The short answer is that you can't.
There are many tests that give false results. You can't always rule it out or in.
Some tests are definitely better than others. As far as I know the best test for Lyme Disease is the IGeneX Lyme test. It was created by the independent private lab because they recognized the need for better lyme tests, as have many other private labs.
IGeneX is really quite expensive, unfortunately. This may be due to the fact that the CDC has not promoted better testing for Lyme since a conference in the 90's. That was roughly 30 years ago. Science has progressed a great deal in that time and yet the testing recommended by the CDC has not improved in that time. This has meant that private labs have taken on the research and development on new tests for lyme on their own. It's no wonder that the cost is then seen in the tests. But apparently IGeneX has come out with a simpler and less expensive version of the Lyme test.
Of course that means there is some controversy. There is some concern from the CDC, who do not recommend the IGeneX test, that there are too many false positives with the IGeneX Lyme test. The counter argument being that the poor testing often misses Lyme Disease. The CDC guidelines recommend two tests for the same reasons as they critique the IGeneX test.
The CDC Guidelines for Lyme Disease testing recommend taking two tests. The guidelines call for a test called Elisa to be run. But Elisa so famously and frequently gives false positives that the guidelines call for a second test, the Western Blot test.
As you can see, even testing Lyme Disease is a nightmare, let alone diagnosing it. So I see four main problems with finding out if you have Lyme Disease:
- Symptoms "masquerade" as many other things
- Testing is not always conclusive or accurate
- The Politicizing of Lyme Disease
- Co-infections
Most ticks have more than one infection. So, if you do have Lyme Disease the likelihood that you have a co-infection is also really high. It's possible that the symptoms you are fighting are from two separate infections. Isn't that fun?
You have to work with a doctor who is willing to keep digging and working with your symptoms and ABOVE ALL a doctor who is willing to LISTEN.
Lyme Disease is hard to diagnose, hard to get accurate testing results on, and hard to get rid of. You need your doctor to work with you. You need your doctor to listen. You need your doctor to believe you when you say what you're dealing with. And you need your doctor to keep treating you while you still have symptoms, even if you "should be better because you've had antibiotics"
IF you think you have Lyme Disease, keep an open mind about co-infections
If your doctor isn't listening to you, find a new one.
References:
https://www.lymedisease.org/members/lyme-times/2018-fall-news/igenex-immunoblots-lyme-disease-tests/
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/igenex-introduces-cost-effective-tests-for-lyme-disease-and-tbrf-300962015.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/health/policy/unproved-lyme-disease-tests-prompt-warnings.html
For Other Posts about Lyme Disease see the following:
How to Find the Right Doctor for Lyme Disease
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