Question:
Did anyone else have high Sed rates when their labwork was done?

The last four times my PCP has tested my blood my SED rates have gotten higher and higher. So far he has tested my kidneys and sent me for an abdominal ct. I've not gotten the results back from the ct scan yet but the kidney test was fine. He even tested my RH factor and it was fine. We are baffled and I am really concerned that this may be somthing serious that needs to be resolved prior to my surgery. Any information will be helpful. I have been scouring the web with information on high SED rates and haven't come to any conclusions. [email protected]    — A M. (posted on July 4, 2003)

July 4, 2003
My best is having the SAME exact problem, although she's not awaiting any kind of surgery. How high are your rates? Hers got up to 30, and she was having joint pain, and some other problems. They can't come to any concrete conclusions, but they told her it's most likely fibromyalgia (I probably spelled that wrong). There are also clotting disorders that cause higher SED rates, but I don't know the names of them. This is just what the doctor told her when she went in last time. I was with her, but didn't think to ask WHAT the disorders names are. They did some other kind of clotting test, and determined she didn't have these disorders. That's about all I can think of, I hope it helped a little. If I can think of anything else, or if my friend can think of anything, I'll let you know.
   — Diana L.

July 4, 2003
My sed rate has been as high as 71. I have a rare kind of arthritis and fibromyalgia. When the arthritis flares, my sed rate goes up. I was told it was from the inflammation from the arthritis. I also break out in a red rash along my nerve lines. When the flare is over my sed rate goes down and wbc's go down. Also the rash leaves. This was caused by me having the old intestinal bypass in 1981. A major complication to that surgery was what i have described to you. Also extreme pain to the point of being unable to move (literally) until the flare starts going away. Usually 24-36 hours.
   — Delores S.

July 4, 2003
A sed rate is a marker for inflammation somewhere in the body. It is usually higher in patients with rheumatoid and osteo arthritis and other connective tissue diseases like Lupus. There are a few other conditions that it can be high in, but it's usually just a signal that there is some kind of inflammation going on. Crystal...lab tech in Florida.
   — LabRat