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Heather
Forum Leader Username: Heather
Post Number: 3124 Registered: 05-2003
| Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 05:56 pm: |
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If you are taking prednisone, can it alter your labs...make them look better than they actually are? I was put on prednisone for 6 weeks but in that time had to repeat some labs...most of which appeared greatly improved..now I am concerned I may have to repeat them again off of prednisone..to see what they really are. I am talking...ANA, Sed rate, autoimmune panels, etc.
Heather Forum Leader - Living Organ Donation Heather's Blog EC Illinois, USA Kidney donor to dad 12/1/99 Rush-Presbyterian-St. Lukes, Chicago DONATE LIFE |
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Karen R.
Forum Leader Username: Relivkaren
Post Number: 4990 Registered: 07-2007
| Posted on Friday, October 29, 2010 - 07:06 pm: |
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Heather: YES!! Some labs will be affected by prednisone. Especially SED rate and C-reative protein as predisone is very effective in reducing inflammation and that is what SED rate and C-reactive protein measures. As far as ANA and other autoimmune markers, I am not sure. I thought that if you had autoimmune disease that those markers were always there, but that might not be true. Come to think of it - my mom has Rheumatoid Arthritis in remission. I don't think her labs show that she has Rheumatoid factor. I only know for sure about the SED rate and C-reative protein because that is how they would measure the activity of my Crohn's when it was active. Prednisone would bring those 2 test numbers way down to almost normal. If they weren't in the normal range then they would up my pred. You might want to wait a month or two to have those tests repeated. I know that pred takes a long time to get out of your body. There is some formula - something like the length of time you took it - it takes so long to get out of your system. Obviously, I don't know the correct formula, but I bet someone on here does. That's good that the pred helped those things, but it doesn't help when trying to get a diagnosis. I hope that helps some! God Bless!
Karen Dx: BOOP - May 2006. Rediagnosed with Bronchiolitis Obliterans Nov. 2006 Double lung transplant on Dec. 1st, 2009 Cleveland Clinic Ohio, USA Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. |
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Heather
Forum Leader Username: Heather
Post Number: 3136 Registered: 05-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2010 - 07:20 pm: |
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I asked the neurologist about the labs and he said oh yes..prednisone will alter your labs. I also asked if it would alter my cholesterol. He said yes..prednisone may raise your cholesterol. But thing is..mine was 220 at the beginning of the year and I began taking fish oil about June..and now it came back 192. That is quite significant. and I did not take the fish oil faithfully either. So kinda odd. My cholesterol was 198 in 2008, and 220 the last 2 times it was done before this one.
Heather Forum Leader - Living Organ Donation Heather's Blog EC Illinois, USA Kidney donor to dad 12/1/99 Rush-Presbyterian-St. Lukes, Chicago DONATE LIFE |
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