Lyme Disease Tests Interpretations
Lyme Disease Tests Interpretations
Jake Ames, MD, HMD
Some blood laboratory tests have a large reference range. For instance the thyroid hormone blood test for total T4 has a range from 4.5 -11.5 ug/dL. What if your ideal is 10 ug/dL, and now you’re at 5 ug/dL. You may be deficient in thyroid hormone, but show “normal” on the blood test.
In this blog, hopefully I will make it a little easier for you to interpret your laboratory tests for Lyme disease and other chronic diseases. I have been a physician since 1986, and I am a trained pathologist and internist. I have seen approximately 80 patients a week, most of them with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease, so I eventually developed a “feel” for what are optimal ranges. I will highlight what to look for in the following tests. You may be in the reference range, but not at an optimal level for you.
I will talk about alternative Lyme disease treatments in another blog, and how to correct your abnormal labs.
The complete blood count (CBC)
MCV: This measures the size of your red blood cells Normal values are 80-100 fL. I consider 90 fL the upper limit. Above 90 fL, I see usually a vitamin B12 and/or methyl folic acid deficiency, liver disease, alcoholism, and sometimes hypothyroidism.
A low MCV usually is seen in iron or copper deficiency. Lead poisoning and the thalassemias can cause a low MCV
Common diseases occur commonly in medicine, so a low MCV is usually due to iron deficiency.
White Blood Cell Count (WBC):
White blood cells are also called leukocytes. Their normal range is 4,300-10,800/cubic mm. I like to see the WBC around 6-8/cubic mm. A low or low normal WBC is usually due to low cortisol, low RBC copper, and/or chronic mercury toxicity. Smokers will usually have a WBC in the high range of normal.
A severe acute viral infection can cause a low WBC. Chemotherapy, cancer, lymphoma, AIDS, radiation therapy, aplastic anaemia, lupus, sarcoidosis, hypersplenism, and some leukemias can also cause a low WBC. This list is not exhaustive.
Neutrophils mainly destroy and ingest bacteria. Levels are high when one has a bacterial pneumonia or a severe bacterial infection. Their range is 45-75%. Whenever you see a low normal or low neutrophil count or percent neutrophil count suspect low cortisol.
Eosinophils and Basophils are high in moderate to severe allergy patients. In Mexico I see eosinophils elevated in people with parasites.
Monocytes are scavenger cells, which remove foreign material, dead bacteria, and viruses.
Lymphocytes fight viral infections. You may see the percent lymphocyte count elevated in someone with cortisol deficiency.
Vitamin B12: Always keep your level over the reference range. If your urine is pink, you can cut back on vitamin B12.
If your vitamin B12 levels are greater than the reference range, and your neutrophils are hypersegmented (normal is 3-5 nuclear lobes, hypersegmented is 6 or more nuclear lobes), then you are probably low on methyl folic acid.
CRP-HS: Your level should be less than 1.
Fibrinogen: Your level should be less than 300 mg/dL. The lower range is 150 mg/dL.
Total T4, Total T3, Free T4, Free T3, TSH, reverse T3:
Four to five out of ten of my patients are low on thyroid hormone. Read the books, “Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic” by Mark Starr and “Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness” by Broda Barnes. Purchase a digital basal thermometer accurate to 1/100 of a degree. Your afternoon resting oral temperature, at least 2 hours after lunch should be between 36.7-37 degrees Celsius or 98.2-98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Do this for 5 days. Your physician should ask you questions on signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, and do a thorough exam. If your temperatures are low despite “normal” thyroid blood tests, try Synthyroid 25 mcg or 15 mg (1/4 grain) of desiccated pork thyroid.
Albumin to Globulin Ratio (A/G): I like to see the A/G ratio around 2. The optimal Range is 1.7-2.2.
Electrolytes: Keep potassium at 4.5 mEq/L to 5.0 mEq/L.
Keep sodium at 140 mEq/L to 145 mEq/L.
Keep chloride at 100 mEq/L to 105 mEq/L.
Always use real sea salt or Himalayan salt. Most sea salt and Himalayan salt in Mexico has been poisoned with fluoride.
Testosterone (male): Keep your level between 700 ng/dL to 1,200 ng/dL. Nighttime and morning erections are a better indicator of optimal testosterone levels. Too much testosterone will aromatize to estrogen. High estrogen can cause prostate enlargement, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction.
Free Testosterone (male): Ideal free serum testosterone levels for most aging men are between 20-25 pg/mL.
Testosterone (female): 70-130 ng/dL when using topical creams. It can be as high as150-300 ng/dL 5 weeks after testosterone pellet insertion. Basically look at libido. Look for acne on the face, scalp, upper chest or upper back if the testosterone is too high. Look for facial hair, especially above the lip, hair on the areola, and pubic hair that travels up to the navel like a man if the testosterone is too high.
DHEA- sulfate: (male and female) 250 µg/dL to 300 µg/dL in men and women. Some women can’t go above 200 µg/dL without getting acne or facial hair.
Pregnenolone: (male and female) 100 ng/dL to 248 ng/dL. Sometimes it can cause insomnia, so take pregnenolone in the morning. Sometimes it will raise aldosterone and raise one’s blood pressure.
FSH (female): 5-20 mIU/mL in post-menopausal women. Under 5, possibly too much supplemental estrogen. Above 20, possibly not enough estradiol on board.
Estradiol (men): 20 pg/mL to 30 pg/mL. High estrogen in men, can lead to an early death.
Women keep your estradiol (E2) to estrone (E1) ratio at 2:1. Only estradiol subdermal pellets can do this. Estradiol creams usually give around a 1:1 ratio. Oral or sublingual estradiol will not give you a good ratio. The 2:1 E2 to E1 ratio protects women the most from breast cancer. Keep your estradiol and estrone blood labs in the reference range.
Western Blot Lyme IgM test from IgeneX Inc.
A positive 39 band means you have Lyme disease. An equivocal 39 band means that you probably have Lyme disease.
Doctors Data Hair Elements test:
Nutritional minerals deviated to the right are usually very low unless one is supplementing with that mineral.
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