ESR test - will antibiotics affect result?

[flossiew]

Hi folks. I have tried to find the answer to my question online but I have had no success - perhaps someone here can help.

I have another chest infection and am now on antibiotics.

My problem is that I am currently being investigated for a rather worrying condition, giant cell arteritis, for which one of the few definitive markers is a raised ESR. I have already had bloods taken which showed my ESR was high, but my GP thinks it's due to my asthma flare and wants me to get it rechecked on Thursday. My concern is that the abx will lower the ESR reading and my GP may not diagnose me correctly. (GCA can lead to sudden irreversible blindness /stroke which is why I am worried.) There may be a forum for GCA somewhere but think it's somewhere on health unlocked and don't know how to have two groups up and running at the same time, so my apologies that this question is slightly off topic.

Hope everyone is getting to enjoy the cooler weather!

Flossie

[flossiew]

Just answered my own question by reading the patient info leaflet enclosed with the abx! Sorry for wasting your time 😕