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ESR ( Sed Rate) lab test?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/12/2010 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
How important are the results of this test in UC?

Do you think that the results are truly indicative of inflammation, even without noticable symptoms?

Would being on prednisone alter the results?

Thanks

Posted 1/12/2010 7:02 AM (GMT 0)
My GI said that some who are flaring will have a low ESR reading and some who aren't having flaring symptoms can have a high reading.

He said if the test result is indicitive of the actual/obvious symptoms, then it's nice when the two coincide.

He doesn't use the test to determine a flare....assuming most patients realise they are. He probably did the test periodically before I got copies of them. He's requested it once in the past 6 years.

I don't know if pred would alter the results, but to me they might have a reading lower than the actual inflammation in the body. It might be a good thing to research, however.

How often is the doc requesting it for your daughter and what is her reading?


Is the doc doing other blood tests to help determine inflammation, etc?



This might help regarding ESR



http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/esr/glance.html



quincy
Posted 1/12/2010 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
My daughter's doctor does this test at each appointment....approximately every 1-2 months. He doesn't consider it as reliable as the c-reactive protein test for inflammation, however, because it takes a while after the inflammation disappears before the test will have a normal reading. There have been many times when my daughter's SED rate was extremely high, yet the c-reactive protein was in a normal range.
Posted 1/12/2010 1:02 PM (GMT 0)
My Sed rate and actual UC inflammation usually don't have any relation to the other. I've had obviously inflammation and a low Sed rate and and I've felt great and had a high Sed rate (at whch point the doc usually says, "Oh.... I guess you're fighting some kind of inflammation somewhere in your body....."

My son's GI has his blood done every 4 months, and seems to pay more attention to the c-reactive protein, like your daughter's doc.
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