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What would cause a false positive on the d-dimer test

I have been very ill with extreme headaches, swelling in the glands in my neck, throat, behind the ears, numbness in the head and vertigo. I had blood drawn and my white blood cell count was high they did a d-dimer test on me it came back positive yet the ct scan was normal a side from a sinus infection sinusitis. The my doctor sent did a rheumatoid test that came back negative. Now she said she has another patient that had the same symptoms with the d-dimer test positive and ct scan clear. I have been on antibiotics and it is slowly working my doctor and other doctors she has talked to are researching it but cannot explain it.  I go for a mri the 29th of July. Can anyone tell me what this can be and why the d-dimer is positive I had a head and chest ct both negative. I am female and the othe with the same symptoms is male. We live on a military base and see military doctors. Please help
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4672732 tn?1357814812
Hi,
   I have had 2 episodes of chest pain in the last 6 months, followed by an elevated D-Dimer.  They checked my lungs both times but found no clots.  I recently got out of the hospital, with an exacerbation of COPD, and my D-Dimer was high then too.  I have taken thyroid meds for years for hypothyroidism, but within the six month span I've talked about, I have lost 40 lbs without trying.  I'm 5'9" and now only weigh 121.  I feel like I'm disappearing.  This last time, they happened to catch a one and one half cm nodule on my thyroid.  I have had neck and headaches on that side, but have been attributing it to TMJ which I have had since I was young.  Now I'm not sure.  I have read that high D-Dimers can be related to cancer, and now I'm scared.  The first time my D=Dimer was high, I had no infection....the thought I was having an MI, which I wasn't.  Could this be related to thyroid cancer?  My Mother had her whole thyroid removed for a large goiter, and eventually died of an unrelated cancer.  I guess I'm just looking for answers and am worried.  Any thoughts?
~Holly~
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Avatar universal
According to labs online;  An elevated  D-dimer may be due to a VTE or DIC but it may also be due to a recent surgery, trauma, or infection. Elevated levels are also seen with liver disease, pregnancy, eclampsia, heart disease, and some cancers.  Hope it helps.
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