Can I do the Western Blot in Canada?

[llp9240]

Hi Terri, I hope you’re doing well.
I came on here as I was hoping to get some questions answered and hoping to finally put this to rest.
I have been dealing with what seems like HSV symptoms for the last almost 6 months now.
I have received negative igg but here in Canada they do not give us numbers only positive and negative.
Despite the “non-reactive” results for both HSV1 and HSV2, I am still having on going tingling anf prickle like pain whch seems to be nerve pain in my vagina and on my back. I have never had this before and only started when I first experienced all my symptoms in early oct which included burning, itching, tingling, my vagina was extremely red and painful stinging pain all consistent with hsv symptoms. Everything got better 4-5 weeks later but lingering stinging and tingling nerve pain has remained and not gone away.

I want to confirm for once and for all whether this is actually hsv or not because I can’t shake the feeling off. I would have been ok with my negative igg if i didn’t have the remaining symptoms.

so I am looking into the western blot and really want to do it. My question to you is, am I able to order this kit through you and get tested at a lab here? I am in Canada but am desperate for some answers and I’m nervous my physician wouldn’t do it for me. Also, I noticed you mentioned that you would need numbers from igg tests but they do not provide that to us here. I do have a copy of my results but it only states non-reactive. However, I’ve been getting a non-reactive result my entire life (have never had a positive) and never experience any symptoms like this up until sept when i had a new partner.

Please let me know if I could order this through you and have lab work done here. That is my main question. Thanks so much.

[llp9240]

I have read after posting it that we can do it here in Canada so I am going to go ahead and book an eVisit with you but just had one more question.. it’s been 6 months for me since when I think I would have potentially been exposed and my last igg was done around 5 months and a week out and was negative but still having symptoms.. I guess my question to you is

Should I do the western blot now has sufficient time gone by or is it possible that not enough antibodies have built up and I should wait a little longer?

And as a last question, if I do the WB now would I be able to do 1 more a few months out to be sure? I want to make sure my results are as accurate as possible and just want to make sure it will pick up on any antibodies if i do it now.

thanks!

[Clutch1234]

Hey llp – I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada. You can ask your clinic to reach out to the lab.

This happened to me and I was able to ask my clinic a few times and then the clinic calls the lab and gets the numbers. If your doctor refuses to do this then you can get a requisition form from a telehealth like ‘Maple’ and then ask them to follow up for you – I did this and I got my units.

[llp9240]

Do you mean ask my Dr. Clinic to reach out to the lab that did the igg hsv blood work for me?
Would the lab be where I went to get my blood drawn?? The reason I ask is because in Ontario hsv blood work goes to public health laboratories.. not sure if it’s the same in BC?

If you could clarify, that would be super helpful. I’m willing to try asking the physician who ordered it for me if as you said they could actually get the unit #s from the public health lab. That would be super helpful.

I have actually been ordering my hsv igg bloodwork through an online telehealth website already so I Would probably just ask him. but when you went through Maple, and got a requisition form do you mean you got a brand new requisition for an igg blood work and then asked that doctor if they could get the units from the lab?

Sorry for all the questions but thanks in advance for all of your help. Trying to navigate doing all this has been a hassle esp cause most people aren’t in Canada.

Did you also do the Western Blot? And how did you go about it? Like could you do it at lifelabs?

[Terri Warren]

I’m now wondering if we talked this week via telehealth? I had a very similar conversation with someone.
Most routine labs will not run this test nor order it, at least not in the US.
The UW will work with you to get you the kit – you’ll need to get a prepaid shipping label from FedEx online, and then you can work with your own provider for the lab requsition or with me.
I have no idea what “Maple” is

Terri

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