Blood test results

Please can anyone advise me why my blood tests are showing no or minimal inflammation but my joints, hands and feet are so painful and the swelling builds and then subsides constantly? Thank you

[helixhelix]

Mine rarely do either. Even when I was first diagnosed and could hardly move I had so many swollen joints, and couldn't even pick up a cup, my ESR was only 21 which many labs consider to be normal. These days if I'm in remission my ESR is 2 or 3, and if I'm flaring it goes up to 7 or 8. My rheumy laughs at the numbers but accepts that's just the way it is for me.

When I changed rheumy recently what was really useful was that I have a graph of my blood results over past 6 years so could see what my normal was.

[Hidden in reply to helixhelix]

Thank you for replying, I am so pleased to hear it's not just me. It just doesn't make sense. RA is hateful, unforgiving and relentless x

[Valletta1 in reply to Hidden]

My inflammation level is 17. I was diagnosed with Osteo. Arthritis, Rheumatoid and now Gout. Have pain all over but the worse pain is in my knees and down my tibia. All they gave me is pain killers and tablets for Gout. Last night I slept for 4 hours only after so many pain killers. Have been suffering for 12 years with my knee pain and gradually now the pain is everywhere. Drives me up the walls even though I can tolerate a lot of pain.

[Granny2six in reply to helixhelix]

I have never had inflammation show up in a blood test, in over 15 years of testing. It sometimes never shows but doctors seem to swear by blood tests. It took xrays, MRIs and numerous scans before I finally had evidence, diagnosis and treatment.

[nomoreheels]

Mine don't either, it happens. Even when I went to my GP not knowing what was wrong with me thankfully she did just by my explaining my symptoms & when examining my feet (my only obviously affected joints) she was even more sure, certainly enough to send bloods off for rheumatoid factor & anti-CCP. The next day the results were back & once she'd seen me to discuss my results the receptionist made an appointment form me at a Diagnostic Clinic for a fortnight later. Reading other member's experience I consider myself fortunate to have had a doctor, the only GP at the Health Centre in a small village, who's special interest was Rheumatology.

My ESR rarely goes above 6 & my CRP 2 or 3 (normal values at the lab where my bloods are tested are ESR 1-7 mm/hr & CRP <6 mg/L), they rise only if I flare badly. Even odder is when 5 years following diagnosis I returned to the UK from living abroad unforeseen circumstances meant I was without any of my meds for 3 months. When I eventually saw a Rheumy she of course wanted her own baseline bloods & whereas at the initial blood test taken by GP my RF was comparatively low (98) it was high (1280) yet my anti-CCP was 14, complete reversal from my initial bloods. I was flaring badly & inflammation was extensive, even in my hands which are generally free of inflammation, they were so swollen I had to have my wedding ring cut off as my finger was turning blue, it was made 2 sizes bigger, yet my ESR was 16 & my CRP was 3.

I've come to accept that it's normal for me to have low inflammation levels, but it's annoying when my Rheumy relies so much on bloods even when physically my inflammation is obvious in certain joints. To my mind inflammation means disease activity & that means possible damage so from that point of view I find it somewhat negligent.

[Hidden in reply to nomoreheels]

Yikes pretty much snap, had to have my ring cut off. Would send you picture but don't think there is the facility to do that. My hands, knees, shoulders are dire and my feet need to be amputated lol.