Blood test result

[Mistyscot]

My blood test came back and said normal no further action

if I put up my results could someone help me work them out as my red blood count is high Red blood cell count 4.42 10*12/L [3.8 - 4.8]

Thanks Jan

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Jan, your red blood cell count at 4.42 10*12/L is within normal range quoted of 3.8-4.8, so certainly not "high".   Normal range at my lab is quoted as 3.50-5.50 10*12/L, so slightly different to your lab's normal, but you're still within normal range by those figures as well.  

[Mistyscot in reply to Celtic]

Thanks Celtic  I read the result wrong

All the other result are normal just not looking forward to going back to the doctors and being told not sure whats wrong with you  and why you are so sore .maybe it's depression ....... I am even starting to think maybe its all in my head

thanks Jan

[Shastring in reply to Mistyscot]

Hi Mistyscot,

Im going thru everything now that you are. In Feb when I was started on the pred I was 100% better within a day & continued great for almost two months. Then my Dr tapered me down by 5 mil and within two days major pain, couldnt walk etc. He then upped me back to the original dose of 10mil  and it has not kicked in yet, almost a week now.

 Today Im in agony again and dont know why the pred isnt working, my blood also normal & he insists with normal blood its not pmr. All I know is that it isnt in our heads, I too am getting so depressed because all I hear is that its something else yet they keep sending me for MRI's and not sure what they will find.

My shoulders are burning, my groin, neck & shoulders stiff and they just brush off the pain like nothing, saying it's old age. At 63 I'm in pretty good shape so I don't buy that diagnosis. My pains came on suddenly, my scalp pain is real.

If I have any good advice for you it would be keep being your own advocate and speak up. Hang in there & good luck.

shastring

[Sheribrim in reply to Shastring]

If you wish to do the same as I did you will increase by 1mg each day until pain has gone. It is very much trial and error but once you reach the pain free zone you will know.

From there you can reduce very slowly each month. It is a painkiller but only you will know when it's gone.

[piglette]

 I get a printout of my blood tests and my doctor puts notes against some of the items, good and bad! Your blood test results are not the be all and end all, also you may not have had the one that may show up a problem eg vit D. With PMR some people do not have raised ESR and CRP anyway, so you may be one of those.

[Mistyscot]

A few years ago my Vit -D was a little bit low , I do take cod liver oil does help with the with being so tried but not the pain .....

I was just hoping after reading the site the doctor gave me for polymyalgia rheumatica

I thought at last they have found out why I'm sore stiff in the morning and  having to take pain killers just to get some house work done.

just wait and see what the doctor said next week

cheers Jan

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mistyscot]

Did they check your vit D again - since you don't mention it? 

And did they check your ESR and CRP readings? Not that it really matters: one in five people who develop PMR have normal results for them, so being in the normal range there means not a lot. If you have symptoms, don't allow your GP to just fob you off with "but your bloods are normal" and leaving you to think it is "all in my head" but insist on being referred to a rheumatologist. 

I spent 5 years in that sort of pain because my ESR and CRP were not only normal but very low and as far as the GP was concerned, normal bloods equals nothing physically wrong. Which is rubbish. Eventually a moderate dose of pred led to a minor miracle in 6 hours - so most probably what I have is PMR. Pred works anyway - and I have my life back.

Are you in touch with the Scottish charity for PMRGCA? Whereabouts are you?

[Mistyscot in reply to PMRpro]

No They never do a test for vit-D this time I will say to the doctor about being low in the past for Vit-D

I was born in Scotland but living in Suffolk

Thanks PMRpro

That's all I want is to get my life back ....... I used to help out with the scouts and cycle,canoe and walk miles ....... now I'm just getting by

My Test

Specimen

Specimen Type: BLOOD

Specimen Reference#: 1

Collected: 14 Apr 2016

Received: 14 Apr 2016

Provider Sample ID: B70672354X

Pathology Investigations

Serum C reactive protein level 2 mg/L [0.0 - 5.0]

General Information

Service Type: New

Status: Unspecified

Provider Report ID: B70672354X_160414_165547_0

Report Date: 14 Apr 2016

Specimen

Specimen Type: BLOOD

Specimen Reference#: 1

Collected: 14 Apr 2016

Received: 14 Apr 2016

Provider Sample ID: B31397163L

Pathology Investigations

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 7 mm/h [1.0 - 19.0]

Full blood count

Haemoglobin concentration 132 g/L [115.0 - 160.0]

Total white blood count 4.4 10*9/L [4.0 - 11.0]

Platelet count - observation 189 10*9/L [135.0 - 450.0]

Red blood cell count 4.42 10*12/L [3.8 - 4.8]

Mean cell volume 84 fL [80.0 - 100.0]

Haematocrit 0.37 L/L [0.35 - 0.45]

Mean cell haemoglobin level 29.9 pg [27.0 - 34.0]

Red blood cell distribution width 12.9 [10.0 - 15.0]

Neutrophil count 2.6 10*9/L [2.0 - 7.5]

Lymphocyte count 1.5 10*9/L [1.0 - 4.0]

Monocyte count - observation 0.3 10*9/L [0.1 - 1.0]

Eosinophil count - observation 0.0 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.5]

Basophil count 0.0 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.2]

Thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mistyscot]

Looks like mine used to! Not even anaemic - which is common in all autoimmune disorders. Nor did I lose weight. Everything else was textbook though - but that apparently didn't count...