Blood test on Thursday

[Mistyscot]

I going for a other blood test on thursday , I have been sore for the past three years and had so many blood tests to try and find out why I'm so sore

the blood test on Thursday is for polymyalgia rheumatica is that the same blood test they do for arthritis

the reason I ask is two years ago I got a blood test for arthritis and came back ok.

Jan

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Jan, there isn't a blood test specifically for Polymyalgia Rheumatica.  There are, however, two blood tests (ESR and CRP) which are carried out to check for inflammation, and many people with PMR do present with raised markers.  However, it is important to point out that 1) not only can these markers be raised in the case of PMR, they can also rise in response to many other conditions, and 2) around one in five 5 people diagnosed with PMR never have these raised inflammatory markers.  In the latter case, if GPs suspect PMR, they will often prescribe a trial dose of steroids and if around 70% of the symptoms resolve within just a few days, or even a few hours, that is usually taken as evidence of PMR.

There is a specific blood test for rheumatoid arthritis but, again this is not always reliable. 

[Mistyscot in reply to Celtic]

Thanks Celtic

I will see how things go when I get my blood test result back

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Celtic got there first - there is NO test "FOR PMR" - the diagnosis should be made on the basis of the symptoms in combination with doing various blood tests to rule out the other common causes of the same sort of symptoms. 

One of the tests is for inflammatory markers - ESR and CRP which in 80% of patients are raised in PMR but they can be raised in a whole load of other things too. Once other things have been ruled out as the cause of the symptoms THEN the doctor can suggest it might be PMR. But 20% of people never have these raised levels - so them being normal does not mean the patient doesn't have PMR, especially if their symptoms fit.

Again, there are a load of tests for rheumatoid arthritis - but the one that the GP does, rheumatoid factor, is only a positive or negative result. Many patients have a positive result but don't have rheumatoid arthritis and are perfectly healthy. Many patients with RA have a negative result - they have what is called "sero-negative RA".

So, if you have severe symptoms but your GP insists it can't be PMR or RA because "the blood tests are negative" - insist you wish to be referred to a rheumatologist or, at the very least, try another GP. I had 5 years of pain and problems because my blood tests were "normal".

[Mistyscot]

Thanks PRMpro

I went to the doctors three years ago with a sore back in the morning and was told it was my thyroid and been taking Levothyroxine and still not feeling better, so after a lot of blood test and told it was depression and maybe because i was putting on weight and then seen a new doctor how told him hows sore i was feeling and booked me in for a blood test for Polymyalgia Rheumatica and have me address of a website to look at.

so hoping I get help and start feeling better soon

Cheers  Jan

[Hidden in reply to Mistyscot]

Hi I have been in pain for almost a year an 5 mths all put down to autoimune tyroid I think I've polymalgia but my doc seems to think I've panic disorder anyhow I've started to have pins needles in hands an feet I also feel as if my skin is to tight in my neck an back don't know if it's stiff or tight . Today I demanded all my bloods get done so my doc agreed I should have results by end of week . Hope you get sorted with yours 

[piglette in reply to Mistyscot]

When I got PMR I started to lose weight which is often a symptom of PMR. I could hardly lift my arms as my shoulders were so painful and also my thighs and hips were agony so I could hardly walk. I had real trouble getting out of bed and in the end was unable to drive. It is an excrutiatingly painful thing to have.