Is this a stupid question?? re: sed rate | Arthritis Information

The nurse at the lab called me yesterday with my latest lab reports. She said that my sed rate is up to 35 and should be between 0 and 20. I asked her how I could reduce this? She had no answer for me ..I felt like I had asked a ridiculous question.

How the heck can I reduce my sed rate????

Make an appointment ASAP with the doctor who ordered the test, and ask them. Mine was brought down with an increase in MTX after going up after being weaned off long term Predisone. Geez Gena, morons, absolute morons running American medicine. Good luck and let us know.

Gena hunny...your sed rate is an indication of inflammation going on. Please call your doc office back and find out what the doc wants you to do to knock your sed rate back down. Since you are also working with some alternative therapies...you might also want to check with them on what they say will help bring your sed rate back down.

You did not by any means ask that nurse a stupid question. What she should have done was said. I am not sure...let me check with the doctor and get back with you.

Sheeeeesh has the summer sun burned the brains of people lately???

Gena, your sed rate could be up for various reasons, not just your RA. It
could be from any thing that is causing your body inflammation. Your diet,
allergens, an acute illness, your RA and many other factors. Some are in
your control and others are not. The ones you can control are what you put
into your body, but in meds and food/drink. Make sure you eat an
antiinfammatory diet, that means those foods that don't cause inflammation
in YOUR body. That is hard but the whole foods seem to be good. For me,
dairy is a big culprit. I also only use olive, coconut, and nut oils in my diet.
Fish are antiinflammatory for many people. Some meds will help but there
are some meds out there that can make matters worse. The statin drugs are
showing promise as antiinflammatories but are not yet approvied for this.
Whatever you can do to reduce your own inflammation is good.

Hey Gena -

I don't remember if you started ABX yet but that may be the culprit. When you start Mino your disease becomes 'unstable' and many times your numbers go up. And your numbers can go up using different labs. My AP doc tested my RF at 706 in the beginning and I dropped down to 395 quickly - but when I got pneumonia it shot back up to 414??? 441? Something odd. Then, when I had to use a national lab my numbers were all over the board - it freaked me out. Lately everything has 'settled down' as the Mino has the buggers on the run.

Hope this helps.

Pip

Gena, Good advice from the above posters. There's another side to this that I wanted to let you know about - lab workers don't give advice regarding any medical condition and you were asking for medical advice. Most labs don't employee nurses but lab techs. and phelobotomists. She should have told you to call your RD or the ordering doctor for instructions. Now, if it was your doctor's office that called you with the results then they should have been prepared to have you talk to the doctor, have the doctor return your call, or have further information or directions for you. I hope you get the answers from your RD soon. Like Lori said there are many ways to try and bring down the sed rate and many reasons why it is elevated.

Not all workers in American medicine are morons.