What can cause a false positive Lyme test?

Infection with other diseases, including some tickborne diseases, or some viral, bacterial, or autoimmune diseases, can result in false positive test results. Some tests give results for two types of antibody, IgM and IgG. Positive IgM results should be disregarded if the patient has been ill for more than 30 days.

Can I have surgery if I have Lyme disease?

There are no surgical procedures for the treatment of Lyme disease.

Can you get a false negative Lyme disease test?

Lyme disease is known to inhibit the immune system and 20-30\% of patients have falsely negative antibody tests.

How often is Lyme disease misdiagnosed?

Misdiagnosis is More Common—and Costly—Than Most People Realize. A recent nationwide survey conducted by LymeDisease.org revealed that less than a quarter of participating patients reported being correctly diagnosed within six months of the onset of their Lyme disease symptoms.

Can you test positive for Lyme disease years later?

Your immune system continues to make the antibodies for months or years after the infection is gone. This means that once your blood tests positive, it will continue to test positive for months to years even though the bacteria are no longer present.

Can Lyme disease affect a knee replacement?

There has been only 1 case of Lyme periprosthetic joint infection (associated with a total knee arthroplasty) reported in the literature, and to our knowledge, no other reported cases of Lyme periprosthetic joint infections exist.

What is Lyme C6 Peptide?

The C6 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is often used to diagnose Lyme disease. The test is based on the C6 peptide of the Borrelia burgdorferi sl VlsE protein. But a recent study suggests the C6 peptide test may also indicate an infection with Borrelia miyamotoi, another tick-borne disease.

Does Lyme disease always show up in blood test?

No. The tests for Lyme disease detect antibodies made by the immune system to fight off the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. Your immune system continues to make the antibodies for months or years after the infection is gone.

Does Lyme disease show in Spinal Tap?

Some Borrelia antibodies in the blood are also likely to be found in your CSF. This means that finding them in your CSF may not mean you have central nervous system Lyme disease. A higher level of antibodies to Lyme disease in your CSF than in your blood means that the antibodies may be multiplying there.