PMR back, blood OK?

[Steve2002]

My PMR came back after four years, but this time there is no indication of it in the blood work. I definitely feel the pain, but there's no objective evidence. Does this happen often?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Sorry to hear that.

In various studies over the years, it has been noted that between 7-20% of patients don’t have raised markers…varies on which study you read!

Makes it difficult to diagnose if doctor are only looking at bloods -as has been mentioned on here a numbers of times!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Everyone I know who has had PMR more than once says the episodes were totally different - so that could also include the blood results. Do you happen to know what the levels are when you haven't got PMR symptoms? You can have raised levels for you but they still appear to be i"in normal range".

[Steve2002 in reply to PMRpro]

No, Dr. just said they were completely normal the last time when I had symptoms. Did you have a similar experience?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Steve2002]

No - in that I have a longterm form of PMR, had it about 17 years now and it doesn't go away long enough to get off pred at all.

But the normal range isn't the range that is OK for a single person - it is the range of readings found in 95% of a large population (usually ca. 10,000 of nominally healthy persons). My normal is low single figures, when it ran at 16-18 for weeks during a flare, no-one noticed it as that is still within normal range. But it was obviously very raised for me.

It becomes confusing if you had raised values before of course. But symptoms should always trump lab values and they may lag a long time behind the symptoms - sometimes 6 months or more.

[Steve2002 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks, Pro! You were very helpful last time through this, and I appreciate your advice now, too.

[paulst955]

It happens all the time with me doctors have blinkers on and don't believe your symptoms, makes a very tense meeting with my GP, i.e. I could punch them on the nose.

[Woody1951]

Good morning Steve Just to let you know I also had exactly the same results had a relapse after four years knew exactly what was the matter went onto prednisone where I had but markers were normal hope this helps take care

[Jackoh]

Sorry to hear this. My bloods are usually “ normal” and have been more or less from the beginning of this journey and bear no significance to my symptoms. X

[jack101]

Same for me as Jackoh.