I'm lost

[Rusty8]

I have been reading today about the blood tests done for pmr

I am having my results today and as I understand it by some of the posts is if the results show up fine doesn't mean to say you haven't got pmr so would someone please explain what does tell us if we have it or not

I don't want to be taking steroids for nothing but I also don't want the pains

So if not pmr how do we know what it is

The blood result I am waiting for is a

PV

Anybody got any answers thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador]

PV is plasma viscosity - something I'm not very familiar with in the realm of PMR since so few labs do it. However, it is an indirect measure of how much protein is in the blood - and being raised is usually taken as an indication there is inflammation present in the body, just the same as raised ESR does.

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

explains it pretty well.

Whatever blood test they do, it is only part of the overall picture (or should be at least, some doctors take them as gospel) and the symptoms should always be king. I assume your doctor has also done other tests - if they haven't, they should have - to rule out the other potential causes of the symptoms. PMR isn't the disease itself, it is the outward expression of an underlying disease process and there are several. The PMR due to the others doesn't usually respond to pred though.

Given you are in enough pain to go to the doctor and I assume have already tried ordinary pain killers - do you really not want to feel better? If pred takes away the pain isn't that an acceptable result? If it doesn't they won't keep you on pred and will have to search for another cause. If it does, they won't keep you on the starting dose for long, you will reduce to find the lowest dose that manages the symptoms.

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

And also pred will reduce risk of possible sudden vision loss.

[missmylefteye]

OK, so they did give you a plasma viscosity test. I wanted that because I have some viscous blood issues, am Mediterranean with grandfather who died of thalessemia crisis, and I live at 6k altitude. My hemacrit & heamoglobin are max normal, & in last year I feel significantly better on trips down to sea level. One doc said i was going off the deep end asking for that test. Anyway, sorry about the tangent... What made them decide to give you this test? What country do you live in? Thx, mmle

[Rusty8 in reply to missmylefteye]

I live in Devon England

The doc asked me to have one done for some reason or other I haven't got results yet will let you know when I do

[missmylefteye in reply to Rusty8]

Thx

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to missmylefteye]

Some health trusts do PV instead of ESR - as I explained above it tells you much the same thing but there are things that interfere with a reliable ESR result (insofar as an ESR can be reliable) that don't have an effect on the PV. However - it is technologically more complicated (and therefore more expensive). Not very many hospital labs in the UK do it - hospitals in the south west are among them. There is no major significance to it I don't think.

[Rusty8 in reply to PMRpro]

Have had my results through unless pmr pro knows the answer I will be googling later ha ha

I know most of blood readings being a transplant patient but not that one

Will be speaking to doc on phone on Wednesday but receptionist said it was 1.8

I live in the south west

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Rusty8]

1.7 is about top of normal - so it is up a bit. It might be up more - it does depend on the temperature they quote when they report so you always need to get that bit of information as well really. Your lab report will have the reading and then numbers in brackets telling the doctor their normal range and whether it is high or not.

[missmylefteye in reply to Rusty8]

Are you taking any pred right now?

[Rusty8 in reply to missmylefteye]

Sorry didn't answer sooner

The reason doc asked for test was because after reading on forum I noticed there are people out there who are not sure if they have got pmr or something else so as I don't like taking pills this is due to I am on a fair amount and don't like the side effects of steroids I said was she sure this was my problem so she then said I hadn't had a over check for many a months .i had never heard of this one cpr yes I have heard of

The result was 1.7 which pro explained to me so now waiting for a phone call from doc to ask about it , even to get a phone call is taking a week

I live in Plymouth England and yourself

Take care

[missmylefteye in reply to Rusty8]

I live in Colorado, U.S. I'm pretty sure the medical system out here is trying to reduce the excess population ☺😲😂

[missmylefteye]

What i was hoping is that it could show a more accurate value for those of us with any variety of viscous blood issues. the esr is about how the ethrocytes cell settle vertically down to bottom in the blood sample. but 'thick' blood will slow the sedimentation, and result wont be informative. thats my theory anyway, but havent been able to look at computers enough these days to do thourough research on it.

Sickle cell anemia is an extreme cause of low esr:

google.com/url?sa=t&source=...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to missmylefteye]

Maybe have a read: bensonviscometers.com/clini...

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

Thx

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

My eyes are over the top light sensitive today, but this looks like something I would like to read when I can. I'm getting new eyeglasses soon with uv filter & blue light filter. Hopefully they will help.