Guest guest Posted January 16, 2000 Report Share Posted January 16, 2000 Amy, You say your has alot of stomach pain? sounds like my what if any meds do you give her for the stomach pain? I was looking at Mylanta for children but, Der gets sick and throws up when his jra is hitting him real hard. Take care:) Teena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2000 Report Share Posted January 17, 2000 Hi everyone I was wondering - also has stomach pain and she keeps getting an upset stomach. Unfortunately in South Africa we have limited access to decent anti-inflamatories, so she is on relifan which makes her tummy hurt. So the doc has now put her on ant-acids to help and it certainly seems to be working. Does anyone have a child with lots of upset stomachs too? Just interested any any different remedies you may know of. thanks Ady Ogilvie M-Net Marketing aogilvie@... > SED rate info/ESR blood test > Alternative names: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; sed rate; > sedimentation rate > > Normal values: (Westergren method*) > Adults: Men under 50 years old: less than 15 mm/hr. > > Men over 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. > > Women under 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. > > Women over 50 years old: less than 30 mm/hr. > > Pediatric: Newborn: 0 to 2 mm/hr. > > Neonatal to puberty: 3 to 13 mm/hr. > > Note: mm/hr. = millimeters per hour Other methods will have differing > values. > > Definition: A nonspecific screening test for various inflammatory > diseases. The test measures the distance (in millimeters) that red blood > cells settle in unclotted blood toward the bottom of a specially marked > test tube in 1 hour. > > How the test is performed: Adult or child: Blood is drawn from a vein > (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the > hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an > elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to > apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes > veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is > inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial > or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore > circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, > and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding. > > Infant or young child: The area is cleansed with antiseptic and > punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in > a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a > small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site > if there is any continued bleeding. > > How to prepare for the test: There are no food or fluid restrictions. > The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or > any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous > experience, and level of trust. > > How the test will feel: When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some > people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging > sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing. > > What the risks are: excessive bleeding fainting or feeling lightheaded > hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin) infection (a slight risk > any time the skin is broken) multiple punctures to locate veins > > Why the test is performed: The test is most commonly performed for > suspected rheumatologic disorders. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate > (ESR) can be used to monitor inflammatory or malignant disease, > rheumatic fever, and acute myocardial infarction. Although it is a > screening test (not considered diagnostic for any particular disorder), > it is useful in detecting and monitoring tuberculosis, tissue necrosis > (tissue death), > connective tissue disease, or an otherwise unsuspected disease in which > symptoms are vague or physical findings are minimal. > > > What abnormal results mean: > Elevated values occur with: kidney disease pregnancy rheumatic fever > rheumatoid arthritis severe anemia > syphilis systemic lupus erythematosus thyroid disease tuberculosis > > Markedly elevated values occur with: giant cell (temporal, cranial) > arteritis multiple myeloma macroglobulinemia - primary > hyperfibrinogenemia (elevated fibrinogen levels in the blood) > necrotizing vasculitis polymyalgia rheumatica > > Additional conditions that may affect test results: > > > > allergic vasculitis > > atrial myxoma; left > > atrial myxoma; right > > autoimmune hepatitis > > endometritis > > eosinophilic fasciitis > > erysipelas > > juvenile rheumatoid arthritis > > Legionnaire's disease > > osteomyelitis > > pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) > > pericarditis; post-MI > > retroperitoneal fibrosis > > skin lesion of blastomycosis > > subacute thyroiditis > > systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) > > Cost: The estimated cost is $11. > > Special considerations: Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient > to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood > sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. > > _____ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2000 Report Share Posted January 17, 2000 Hi Ady: When my daughter was on Naprosyn, she used to get a lot of stomach upssest even though we were taking Zantac (rhinitidine) with it. You should really watch out for these anti-infalmmatory pills as they can cause ulcers in the stomach. My daughter developed a bleeding ulcer and we had to stop it. May be you can ask your dr if he knows of any new anti-inflammatory drugs that are out in the market. Please take care..... Adrienne Ogilvie <aogilvie@...