DAS 28 app for iPhone/iPad

[helixhelix]

Just discovered a nifty app to calculate your DAS. It's for iPhones but works on iPads too. There is an iPad app but in Japanese, although this is strangely understandable. Anyway, hours of fun to be had. Just search for DAS28 in the app store.

But it makes me realise that I'm never going to make the grade for biologics if my ESR stays low (which it always has been (fingers' crossed)) unless every joint in my body is tender and swollen. particularly as my feet are the worst bit and they don't count. Not a pleasant thought. Never thought I'd get high ESR envy! polly

[Hidden]

Hi Polly,

That's a very clever little app. Thanks

Mary x

[essexgirl]

Hiya ... just downloaded it ... wow thats great little app ... thankyou

debs x

[Hidden]

I can't download it yet as o2 seems to be on strike here today but I will do when server 's back for the sheer excitement of working it out - since no one has ever told me my DAS score yet!

I seem to do quite well for high score since my ESR is always quite high and my hands are the worst bits of me really. And yet none of it is bad compared to yours so it just seems damned unfair. doesn't it. I'll send you my ESR by cyberspace and have yours as mine - they seem better matched to each of us symptomatically most of the time - but I don't want your feet in exchange thanks!

Tilda xx

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

at my worst, when could hardly get out of bed, had knees the size of footballs and needed help to hold a teacup my ESR rose the the heady heights of.......31!! How daft is that?

[Hidden]

But Polly I've always heard and read that this test is very much relative to our own individual scale so that an ESR of 31 is obviously the equivalent of an ESR of 91 for me? And also you may recall that when I was away in Bristol I phoned in to check my results before taking my MTX and was told that my ESR was 62 - and the day it was taken I had bounced into see my GP declaring myself to be "over RA" and ready to be told I was in remission! 62 was high for me but to have it that high when I only appeared to have a sore ankle at the time was pretty weird. My GP said don't read too much into it unless it's part of a trend - but according to you and the DAS I'd have been on biologics any day now as it was part of a high trend. And last week's ESR of 34 for me was skipping for joy level so I really don't think any rheumy or GP would assess yours by the same criteria as mine. When I asked my rheumy about my consistently elevated ESR he said "well it's important to treat the patient not their blood you know". So apply this to you and I think it's crazy not to be putting you on biologics if you need them. Try out the French system as that sounds far more sensible to me - either that or move to Scotland! Tilda xxx

[Hidden]

Hi Tilda and Polly,

When I had my last blood test the practise nurse told me that they don't really do ESR any more and that the hospital had stopped them. She said that CRP was a better indicator of inflammation. Previously, I had been told that ESR was useful to show other aspects of inflammation. I'm confused now.