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Blood Tests

photodonn Message
7 Jan 2011, 09:00 PM

Do monthly blood tests help in being pro-active to help ward off attacts?
aporzeca Message
7 Jan 2011, 09:50 PM

Dear Photodonn: I'm sorry to read about the health problems you've been having the past couple of years which could well be indicative of SCLS, so I welcome you to our SCLS community! (Incidentally, if you'd like to have it confirmed, you may want to consider making the arrangements for a 3-day stay at the National Institutes of Health near Washington DC, where they're looking for patients who have or look like they have SCLS. Other possibilities are to visit major medical centers in New York or the Mayo Clinic -- as long as you have an appointment with someone who knows about SCLS. Let me know if you need my help by writing to me at _aporzeca@american.edu_). Here you will find a lot of information in the Disorder Details, Disorder Resources and in prior posts here in the Discussion Forum section. In concrete reply to your question, no, monthly blood tests are no good except for other medical purposes, because it would be a sheer coincidence that you would be having an episode of SCLS on the day you go for a blood test and the resulting hemoconcentration would be measurable. The way to consider going is to do what diabetics do: just like they check their sugar daily or more often, you could check your hemoglobin levels daily or more often. Read all about it in the Discussion Forum topic titled "How to Know for Sure When You Are Having An Episode." Arturo
photodonn Message
7 Jan 2011, 10:55 PM

Arturo... Thank you for your quick response and I will follow up with your suggestions. ...Donn
photodonn Message
29 Jan 2011, 02:09 AM

I checked the National Institutes of Health website and the studies indicate that a applicant must have been diagnosed with SCLS to take part. I live in South Florida and would like to locate someone closer to be able to tell me if I have it or not. y I am currently taking PREDNISONE & THEOPHYLLINE. ..Donn.
aporzeca Message
29 Jan 2011, 03:50 AM

In theory, any senior internist (say, one affiliated with a major medical school), willing to read up on SCLS by consulting the literature posted here under Disorder Resources, should be able to give you a definitive second opinion on your diagnosis. The problem is that most doctors don't want to bother, because they don't get paid enough to spend all the hours needed to get themselves up to speed on such a rare illness. I was lucky to find such internists in New York and Washington DC, but they're as rare as needles in haystacks. The other option is to make an investment in yourself -- because your insurance company may/may not cover it --and check yourself into a top medical center, like the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, that has seen many patients with this and other similar conditions, will run a battery of tests during 2-3 days, study the files and notes of your own doctors, and give you a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan to take home with you. Quite a few of the American patients in this community have done that. If interested, have your MD contact Dr. Philip Greipp at _greipp.philip@mayo.edu_ By the way, you can't go on taking Prednisone all the time, because steroids cause a lot of collateral damage. If you have SCLS, Prednisone can come in handy under strict medical supervision during episodes, but there is no proven benefit -- and there's a lot of downside -- to taking it day in and day out.
photodonn Message
29 Jan 2011, 08:35 PM

Thank you for your timely response. I agree with you concerning the Prednisone. I am have some very bad side effects and need to consult my physician about this. Unfortunately I am in the VA program and am working with them for the moment and hopefully they will be able to make a definitive diagnosis. ...Donn
mahaff Message
8 Mar 2011, 08:24 PM

I visited NIH in Aug.,2010 and suggest you check the discussion topics in that category on this site. Also read my profile. I contacted DD Gaskins, a nurse for Dr. Drury at NIH and she gave me info. that allowed me to have my Dr. and local hospital send all medical records to NIH. After review of the records they will decide if you meet the criteria for participation. Based on your history, I don't think you will have any problem qualifying. I was the 16th participant and they were looking for 30 volunteers at that time. You will have to pay your own expenses to get there and back but your stay will be covered in most cases. Please feel free to ask any questions of them or me. I listed their telephone nos. under the discussion topics. If you can't find them I will send them again. Good Luck! Mahaff