Ok, now I feel like I'm losing my mind. I received a note from my general doctor stating that a blood test she preformed came back abnormal. It was a sedimentation rate test( a test that looks for generalized inflammation) and it came back at 35 when 0-20 is normal range. Now when she preformed that test, that was the week I had recurring fevers, crusing fatigue and lots of joint pain. She felt it was a lupus flare, so she gave me steroids and I felt tons better! But now, this new rhuemy tells me I don't have lupus but fibro. From my research, fibro doesn't cause this rate to elevate. So who's right? Are both my rhuemy's right? Lupus and fibro? AAARRRGGG...I'm so confused. By the way, I'm taking 50mg of lyrica 3x's a day instead of the Plaquenil.
Rosie..nothing is showing on your Discussin to match your title.
Love Terri xxx
Thanks for letting me know. Basically I'm on my second rhuemy and he says I don't have lupus but fibromyalgia. He took me off Plaquenil and on lyrica. So now today I get something from my GP. She took blood for a sedimentation rate test. (a test that looks for generalized inflammation). She did this when I went to her feeling extremely fatigued, in pain and had recurring fever. Normal range for this test is 0-20. I was at 35. From what I've read fibromyalgia doesn't increase this rate, but Lupus does. So now I'm feeling like who's right? Do I have both these conditions? Is it something else all together?? AAARRRGGG I'm so frustrated! I think I'm going to ask to see yet another rhuemy to see what that one has to say.
The sed rate can be elevated for many different reasons and is not indicative of lupus only of inflammation. A rate of 35 is fairly mild- in my last flare my sed rate was 125. Fibromyalgia is nothing to sneer at- uncontrolled it can be very disabling but Lyrica is a great drug for this- hopefully you will feel better soon
Thank you everyone for the info. Accurate knowledge does help me see things in the correct perspective. I appreciate it!
Rosie
Hello Rosie,
You can have Lupus besides Fibro but "poobie is correct sed rate is for showing inflammation"
You could go for seeing a third Rheumo but out the two you have if ones more persistant with looking at you and also taking bloods...i'd stick with that rheumo for the time being because to me it's showing that the rheumo is taking interest with your sysmptoms.
Love Terri xxx