Hi,I am Dr. Shanthi.E (General & Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
Can A Shingles Cause Elevated Level Of Sedimentation Rate With History Of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
My dad is 67 and has rheumatoid arthritis. He gets Remicade infusions for this. About 7 months ago, he got shingles and has terrible back and chest pain. He is on a high dose of Neurontin for this. His doctor called to say his sed rate has skyrocketed. Could this be due shingles? He cannot get relief from the shingles pain. Is there anything more that can be done? He is struggling and in pain all the time.
Shingles happened 7 months back is very unlikely to cause high ESR now. Even if pain is persisting, we can not take it as active zoster. Here we have to to look for other causes of high ESR like flare up of rheumatoid arthritis.
Pain of shingles is sometimes very annoying and difficult to treat. If very distressing, kindly discuss with doctor to upgrade analgesia or additional modalities like narcotic agents or short course steroids.
Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Muhammed Aslam T. K., Pediatrician
I find this answer helpful
You found this answer helpful
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
We use cookies in order to offer you most relevant experience and using this website you acknowledge that you have already read and understood our
Privacy Policy
Can A Shingles Cause Elevated Level Of Sedimentation Rate With History Of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Hi, Shingles happened 7 months back is very unlikely to cause high ESR now. Even if pain is persisting, we can not take it as active zoster. Here we have to to look for other causes of high ESR like flare up of rheumatoid arthritis. Pain of shingles is sometimes very annoying and difficult to treat. If very distressing, kindly discuss with doctor to upgrade analgesia or additional modalities like narcotic agents or short course steroids. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Muhammed Aslam T. K., Pediatrician