> on 01/17/2000 01:13:21 AM Please respond to onelist " ' onelist' " < onelist> cc: (bcc: Afsi Goodarzpoor/C/Fairfax/Mobil-Notes) Subject: RE: SED rates From: Adrienne Ogilvie <aogilvie@...> Hi everyone I was wondering - also has stomach pain and she keeps getting an upset stomach. Unfortunately in South Africa we have limited access to decent anti-inflamatories, so she is on relifan which makes her tummy hurt. So the doc has now put her on ant-acids to help and it certainly seems to be working. Does anyone have a child with lots of upset stomachs too? Just interested any any different remedies you may know of. thanks Ady Ogilvie M-Net Marketing aogilvie@... > SED rate info/ESR blood test > Alternative names: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; sed rate; > sedimentation rate > > Normal values: (Westergren method*) > Adults: Men under 50 years old: less than 15 mm/hr. > > Men over 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. > > Women under 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. > > Women over 50 years old: less than 30 mm/hr. > > Pediatric: Newborn: 0 to 2 mm/hr. > > Neonatal to puberty: 3 to 13 mm/hr. > > Note: mm/hr. = millimeters per hour Other methods will have differing > values. > > Definition: A nonspecific screening test for various inflammatory > diseases. The test measures the distance (in millimeters) that red blood > cells settle in unclotted blood toward the bottom of a specially marked > test tube in 1 hour. > > How the test is performed: Adult or child: Blood is drawn from a vein > (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the > hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an > elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to > apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes > veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is > inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial > or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore > circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, > and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding. > > Infant or young child: The area is cleansed with antiseptic and > punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in > a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a > small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site > if there is any continued bleeding. > > How to prepare for the test: There are no food or fluid restrictions. > The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or > any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous > experience, and level of trust. > > How the test will feel: When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some > people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging > sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing. > > What the risks are: excessive bleeding fainting or feeling lightheaded > hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin) infection (a slight risk > any time the skin is broken) multiple punctures to locate veins > > Why the test is performed: The test is most commonly performed for > suspected rheumatologic disorders. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate > (ESR) can be used to monitor inflammatory or malignant disease, > rheumatic fever, and acute myocardial infarction. Although it is a > screening test (not considered diagnostic for any particular disorder), > it is useful in detecting and monitoring tuberculosis, tissue necrosis > (tissue death), > connective tissue disease, or an otherwise unsuspected disease in which > symptoms are vague or physical findings are minimal. > > > What abnormal results mean: > Elevated values occur with: kidney disease pregnancy rheumatic fever > rheumatoid arthritis severe anemia > syphilis systemic lupus erythematosus thyroid disease tuberculosis > > Markedly elevated values occur with: giant cell (temporal, cranial) > arteritis multiple myeloma macroglobulinemia - primary > hyperfibrinogenemia (elevated fibrinogen levels in the blood) > necrotizing vasculitis polymyalgia rheumatica > > Additional conditions that may affect test results: > > > > allergic vasculitis > > atrial myxoma; left > > atrial myxoma; right > > autoimmune hepatitis > > endometritis > > eosinophilic fasciitis > > erysipelas > > juvenile rheumatoid arthritis > > Legionnaire's disease > > osteomyelitis > > pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) > > pericarditis; post-MI > > retroperitoneal fibrosis > > skin lesion of blastomycosis > > subacute thyroiditis > > systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) > > Cost: The estimated cost is $11. > > Special considerations: Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient > to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood > sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. > > _____ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2000 Report Share Posted January 18, 2000 Hi there Apparently there is an excellent new anti-inflamatory available in the states, I am seeing my doc on Thursday and will get the name of it. I'm going to try to find someone here in Joburg to buy it for me when they go over there as it won't be available here for at least two years. Some parents here have managed to get hold of it somehow, and they all report excellent results and much less stomach pain etc. So! When I do manage to get hold of it I'll report back. I was also wondering if anyone could maybe share their experience with me re swelling, has been on methatrexate for three months now and still has bad swelling continuously in her wrists and a swelling at the back of her neck. Do these swellings go down, or do they remain fairly much like that most of the time? I have a really great relationship with my pharmacist and she is also new to JRA! It's great because she's been getting involved and checking out all sorts of medication and doses for me to talk with my doctor about. Something that struck home the other day while reading an e-mail is that we shouldn't let them hear or think that we feel sorry for them. Kids can be such natural little fighters and with us parents behind them we can do a lot together. I've seen so many parents and kids overcome so many obstacles in the last three months throught this list, I reckon we all can take two seconds to pat ourselves on the back - it is a tough road! thanks Ady Ogilvie aogilvie@... > SED rate info/ESR blood test > > Alternative names: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; sed rate; > > sedimentation rate > > > > Normal values: (Westergren method*) > > Adults: Men under 50 years old: less than 15 mm/hr. > > > Men over 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. > > > Women under 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr. > > > Women over 50 years old: less than 30 mm/hr. > > > > Pediatric: Newborn: 0 to 2 mm/hr. > > > Neonatal to puberty: 3 to 13 mm/hr. > > > > Note: mm/hr. = millimeters per hour Other methods will have differing > > values. > > > > Definition: A nonspecific screening test for various inflammatory > > diseases. The test measures the distance (in millimeters) that red blood > > cells settle in unclotted blood toward the bottom of a specially marked > > test tube in 1 hour. > > > > How the test is performed: Adult or child: Blood is drawn from a vein > > (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the > > hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an > > elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to > > apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes > > veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is > > inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial > > or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore > > circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, > > and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding. > > > > Infant or young child: The area is cleansed with antiseptic and > > punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in > > a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a > > small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site > > if there is any continued bleeding. > > > > How to prepare for the test: There are no food or fluid restrictions. > > The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or > > any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous > > experience, and level of trust. > > > > How the test will feel: When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some > > people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging > > sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing. > > > > What the risks are: excessive bleeding fainting or feeling lightheaded > > hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin) infection (a slight risk > > any time the skin is broken) multiple punctures to locate veins > > > > Why the test is performed: The test is most commonly performed for > > suspected rheumatologic disorders. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate > > (ESR) can be used to monitor inflammatory or malignant disease, > > rheumatic fever, and acute myocardial infarction. Although it is a > > screening test (not considered diagnostic for any particular disorder), > > it is useful in detecting and monitoring tuberculosis, tissue necrosis > > (tissue death), > > connective tissue disease, or an otherwise unsuspected disease in which > > symptoms are vague or physical findings are minimal. > > > > > > What abnormal results mean: > > Elevated values occur with: kidney disease pregnancy rheumatic fever > > rheumatoid arthritis severe anemia > > syphilis systemic lupus erythematosus thyroid disease tuberculosis > > > > Markedly elevated values occur with: giant cell (temporal, cranial) > > arteritis multiple myeloma macroglobulinemia - primary > > hyperfibrinogenemia (elevated fibrinogen levels in the blood) > > necrotizing vasculitis polymyalgia rheumatica > > > > Additional conditions that may