ANA and SED rate

If you have CIDP chances are your SED rate is going to be really high. It measures your inflammation. If you’ve received IVIG then your SED rate will be high because of that as well.

Have you had an MRI of your brain & spine? That would show if have inflammation in those areas. It could explain some of the high SED rate.

Emily’s ANA said that she tested “borderline positive” for Lupus. I was told that IVIG can alter the results of that test because you get the anti-bodies. To do an ANA after receiving IVIG is pretty much a waste of time & money. It’s not accurate & you can’t really learn anything from the results.

Here is a link that explains about ANA tests & results:

[url]http://arthritis.about.com/od/diagnostic/a/ana.htm[/url]

This link explains SED rate:

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrocyte_sedimentation_rate[/url]

Here is a link to a study done on IVIG. It says that patients SED rates increased 275% after an IVIG infusion.

[url]http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2852875[/url]

Hope that helps.
Kelly

Gabrielle –

Yeah it’s pretty cool to hear the dr say he thinks she’s healed. It’s been a LONG few years since she was first dx’d. It’s weird finally being able to relax a bit.

I read that 70% of kids with CIDP go into remission within 2-3 years if the attack gets under control. Emily was dx’d with GBS in Dec. 2005 & then re-dx’d with CIDP in March 2006. So that puts us right in the 2-3 year mark.

Kelly

Gabrielle, I had a positive ANA 6 years ago with a heterogeneous pattern which I think might be the same pattern as Lupus. Since then my ANA’s have been very weakly positive, like 1:40 or 80, or completely negative. Who knows….

I also do have an elevated sed rate, about mid 50’s usually. This is before I started on the IVIG. My CK is normal though, as well as all lab tests known to man for other autoimmune disease. My doctors have been very thorough! Hope this helps some!
Mags

Positive ANA’s can be a factor of Lupus but the test alone does not actually diagnose Lupus as an ANA can also be positive for other diseases. It is used alot though for Collegen Vascular Diseases. Lupus, MCTD, Scleroderma, Polymyositis and a few others. You may have Lupus but am just not showing the other symptoms.
A high sed rate with an ANA is also another factor that Lupus could be kicking in. Most Lupus patients don’t start out much showing positive labs, but as the disease progresses it will start showing positive labs.
Unless you are doing the rare stuff I am doing. Lupus attacking my body and showing no majorly high labs.

I learned this long ago and thought it was kind of funny. I might not remember it exactly, but it goes something like this.
ANA 1:40 yawn
ANA 1:80 look up
ANA 1:160 Raise the eyebrows (repeat if other concerns)
ANA 1:320 Sit up and take notice (definitely repeat)
ANA 1:640 Reach out to the phone and call a rheumatologist for a future appointment
ANA 1:1280 Order a urinanalysis right before calling a rheumatologist for an appointment real soon
ANA 1:2560 Walk with them down to rheumatology!

Of course, any interpretation also depends on other potential symptoms of a collagen vascular disease.
I also do not know how serious the person was, but they said they were serious.
WithHope

of ALL your tests, bloodwork and others.
There are good programs out there [nearly all are free and should be] that can help you chart and map out your bloodwork from test to test and year to year. Some things creep up slowly, others change slowly or quickly. I tend to take note of those just above or below the “*”s and those that change fairly fast. Do keep in mind and keep a serious calendar of dr’s appts, test dates and when you started/stopped any meds. The combo med factor as you add a new one for a new problem can and does add up. You’d be surprised at how much you don’t remember 3months to 3 years later without them.
Charting out all the blood work results is a pain to do, but many docs like it to ‘see’ your blood histories and such. [It also helps YOU see some changes to watch on your own and ask about when right] You have to be careful tho, cause if a doc is ‘old fashioned’, well he/she’ll think you’re manic or something. Hummm to that! I always just simply put it out that I like to be aware and informed as best I can about what all is going on with me – and leave it at that.
As long as they don’t day ‘I’m calling an ambulance for you’ I figure I am going to be OK and slog on.
Sure hope this helps!