Gutted after immunity test shows I have no antibodies after 3rd vaccination

Thanks, so not the NHS.

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I think on the whole I prefer not to know. Ignorance is bliss and I can just get on with things and deal with them if it goes wrong. Though I appreciate that approach may not suit everyone.

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I held off seeking an antibody test for over a year as advised by my consultant but finally got one after my 4th vaccine through the National Cancer Covid Antibody Survey … result today - ā€œNo antibodies were found in your blood sampleā€ :confused: I have been taking care as if I have very little immunity so really this makes no practical difference; however, I couldn’t help quietly hoping that I might get a nice surprise! Hey ho! As someone above pointed out, (as did my consultant) there is far more to the immune system than can be measured by these tests, so all is not lost. But some of us could do with a bit of help to acquire some antibodies - so let’s hope Evusheld gets approved soon.

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Hi @davecpep of course I expect you were very disappointed that you have not got any antibodies and I even think reading it in black and white makes it worse.
Join the club, look after yourself

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Hi @Est30 and those that take the NHS antibody test. I too was desperate to get an antibody test done in the hope it would give me an idea of how good or bad I would be protected from Covid depending on my level of antibodies in myself. Well I don’t want to be a doom monger but all the test does is tell you if you have antibodies or not. What it doesn’t tell you is how good or bad they are or what the concentration might be. So from my point of view it achieved nothing.

Today whilst getting my 4th vaccine I was discussing this issue with the pharmacist and she advised me to chase this up with my GP so I can get a ā€œproper antibody testā€ done to tell me where my antibodies are relative to the general population which would help me judge my level of immunity to all around me.

Why the relevance in my view - I got Shingles 3 months ago and still suffering from the pain with no sign yet of the pain fading away. I was told it could take until April to subside or maybe longer.

Until we can all have ā€œnormalā€ levels of antibodies in our bodies we will all have to take whatever precautions we consider fit to the circumstances we face daily and hope that in the future new treatments will become available to us all in the hope we can move back to a new normal since we really won’t be able to return to life as it was before cancer struck - I was in my view super fit cycling 60 miles every other day or every third day and for my age was considered very good. Since having DLBCL I have no hope of achieving that even with the assistance of an e-bike - I can but dream. 40 miles can be a struggle once a week though I’m hoping to get back out twice a week in the near future.

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Sadly I’m on O+ V… Obinutumazab is an anti CD20 and as such stops the body producing antibodies and Venetoclax enfeebles Tcells… So a double whammy

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Thanks @Erica for your kind words. I’ve noticed you’re often first to respond to people’s messages on here, even when you don’t yourself have the answers and obviously have your own worries. I am sure others appreciate it too. Take care.

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Oh Annie that must be very worrying for you, hoping you keep safe.

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@Venus yes, I know all about shingles and I got it in 2013 , I believe with the stress of moving house. Now it flares up if I overdo it stress wise, emotionally, physically or practically any where in the body and I hate to tell you but I have been told I will probably always have it. Mine is very slowly subsiding.
It sounds as if you are doing really well with the cycling, perhaps just very slowly build up as you feel the time is right. Perhaps don’t do as I do and feel better, overdo it and then suffer and it takes me aa long time to build back up again !!! Trouble is I never learn I am a walker.
Take care of and be kind to yourself and please keep posting.

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Antibodies may not be enough anyway. I have a good crop of them but a friend of mine who works in a hospital looking after covid patients says that I would probably still need to go to hospital and and have oxygen because my lymphocytes are very low, as often happens with certain types of disease. She did imply that simply having oxygen would not put me in the worst category of patient.
Jumbo4

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I spoke to the medic in our local CDMU a few days ago and he said we should be eligible for antibody treatment ASAP after symptoms appear and that he had had several Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients respond very well to them… Not needing oxygen at all… So I’m counting on him now :purple_heart::purple_heart:

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Good to know @Annie78 as a fellow Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)’er.
How are you doing?

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I would be interested to know if you manage to get nhs antibody test. My GP won’t do one nor my hospital consultant.

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Not bad considering… I finish the venetoclax portion of my Obinutumazab /venetoclax treatment in 19 days… I’m looking forward to my immune system recovering from Obinutumazab… Evidently its shot for 12 months plus some after treatment

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Hi @Annie78 I think that you are doing brilliantly considering.
Yes, immune systems take ages to build back up
Be kind to yourself and spoil yourself.
Perhaps celebrate the little wins

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@ilivesunshine
You can get a free nhs antibody test, you fill in the form, and they post it to you, you do the test, and post it back, then they send you the results.
It doesn’t say how many you have, but does say if you have any or not, this is the link

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I think the only hospitals doing anti body tests are those involved in research. I have had mine tested twice. Once after 2 jabs and once after the 4th. I mentioned it to my GP and he was very surprised it was tested as he said the nhs were not doing them.

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Hi @ SpaceAngel I know exactly how you feel. I am a lymphoma patient and eight weeks after my third vaccine I had no detectable antibodies either and was also very upset and went back to shielding. I had my fourth vaccine on the 8th of January this year. Three days after that my son tested positive for Covid and started isolating in my family caravan. The following day only four days after receiving my fourth jab myself and my husband both had symptoms. Two days after that my husband tested positive as well which was confirmed with a Pcr test. I was told it was probably too late so to isolate with my husband and get medical advice if I tested positive. I kept testing and testing and also got a Pcr test but It came back as negative. It was too early for my booster to work so I was very surprised at my result. I have been told that I have possibly had an excellent T cell response or maybe that although I have no detectable antibodies from the vaccines that it is possible that even a small amount can create a memory that will produce more antibodies very quickly if in contact with the virus. It was explained that it is possible with these sort of responses that the virus can be killed off before you can test positive. I have had another antibody test and after the fourth jab I now have them. I know not every situation is the same but please do not give up hope. Please try to be positive and stay safe.

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Oh, @Margarett I am so glad for you, look after yourself

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Hi @Erica thank you.

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