affect test results: > > > > > > allergic vasculitis > > > atrial myxoma; left > > > atrial myxoma; right > > > autoimmune hepatitis > > > endometritis > > > eosinophilic fasciitis > > > erysipelas > > > juvenile rheumatoid arthritis > > > Legionnaire's disease > > > osteomyelitis > > > pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) > > > pericarditis; post-MI > > > retroperitoneal fibrosis > > > skin lesion of blastomycosis > > > subacute thyroiditis > > > systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) > > > > Cost: The estimated cost is $11. > > > > Special considerations: Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient > > to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood > > sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. > > > > _____ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 30, 2000 Report Share Posted January 30, 2000 Hi Ady, The swelling tends to go down when the arthritis is being controlled well enough. Sometimes during flare ups Josh has visible inflammation and the area around the joints gets red and feels hot to touch. When it's all under control, he has little or no swelling. I still have questions regarding whether or not inflammation goes hand in hand with joint deterioration. Some of the recent research I've read makes me think that that even the doctors don't know for sure, as sometimes people with long term inflammation/high SED rates are surprisingly still able to preserve their joint functions, due to the meds they take, I guess. I'm also wondering about whether kids with systemic symptoms have for the most part equal, greater or lesser joint destruction than those with poly or pauici JRA. I guess that would be too hard to figure out, since they may take different meds and too many other factors come into play. Take care, Georgina > From: Adrienne Ogilvie <aogilvie@...> > > Hi there > > Apparently there is an excellent new anti-inflamatory available in the > states, I am seeing my doc on Thursday and will get the name of it. I'm > going to try to find someone here in Joburg to buy it for me when they go > over there as it won't be available here for at least two years. > > Some parents here have managed to get hold of it somehow, and they all > report excellent results and much less stomach pain etc. > > So! When I do manage to get hold of it I'll report back. > > I was also wondering if anyone could maybe share their experience with me re > swelling, has been on methatrexate for three months now and still has > bad swelling continuously in her wrists and a swelling at the back of her > neck. Do these swellings go down, or do they remain fairly much like that > most of the time? > > I have a really great relationship with my pharmacist and she is also new to > JRA! It's great because she's been getting involved and checking out all > sorts of medication and doses for me to talk with my doctor about. > > Something that struck home the other day while reading an e-mail is that we > shouldn't let them hear or think that we feel sorry for them. Kids can be > such natural little fighters and with us parents behind them we can do a lot > together. I've seen so many parents and kids overcome so many obstacles in > the last three months throught this list, I reckon we all can take two > seconds to pat ourselves on the back - it is a tough road! > > thanks > Ady Ogilvie > aogilvie@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2000 Report Share Posted May 30, 2000 Ursula melissas SED rate was 6 on mar 4 00 and it was 3 on mar 22 00 but the normal rate here is 0 to 20 range i get copies of everything on melissa i am waiting for the HLA-B27 and lyme titer to come back Robbin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2000 Report Share Posted May 30, 2000 Georgina your right even though melissas was in normal range her joints were still swollen and she was in a full blown flare up hers was 6 the first time and 3 the next Robbin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2000 Report Share Posted May 31, 2000 Hi, My son gets his SED rate checked at every blood drawing, which he normally has done once a month. In the five years since his JRA was diagnosed he has never had it come back within the normal range. Should be between 0 and 20. It started out in the 120's. The lowest he ever had was a 28. Most recent one was 34. They use it as a basic tool to assess the amount of inflammation going on in the body. It's not an exact measurement and other unrelated things can often affect the results of the ESR. I don't think exercise affects the SED rate in a direct way, though. When your daughter's SED rate comes back within the normal range, that's a good thing Take care, Georgina Ursula Holleman wrote: > > Macey has had several SED rates run over the last two years. Of the 4-5 > done only 1 was elevated. Should her SED rate be constantly elevated? > Would the 2 days a week of both PT and OT (4 sessions total) help to lower > the rate? > > Ursula Holleman > Macey and 's mom > http://home.att.net/~maceyh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2000 Report Share Posted May 31, 2000 Iread an article recently that said that a sed rate is not a good measure for children with poly or Pauci JRA. That it is however a very valuable tool with Systemic. Don't know why this is ... if I can locate the article on the web I'll pass it on ..... Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2000 Report Share Posted June 19, 2000 on 6/18/00 4:05 PM, Ken Lassesen at KenL@... wrote: > " One thing that is kind of interesting that most doctors > probably aren't aware of, there's one way you can tell if your patient has a > hypercoaguable state is if their sed rate is low. Probably less than 5 or 6. > " > -Dr. Donovan J. > http://abcjb.com/fm/media/cfs_radio_program__august_1st.htm <http://abcjb.com/fm/media/cfs_radio_program__august_1st.htm> [Patti:] Dr. is my beloved " doctor in the desert " that I spoke of in such glowing terms in the past. He is a most amazing person. The kindest, most understanding, knowledgeable and caring doctor I've ever met (and terribly overworked as well). Important note (warning - triple negative ahead): just because you don't have a low sed rate doesn't mean that you don't have a hypercoag problem. If you do have low sed rate, then there's an excellent chance (like 99%) that you are hypercoag, but you can still have a severe hypercoag problem and have a normal sed rate. I have a very normal sed rate, and I almost didn't get the hypercoag panel done because of this fact. But got hypercoag panel (from HEMEX) and showed up as extremely hypercoag (Berg even called my doc twice to make sure I was on heparin, he said he was shocked that I hadn't had a stroke or a TIA yet). Blood thinned down now and I may not need heparin anymore (I hope, those injections are very unpleasant). (using curcumin, aspirin, vit E etc - no bromelain because I'm allergic to it). I showed 3 genetic defects that promote hypercoag. I *think* the way your blood looks when its drawn is a good clue (would be nice if other people who have had the hypercoag test could weigh in on this). My blood has always been extra thick and syrupy and had foamy bubbles (asked docs about it and they stupidly say - oh some people are just like that, nothing to worry about - idiots!). Now my blood comes out very liquid and no foam. PTT test normal, so must be in the correct coag range now. Also, difficulty in drawing blood is not necessarily a clue. Just because you're not difficult to draw, doesn't mean you are not hypercoag. Even though my blood was very syrupy, I have always been a phlebotomist's dream and yet very hypercoag. After reading all the info on Berg's site and other articles about hypercoag on PubMed, I believe that most strokes are very predictable and very avoidable. I finally got one of my docs to admit that I do have a hypercoag problem, but he told me to do nothing about it! He said that I should *JUST WAIT* until I get a stroke or blood clot and *ONLY THEN* would he recommend treatment!!! (did you see my post on how the death rate goes down when doctors go on strike? - *most* of them are complete idiots!) Patti -- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2000 Report Share Posted September 2, 2000 Could be many other factors involved; sed rate one of the most common lab tests done by physicians. Steve B. sed rates > > I got my GP to do some generalized blood work on me. He also did a > sed rate, although not for coagulation purposes. It came back 29!! I > had had some blood work done a year ago, and went and looked that up. > Then the sed was 4. My doctor said that the 29 indicated an > infection. I did have a cold at the time. Does anyone know, does a > sed rate of 29, providing there is no error, definatly indicate that > I am not coagualating right now, or are there other factors involved? > > Matt > > > This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment discussed here, please consult your doctor. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2000 Report Share Posted September 2, 2000 A low SED strongly implies coagulation, a high SED strongly implies an active infection (but does NOT imply no coagulation, the infection over-rides the coagulation effect). Traditionally lower than normal SED values were ignored (which is what happen with Cheney and 's with the original Lake Tahoe outbreak - almost all patients had low SED (according to Osler's Web) - but no one knew what that meant!; some 20 years later, we now are starting to realize what this implies... M Lassesen, M.S. ex " Dr.Gui (MSDN) " , " Dr. VB " cv: http://www.folkarts.com/kenl/ KenL@... Phone: 360 297.4717 Cell: 360 509.8970 Fax 520 832.6836 ----- Original Message ----- From: Matt Hoppe I got my GP to do some generalized blood work on me. He also did a sed rate, although not for coagulation purposes. It came back 29!! I had had some blood work done a year ago, and went and looked that up. Then the sed was 4. My doctor said that the 29 indicated an infection. I did have a cold at the time. Does anyone know, does a sed rate of 29, providing there is no error, definatly indicate that I am not coagualating right now, or are there other factors involved? Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 7, 2002 Report Share Posted December 7, 2002 Dear , I don't know if I can answer your question as you inteded but in the early years of course, my sed rate was up to almost 200. Over the years I'm not sure what it was but I would think normal because I didn't have to take any dmard medications and only naprosin. But I did have Stills ongoing just not raging out of control. Since being on the sulfasalazine this past year I am still having problems with pain and overuse to the damaged areas, but also with inflimation in my chest internally. My last visit my set rate was 15, which I think is very good but my doctor said if I start showing more signes of inflamation he would like to discuss one of the newer dmards. So in retrospect, my sed rates do flucuate over the years but even when low there was a possability of damage to joints. I hope any of this helped, feel better soon, Patty > Hello friends, > I was just wondering if anyone experiences very low white count like myself > when their blood work comes back. For some reason, my white cells drop in > the 2.5 range at times, and it is then that I get ill and I don't feel well, > but when they go way up, I am in a " flare " . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 I've got a question. A few weeks back I ended up in the ER because I could no longer walk. My right knee was in excruciating pain. The only thing that showed abnormal after the x-ray and blood work was an elevated sed rate. Normal is 20 and mine was 46. 3 weeks after that ER visit I was back at my LLMD, feeling much better. he wanted to recheck my sed rate levels and make sure they are going down. He called me a few days later asking if I was in alot of pain and how I was feeling. I felt I was on an upswing...but we was very concerned that my sed rate had risen to over 70. I asked what he thought was going on and he said it might be an acure babesia flare....or maybe a connective tissue disorder. But I have been tested twice a year for over 6 years for RA, Lupus, etc... So I asked if it was not either of those what it could be...and he said " lets just take this one step at a time. " So of course I went online to see what else it could be! There was one study where they had found that highly elevated sed rates (asymptomatic) found that a high percentage had ankylosing spondylitis. This rang a bell with me because 3 years ago in my spinal MRI every single vertibrae set had " multi level mild spondylosis " ....this research said that to monitor ankylosing spondylitis it should be watched over several years...it has been 3 years since that last MRI...so I am thinking of asking him to do one. Do any of you have ankylosing spondylitis in your spine? There were several other things I found in my MRI reports from 3 years ago, after reading them myself,,,,(the doctor said it was " Normal " )...it said there was some kind of " artifact " in the spinal column but it was not compressing any nerves. My EMG reports showed delay/diminished reflexes and a completely absent H tibial reflex...whatever that is. In isolation an individual doc may not think anything of those comments...but I am wondering if someone would connect the dots of all these various issues if would mean something?? Oh...the MRI of my brain also said that something was causing my pituitary gland to be displaced, but was deemed to be " within normal limits " ...but via SYMPTOMS...all my hormones have been out of what for over 7 years...including 6 miscarriages, Lyme DX, and a recent dx of being post menopausal....at 36 years old (last year!) And since the pituitary gland is the main hormone regulator...maybe that should be looked at a little closer. Also my test for cushings disease had come back 2 points high into the " positive range " after a 24 hour urine collection....but they did a recent cortisol blood test that seemed " normal " ...are those the same kind of tests? Anyone have any ideas of what could be causing the elevated sed rates? Thanks, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 > > > > Do any of you have ankylosing spondylitis in your spine? Sally, I've not seen " ankylosing " in my MRI, CT or X-rays, but the spondylitis is surely present in all of them-- meaning arthritis. At 38, I just had my 2nd arthritis related surgery. (I'm almost 7 years post Lyme dx) The question I'm sure I'll never have answered is: would the arthritis have happened without Lyme. At 20 I was told I'd probably get arthritis at a young age (based only on the hypermobility of my joints), but for all I know I could have been infected way back then. The complete lack of a reflex sounds like a pinched nerve, but they don't operate on them unless there are serious symptoms that aren't helped by non-aggressive means (P.T., steroids, NSAID's, etc.) unless there is also stenosis (impingement of the spinal canal). I have multi-level spondylitits and multi-level stenosis, but without more serious symptoms, they just worked on the level that was causing severe problems. I'm also going through early menopause, not quite to the full lack of menses yet, but lots of symptoms since I was about 31. I'd recommend getting copies of all your medical records, but it sounds like you already have. Know you're definitely not alone, and that we'll pray for you, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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