Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) test

[Erin]

Is the EIA test accurate for testing for Lyme?

My doctor's office called me this morning about something else, so I (apparently annoyingly to them) asked about the Lyme test that they gave me last fall. It was the Enzyme Immunoassay test.

I talked to the nurse about it for a few minutes, and I could just hear the disbelief in her voice when I told her that I still want further testing for Lyme. (I'm sure I can expect that they'll put a note in my file soon thinking that I'm a hypochondriac)

I'm sure they're going to not want to test me anymore...and that doctor is the one doctor who hasnt treated me like I'm nuts when I've asked questions about Lyme before.

oh well...

[blimeyitslymie]

Erin,

I've not heard of this test nor did the nurse in my doctor's office. But I put a few feelers out for you.

IGeneX is a very good lab to use. I would highly suggest that you get the kit and have your doctor's office draw the blood for you. You could also provide this link to your doctor to help inform him/her. http://www.igenex.com/

Sorry you are being made to feel like a hypochondriac. Remain vigilant. You are your best advocate and please don't let anyone intimidate you into thinking anything other than that.

Blimey

[Erin]

See my other thread (Doctors are <swear word> annoying...)

I just ordered the Western Blot test from Igenex! It should be here in a few days...then I have to see if my regular doctor will get his head out of his...ahem, and draw the blood for me. I dont see why he wouldnt, if I'm paying for the test totally out of my pocket. He'll get a little more money for his "boat payment" or "golf fees", and I'll get my test done.

Does Igenex tell you if it's positive? Or do they send the results back to the doctor and have the doctor interpret the results? If Igenex doesnt interpret the results, I'll be asking for copies of the results so that I can send them to a Lyme literate doc to see what they say.

My regular doctor's nurse apparently ticked me off...so now I guess I have to take matters into my own hands.

[Sonsie]

In addition to the IGeneX site, these links (in no particular order) have the best explanations of testing that I've found so far:

http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/lymeseroneg.html
http://www.johndrullelymefund.org/Pitfalls%20Lab%20Testing.htm
http://www.wildernetwork.org/accurate_test.html
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022767.html
http://groups.google.co.jp/group/sci.med.diseases.lyme/browse_thread/thread/25711d712c15cc9e

Once folks understand how a spirochete behaves (it leaves the bloodstream and seeks out oxygen-poor parts of the body), they can understand why a blood test is a silly thing to rely on for diagnosis. The more sophisticated tests (from IGeneX, for example) can tell you things about what is going with an infected person. And those are very useful. But diagnosis is clinical -- look at your symptoms, and rule out other illnesses!

No pedestrian doctor will ever help you. He/she likely won't even comprehend what this information is. You must find an LLMD. Don't waste your time, money, and energy on anyone else. Repeat after me: Don't waste your time, money, and energy on anyone else.

[Sonsie]

then I have to see if my regular doctor will get his head out of his...ahem, and draw the blood for me.
The blood needs to be handled in very specific ways so that it can be tested. Ask IGeneX if there are any labs in your area that know how to do the draw and so forth. (I can tell that this doctor is not going to take the right care with your blood. I wouldn't give him a chance to mess it up.)

Have the blood drawn on a Monday or a Tuesday. And shipped no later than Tuesday to IGeneX. That way it can be checked before it is no good. Avoid weeks with holidays, of course.

[Erin]

Igenex told me that the test kit is good for a year, and said that I dont need to refrigerate it, so I can look around and see if I can find someone who knows something about Lyme. Hopefully I wont have to take a road trip to Kansas City for this (altho, it would be fun to go shopping in KC, or even go to Worlds of Fun while I'm there...if the heat lets me do it)

I just wish that I could find someone here in Omaha (or anywhere in eastern Nebraska) that knows something about Lyme other than what the CDC tells them.

[blimeyitslymie]

http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/Doctor_Referrals.html

The Lyme Disease Association has a doctor referral service. You can use it 3 times in a 30 day period, so be judicious with zip codes. Click on the link above and follow directions.

Sonsie gives great advice. She has been recovering for a long time after being sick for a long time ... heed what she says. ;)

Good luck.

[Erin]

Yeah, I've looked at the referral service, there's absolutely nothing in my area, and I really dont know if I can afford a road trip to go see someone somewhere else.

I thought I lived in a city where there was a lot of access to health care things...Since I got the diagnosis for the MS, I've discovered that if you're not a transplant patient of some sort, the medical people in my city dont give a darn about you.

[Erin]

I found out that the EIA is just another name for the ELISA test. Not sure why the nurse didnt just call it the ELISA... When I asked her if I'd had the ELISA test, she got all huffy and said that I had the "EIA!!! test".

I always thought nurses and doctors knew what they were talking about, but it's obvious this nurse was not very knowledgable about what the tests were called.

[Sonsie]

Igenex told me that the test kit is good for a year, and said that I dont need to refrigerate it,
Erin, it is not the TEST KIT that needs coddling, it is the BLOOD that is drawn. It has a very short shelf life for this test, first of all. Second, it must be handled differently that blood drawn for, say, a complete blood count (CBC).

Please listen to me and do not let YOUR doctor handle this. He will be sure to ignore the special instructions, in my opinion. You will be wasting your time, energy, and money. You want someone who understands they HE/SHE is working for you, and that directions are meant to be followed, regardless of personal opinions. Your choice, of course.

If I can find more specifics about the blood draw, I'll post them unless you tell me not to bother. (Not sure whether the test kit includes the details, but it should.) I have not saved the details, because I am fortunate enough to get my blood drawn by LL people.

[Erin]

yes, if you have more specific info about the blood draw, please post it. I like reading about this stuff...I like having lots of knowledge.

and yes, I understand that blood needs to be handled in special ways so that it's not contaminated or something before the test is done. (I come from a family of nurses and paramedics, so I understand a lot of medical stuff more than some people do)

When I said the test kit doesnt need to be refrigerated (Igenex told me it doesnt need to be) I was referring to how to handle the kit before I find someone to draw my blood for me. Hopefully I can find a doctor here in town to do the draw for me.