Normal blood test

[fredsmummy]

Hi all, I’ve had a normal rheumatoid blood test but raised esr. I have a boney nodule on my elbow and in pain in all joints. Feeling really upset and confused that my blood test is normal as I am so unwell . If I walk too long, my knees swell. Very weak and can’t sleep through the pain. Any advice on normal blood test would be appreciated x

[helixhelix]

It’s quite common and is called sero-negative RA. Some GPs are a bit ignorant and don’t refer you unless you have a positive antibody test, so you may need to push to get referred if you haven’t been as it sounds like you need to see a rheumatologist to be sure.

[fredsmummy in reply to helixhelix]

Thanks so much

[Rashford20]

That looks rough I’m sure it’s sore. Make sure you get checked out again!

[Mickymoo]

I have psoriatic arthritis which doesnt show on bloods. I also had that boney lump on my elbow. Doctor said it was called bursitis. Watch out for too much redness spreading around it and heat as mine infected with cellulitis. Not saying yours will but just be carefull. When my infection cleared it took few weeks for the bursitis to go. I still have a small bit of saggy skin on my elbow now from it x

[fredsmummy in reply to Mickymoo]

Also Micky, I do have psoriasis but of the scalp and recently in my eyebrows which is weird. Could that be related then?

[Mickymoo in reply to fredsmummy]

Defo sounds like psoriatic arthritis to me. The severity of your skin psoriasis has nothing to do with severity of the arthritis. U only need a patch of psoriasis to help diagnose psoriatic arthritis. Mines is like yours. I went a walk other day and the next 3 days my kneecaps were really swollen and painful. I get the pain in my shoulder , neck , lower back, knees etc. Im so sore all the time with it. Hopefully they have referred you to rheumatology and make sure tell them about the psoriasis too. There are no blood tests to confirm it, unlike rhematoid arthritis. Im starting a new treatment shortly as i was taken off the last one in december. Fingers crossed it works. Keep pushing the doctor for an urgent referal as rhematology appointments can be a very long waiting list. I kept on going to gp as i was so sore and eventually he did me an urgent referal. Lyndsey x

[fredsmummy]

Thank you! X they said bursitis couple of months ago, had 2 rounds abx but it’s still boney. I think this along with the pain I’m in has given them a reason to do referral but don’t think they are taking the pain seriously. I feel like I’m being bashed everywhere like my bones are breaking sometimes 😢 really appreciate your reply thank you x

[oldtimer]

It sounds as if you might have psoriatic arthritis. You need specialised blood tests and a referral to rheumatology for a diagnosis.

[Mickymoo]

You can also ask gp for steroid injections to tide u over til u get a referal. Ive had a few in my shoulder and the relief was great! X

[StormySeas]

I’d go back to your GP ASAP and push for a referral to a rheumatologist. Stress the terrible pain you’re in. Psoriasis is another auto-immune disease that might be connected. I have psoriasis and RA but not psoriatic RA. I think the specific diagnosis depends on your type of symptoms, but the treatment is often the same. Good luck, hope you get seen soon. If the referral is slow you can sometimes get a last minute cancellation if you manage to get the department phone number and call them X

[fredsmummy]

Thank you all so very much, this is so helpful x

[Hidden]

I have psoriatic arthritis (PsA). My only psoriasis was a patch on my calf as a young teenager that lasted 18 months before disappearing. My back started giving me problems at 17, my neck at 21 (but for years we thought that was related to another condition I had), my toes kicked off at 26. Then knees. Then one hip. Two years ago, at the age of 34, my fingers started hurting, but I was only finally diagnosed with arthritis in January. I’d been back and forth for years, had multiple rheumatoid bloods run, even seen a rheumatologist when my toes flared for 6 months a decade ago, leaving me in genuine agony. I suffered on and off with crippling fatigue, and had joint swelling requiring steroids several times, but because my bloods were all completely normal, and because some of my effected joints were asymmetrical and RA tends to effect both joints in a pair, I was told it couldn’t possibly be arthritis. On two occasions, I was told by the GP I had bursitis, but otherwise they just used to shrug and say I was run down, or the classic ‘have you had any colds? It’s probably something post viral’, or even just tell me they didn’t know but don’t worry about it 👀

We moved countries within the UK last summer, shortly after which my fingers started to really play up, along with my hip. I saw the GP in October, who did all the usual bloods, that all came back perfectly normal. Then my little finger started to swell and became incredibly painful: had that not happened, I might not have been diagnosed even now, because the GP freely told me that but for the sausage finger, she wouldn’t have sent me for an ultrasound, and it was the ultrasound that showed the joint damage and swelling that got me fast-tracked to rheumatology. The rheum I saw was the first person to ask me about psoriasis, and diagnosed me there and then.

Even at the height of a severe flare, all of my bloods are normal, even my crp and esr. I could barely get out of my chair over Christmas for my hip, couldn’t cut my own food or peel a spud for my fingers/hand, but my crp was less than 4. You need to really push for a referral to rheumatology, because my reality is that had I been appropriately diagnosed with my first properly severe flare at 26, it probably would have saved me some damage to my knees, hip, wrists, fingers, elbows, and at the very least reduced the impact on my lower back.

As an aside, and just so you know, nodules and bursitis are not the same thing - bursitis is a soft tissue condition. If it’s hard and bony, it’s not bursitis 👍

[fredsmummy in reply to Hidden]

I think it’s very likely I have psa too. If I don’t get a referral any time soon, I’m thinking I will go private to at least get diagnosis . Thank you so so much