# Infection or flare?!?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [November 8, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/t/infection-or-flare/2440 "2013-11-08T00:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nicole4](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.lifewithlupus.org/nicole4/32/1615_2.png) [@Nicole4](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/u/Nicole4)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/t/infection-or-flare/2440/1 "2013-11-08T00:51:20Z")
My medical dr called me today with my blood work results and thankfully my kidneys are fine sugars are a little elevated from the prednisone but my white blood cell count is threw the roof!!! Still have swollen lymph nodes in my armpits and now in my elbow area. I am going tomorrow morning for a chest ct since they still hear some noise in there not sure what it is. Can lupus flare cause elevated WBC or could it just be an infection? I am still breaking out here and there with a hive like rash and my joints are swollen and painful as well. Would love anyone’s 2 cents on this one. ---
**Author:** ![poobie](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.lifewithlupus.org/poobie/32/339_2.png) [@poobie](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/u/poobie)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/t/infection-or-flare/2440/2 "2013-11-08T01:07:03Z")
Prednisone can make you susceptible to infection so can be a double whammy ---
**Author:** ![freightliner](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.lifewithlupus.org/freightliner/32/1025_2.png) [@freightliner](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/u/freightliner)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/t/infection-or-flare/2440/3 "2013-11-08T13:20:04Z")
Hi Nicole": i don't have 2 cents maybe 1 1/2 cents, but I have had WBC few times this year. Great news on your bloodwork. I go for a sigmoidoscopy on Mon I have a new gastro dr and he sent me for a ct scn, which was unremarkable d now the sigmoid, covering all the bases. Have a good day. Cindy ---
**Author:** ![Jen2](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.lifewithlupus.org/jen2/32/1667_2.png) [@Jen2](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/u/Jen2)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/t/infection-or-flare/2440/4 "2013-11-08T13:47:21Z")
Or both. I have a cold, but my immune system is so suppressed that my WBC count is normal. I had appendicitis a few months ago, and my WBC count was normal. They were amazed. I’m glad I insisted that something was wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annemarie](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.lifewithlupus.org/annemarie/32/1167_2.png) [@Annemarie](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/u/Annemarie)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://forum.lifewithlupus.org/t/infection-or-flare/2440/5 "2013-11-08T16:38:31Z")
My wbc goes through the roof at times and at times is really low. For me, lab work never correlates to how I feel. Drove my original docs nuts until they realized that I was a freak…lol totally joking. I feel the worst when my labs are normal and great when my counts are all messed up. It’s a pain every time I change doctors because they don’t believe me when I tell them. Like I don’t know my own body. Sheesh I’ve been living with it longer than most of them have been doctors. I always have swollen lymph nodes so I’m not much help there. Just be sure you aren’t developing lymphoma which goes along with lupus. Wish I were more help. Hugs, Annemarie