Lyme disease is a complicated disease. You can carry other infections that are spread by ticks but still negative on provincial testing methods. Statistically speaking in Manitoba, there is a 50% chance that you will also get Erlichiosis from the same tick that gives you Lyme. You can get 2 or more infections from one bite and 2 weeks of antibiotics might not be enough.
So what do you need to know? If you get tested, get tested by someone is experienced as there are nuances in the test results that combined with clinical assessment, can result in a differing diagnosis.
As well, make sure you test for all the co-infections (Babesia, Erlichiosis, Bartonella) at the same time as well as CD57+ cells so you have an accurate and complete panel.
Is it cheap? Not really but ultimately you want answers. Average panels should run between $700 to $1500. Talk to your ND today about setting up a time to get the blood draw done.
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