last two years about this same time (my aples to apples thingy again) and I think I still have cortisol and neurotransmitter issues - these are nearly the only tests that have consistently shown issues the past two years so I was wanting them for support of my case but all we have been treating is the hormones-guess that would show if hormones treatment is helping.