Does medications affect Antibody tests?
 

I have a new Neurologist that ordered Antibody blood test among other tests. I've been on Mestinon, Predisone and other medications (17+ yrs) for MG and was wondering if those medications could affect Antibody Blood test. I just think it's waste of money and time to repeat my test after being diagnosed years ago. Hopefully it doesn't, I don't want to go back years and start all over again with negative results! I've been reading about the nightmares others have gone through when they have negative test results.
Thank you in advance!
JessieJ

It's possible the results could be affected, but just as possible that they wouldn't be either. Again, one time testing with a positive result is probably enough. Since MG is not curable, what would be the point of re-testing?

That's what I just don't understand. I talked it over with my other half and they agreed, she's just someone who needs everything lined up under her control. If I hadn't been diagnosed before this sure I could understand. After this long of time unless it can just go away I'm thinking I need to look for another Neuro, I just don't want to spend all my time in Dr's offices and taking test again. Thank you!

I've studied a little bit about how doctors think and the following is what I think I see:

Every sign and symptom can be from one disease one year (or even one day) and a different disease the next.

The only way to find out which disease you have on which day is to take tests for diseases with which you've been diagnosed to see if they've gone away and diseases with which you haven't been diagnosed to see if you've acquired new ones.

Of course, it all "feels" the same to you but you wouldn't really "know" what it was because you're a patient.

Medications only ever work by the placebo effect (a special placebo effect--if the doctor tells you it's good for you, it will work even if you feel awful on it and if he doesn't think it's good for you, then it won't work, even if it does appear to make you feel better.)

Sorry not to have anything more cheerful to say on the matter...

Don't know if it can affect the test results (vaguely remember reading or hearing something saying it can, but not at all sure about that). But if you are taking mestinon when you no longer should be, it would be having an adverse effect on you. If you are doing well, and not having problems with how you feel and function, or with the meds or the regime you are following, why on earth would a doctor want to mess it up?

(and here's where the snide comments about increasing their billing and patient load comes into play....)

Certainly any of the immunosuppresive drugs could affect the antibody tests. Suppressing your body's production of antibodies is what they are supposed to do.