Blood test: SED Rate - what can a high sed rate mean?

Question

For the last 10 or so years, I've had a high sed rate. The doctor says that this indicates that your body is fighting something, but until other symptoms emerge, they cannot diagnose. I don't have other symptoms. Anyone else have a high sed rate, & if so, what is your cause?

the_only_solorose: Thanks for your answer. To answer your question: yes, I have allergies: dust, dustmites, mold, tree pollen, ragweed. I also react to many drugs. My sed rate is always between 50-80.

Answer 1

In answer to your question, yes I have a high sed rate too. Mine is caused by severe allergies.
I take an antihistamine every day, but still react.
The only way for me to get my sed rate down is to avoid the allergens, which is not easy to do. So my sed rate continues to be high.

I hope you find what is ailing you.

Answer 2

Sed Rate High

Answer 3

Elevated ESRs (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) are not specific but generally do indicate inflammation. High neutrophil count (neutrophilia) can lead to leukocytosis which is associated with bacterial infection and leukemia. Low lymphocytes (lymphocytopenia) is associated with mononucleosis and malignancy. High blood platelets (thrombocytosis) is associated with, among other things, leukemia (CML), Hodgkin's, and other lymphomas. Photosensivity isn't associated with Celebrex. I'm sorry to hear about the Raynaud's. Glad to hear about the negatives for SLE. I'm a nurse, not a doctor, and, while I have my suspicions, I cannot give you a medical diagnosis -- only a licensed physician who has examined you can do that. If anyone answering this question tries to suggest an illness/disease, disregard it! I don't wish to alarm you but I strongly suggest you get a referral to a Hematologist ASAP. I'm sure you want an answer as to what is going on.

Answer 4

having a very high blood lipid (fats such as cholesterol and
triglycerides) level can cause a false positive in an ESR (estimated sed rate).
Being dehydrated or anemic may elevate the test, but not by a significant
amount. You can see there is a broad range within the normal values,
from the normal values I have listed below. If an actual ESR value
were 4, and you had the test drawn while dehydrated, you may get an
ESR value of 14, still within normal limits. Certain drugs can
elevate the ESR, falsely, including dextran, methyldopa,
methylsergide, penicillamine, procainamide, theophylline,
trifluperidol, and Vitamin A may elevate the sed rate. How much
depends on the dose and the person’s condition, and is not possible to
quantitate.
http://www.healthy.net/library/books/textbook/Section2/esr.pdf



Not all labs test ESR in the same manner. There are 3 ways of running
an ESR. Two methods, the Westergren, and the Wintrobe method utilize a
graduated, narrow tube of blood. The Westergren uses a longer and
wider tube, while the Wintrobe method utilizes a smaller and narrower
tube. Some labs call for using a saline diluted blood sample. Both of
these methods work by filling the tube with sample, placing them
absolutely straight up and setting a timer for one hour. After one
hour, the line marking the cells that have fallen from the plasma is
noted.
You can see a picture of the one hour Westergren method here. Note
the graduated marks on the tubes.:
http://www.guest-medical.co.uk/html/f_lab_labcon_ESR.htm

A newer method, developed in Italy, uses a machine that systematically
rocks the blood to shorten the testing time from 60 minutes to 20
minutes. I had the “honor” of performing comparison studies on the
analyzer, to see how it fared to the older one hour tests. I can say
that it compared well, in most cases.

A sed rate is a non-specific test for inflammatory processes in the
body. By non-specific, I mean it is not a test for a specific disease
state such as arthritis or leukemia. Many conditions and diseases
produce inflammation, giving an elevated ESR. Some conditions that
elevate the ESR are multiple myeloma, polycythemia, sickle cell,
temporal arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Red cells carry a negative ionic charge,and normally repel each other
at a fairly constant rate, known as the Zeta Potential. Protein
molecules, associated with inflammation carry a positive charge,
affecting the Zeta Potential of the red blood cells, causing them to
stack, rather than repel, thus causing an increased ESR.

Inflammatory processes cause a change in the ionic charge of red blood
cells, causing the rate at which the red cells repel each other, known
as the Zeta potential, to change. This causes the red cells to fall
quicker, giving a higher result.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/991001ap/1443.html

You can see an illustration of the Zeta Potential on this page:
http://www.uwcme.org/site/courses/legacy/rheumlab/esr.php


Mechanical methods can affect the ESR in the laboratory. Using an
incorrect dilution factor (saline to blood) in setting up the test can
cause a falsely elevated ESR, as can a tilted tube, or a vibrating
centrifuge, or other vibrating equipment on the same counter where the
ESR is being run. Medical technologists running the test are careful
not to bang on the counter, set heavy items down, or otherwise cause
vibration of any kind while this test is being run. Running the test
on refrigerated blood can falsely elevate the results, as can a very
warm room.


Normal Values:
·Men under 50 years old: less than 15 mm/hr.
·Men over 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr.
·Women under 50 years old: less than 20 mm/hr.
·Women over 50 years old: less than 30 mm/hr.

Please note that normal value ranges can vary from lab to lab. You
will need to compare your actual result to the performing lab’s normal
values for complete accuracy.
http://www.healthcentral.com/mhc/top/003638.cfm
So, I would not say your body was so much fighting anything as it was reacting to something, an elevated sed rate shows an inflammatory process of some sort...do you suffer from allergies?

Answer 5

ESR (or erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is a non-specific test. In other words, without something else showing up, it is almost impossible to commit a diagnosis. However, it is commonly seen in acute and chronic inflammatory disorders (like temporal arteritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica...you get the picture). You did not say how high. If it is marginally high, you may not ever know what is up, and you probably won't care. A real high value would warrant further investigations. Doctors usually treat patients, and not lab values (i.e., if nothing else is wrong...).