does hydroxychloroquine affect esr and crp results

[dillydally1]

hi, I have been taking hydroxychloroquine 200mg for 4 years for inflammatory arthritis.

the doctor is ? polymyalgia rheumatica so I have blood tests next week. will hydroxychloroquine affect my results.

[HeronNS]

I think it may have an effect:

ard.bmj.com/content/annrheu...

But surely your doctor will take this into account? Especially as a significant number of people with PMR symptoms who have never taken medication will also have low or normal inflammation markers. I think it may be something like 20% of people don't have raised markers.

What kind of new symptoms have you developed which leads your doctor to suspect PMR?

[dillydally1 in reply to HeronNS]

i had a virus about 4-5 weeks ago, it lasted quite a while, like it did with many people.

over the last two weeks i have had a painful neck which radiates down to my shoulders and across my upper back, it feels quite stiff, i have also had aching in my groins and feel very tired.

thank you for your prompt reply x

[HeronNS in reply to dillydally1]

Those are quite classic symptoms. I hope you get some answers soon and feel better. Take care.

[dillydally1 in reply to HeronNS]

thanks

[Monkeymate]

I don’t know about the others but I’ve taken it for 9 years an had no probs , so hope it’s the same for you 😁good luck

[Mimma]

Hi Dillydally1,

I was originally diagnosed for Lupus and put on hydroxychloroquine - symptoms of aching, tiredness, pain in muscle and joints particularly of the upper body though my arthritic knee was also affected. This was following a bout of bronchitis. Flu like symptoms continued for months. Three months ago saw a rheumatologist - had blood tests- and was taken off hydroxychloroquine and re diagnosed with PMR. Put on Prednisolone Pain relief and return of energy within two days. The rheumatologist did this prior to receiving my blood test results as he mentioned he was treating the symptoms and the bloods don’t always give the full picture.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mimma]

Congratulations to the rheumy! Hang on to him!!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Obviously if you have symptoms then it is not suppressing the inflammation of PMR (if that is what it is rather than a flare of the inflammatory arthritis).

More than half of patients with RA (one of the inflammatory arthritides) do not have raised ESR or CRP, 1 in 6 have both raised and a quarter have one or the other raised. Up to 1 in 5 patients with PMR/GCA do not have raised levels. Which shows that they are a pretty unreliable criterion - and symptoms and response to low/moderate dose pred should always trump the lab results.

[dillydally1 in reply to PMRpro]

thanks to all for the input, x