Do you think SED rate is better than CRP then? It doesn't seem like I've had that test either. I have hypothyroidism, which can be autoimmune related, but no doctor has ever suggested either test, nor mentioned inflammation. I get TSH tested every 6 months though, and sometimes have to adjust Synthroid. I've asked about the causes of these fluctuations and doctors basically just shrug. I have no theory for it either.
I'm not sure if you mean better in terms of diagnosing triggers or generally to diagnose disease. Again, I don't think these blood tests are good for diagnosing short term triggers, but monitoring your TSH levels after some longer-term controlled lifestyle experiments can be very informative.
As far as diagnosing disease, there are many blood tests broadly that one would/could run to aid in diagnosing autoimmune diseases, including ANA pattern and titer, DS Antibody, SCL-70 antibody, ANA screen (IFA), SM antibody, Sjogren's antibodies, ANCA screen, P & C ANCA titer, rheumatoid factor, CRP, compliment levels (e.g. C3, C4), SED rate, white blood cell counts (neutorphils, lyphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes). Tests for organ function can also be critical in evaluation.
I don't know much about hypothyroidism, but my advice is to do a lot of self-education, reading as much literature as you can about it. Journal your behaviors, habits, stress levels, sleep, and food and identify patterns yourself. You can do this by eliminating certain environmental or dietary factors for four or six months, then do TSH tests again. You have to be careful of changing too many variables at once. I know it's a pain in the butt, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You want your disease to stay in a managed state and prevent any immune system issues from spidering into other disorders. If you have these potential warning signs of your immune system starting to crack, my advice is to do everything you can to protect it from reaching additional failure points.
A high SED rate might accompany many conditions like Parkinsons, cancer, or autoimmune disorders - it's a broad quantifiable test of how severe your inflammation is regardless of cause. When it causes concern, it's typically off the charts. "Normal" SED rate is about 0-15, while an out of control systemic condition can drive it far north of double or triple the high reference point (not just slightly over).
The SED rate doesn't identify its cause, so ANA and CRP can be ordered after a high SED rate (along with tests such as CBC, urinalysis, etc that would indicate other possible causes). CRP and ANA tests are pretty specific to autoimmune diseases.
ANA is most often associated with SLE (lupus). Not all AI diseases have positive ANA screen, and even in SLE once it's in a managed state both SED and ANA titer would ideally be back within spec.
I'd be curious (if you do regular blood work) do you have a SED rate within spec but an ANA titer out of spec? Or "just" a positive ANA screen test?
