Can anyone explain.

[Buenavista]

Hi guys,

I went to see my ruemy at the end of this week. He was pleased that I am down to 41/2mg of pred and I told him I was coming down 1/2mg every 6 weeks. I also told him about my head still giving me problems, I can't concentrate and not being able to remember things is getting worse. So I am now going to have a brain scan of some sort and I will let you now the outcome.

But the question he put on the bottom of my blood test results says PMR possible artopatia seronegativa. I have tried to find out what it is, but have had no luck. Can anyone help explain this please.

Regards

Buenavista

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It means seronegative arthritis.

Several inflammatory arthritises are classified as either sero-positive or sero-negative. There is a substance that can be measured in blood called rheumatoid factor. Some people have it (positive), some people don't (negative).

Patients with PMR are almost always sero-negative and that is partly why the choice of PMR as a diagnosis is made. Someone with the same symptoms but sero-positive would probably have a diagnosis of an inflammatory arthritis of some sort.

However, you can still have one of these arthritises even though you are sero-negative - and when a patient with a PMR diagnosis turns out to not respond to treatment as expected sometimes the rheumatologist changes his mind and looks to see if anything is different that might suggest a different diagnosis.

[Buenavista in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you very much for your quick response, much appreciated.

Regards

Buenavista

[Hidden]

Hi buenavista,

Go on line and look up 'seronegativity for dummies.'

It all boils down to the fact that you are not showing much or no inflammation in your bloods.

This is not uncommon in many inflammatory diseases - PMR being one of them.

My blood tests have never shown any elevated results, but thankfully my specialist took no notice of this fact and diagnosed me with 'classic' PMR.

3 years on, after 2 flares, my PMR is dozing nicely again now being beaten into submission by 6.5mg of pred. I feel pretty good, but I too am much more forgetful and 'dizzy headed' than pre illness.

I do not worry about this! My take on it is - pred effects my ability to control my emotions and this fact alone makes me less level headed, but I can still think quite logically when I'm given time---------just don't push me!

Try not to worry. Make lists of things you have to do and take time out to rest!

Love Pats.

[Buenavista in reply to Hidden]

Hi Pats,

Thanks for your reply about the seronegativity for dummies.

I have read it through, even if I had a clear head, I would struggle to understand it all. At the moment I only understand half of it. I understand your explanation much better.

Really appreciate your help.

Regards

Buenavista

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member]

Two brilliant replies - thanks so much!

[Chihuahua1]

translate.google.co.uk/tran...

I found thison Google that may or may not help. Most of the sites seem to be in Spanish, so you will probabaly need to get Google to translate them