Blood work and diagnosis queries

[MissScarling]

I won't write my whole saga, just to say my GP is thinking I have fibro and CFS, after first him and a specialist suggesting it was psychological of course!Possibly I do have fibro and CFS, but I feel everything is more indicative of RA. Except for inflammation markers in my blood work.

On the day of my most recent lot of bloods, my nurse (Dr was away which is good because I am NOT a fan), felt and noted obvious joint swelling, stiffness and restriction in my hands, yet the CRP blood work still came back with no indication of inflammation! They didn't recall for ESR this time so CRP is all I have to go on. But of course this rules out Rheumatoid arthritis. My questions are, those of you who are diagnosed with Fibro, what do your inflammation markers look like? Positive, normal, negative?

And have you any sign of positive RhF in your bloodwork?

What are your Ferritin levels like?

Have you had all the key body points of pain examined?

I am just sick of flare ups debilitating me, sick of being treated like I know nothing and am crazy, that my bloods are false positives and not being examined as I'm under the impression I should be in order to make a definitive diagnosis.

Any thoughts or info would be much appreciated 🙏💚

[kushami36]

Maybe this would help:

rheumatoidarthritis.org/ra/...

[txgoldenmom]

Hi MissScarling. Your experience sounds familiar. I don't know that we have the same results but it definitely reminds me of what I went through. The exception being that thought it was Lupus not RA. I was more familiar with Lupus.

It took me awhile and several Rheumatologists to accept that had Fibro and CRP. I already knew that I had multiple other diseases and Syndromes since my teens. More continue to be diagnosed as their cormobidity are similar/related. I learned at a Neurologist that I was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndromes including hypermobililty. That was a surprise!

Back to you and RA, Fibro, CRP, etc. When the results come back without positive inflammation markers, RA isn't present. It is definitely frustrating. Fibromyalgia doesn't have a test that confirms its existence per the research sources.

Explaining it to everyone that is unfamiliar with it is exhausting for those of us with it. Most of my family members have no clue and have spent the time learning about it. I am not sure they think that it's a real medical disease. My kids understand since they lived with me before and after.

I don't know if this helped at all. I hope so. Please be patient with yourself. This journey is a long road and requires gentleness to yourself.

Gentle hugs sent and hopes that answers are coming your way.