GCA/pmr

[CavalierKC3]

blood results CRP 1 ESR 19 up from 7 two weeks ago . How would you experienced people determine this

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Needs checking again in about 10 days to establish if it is a rising trend or a one-off due to a cold or other banal infection, stress, injury. I assume you have no symptoms?

A single raised marker level without any symptoms shouldn't result in a kneejerk increase in pred dose but the levels should then be checked soon to see what is happening.

[CavalierKC3 in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, managed to get appt about this pulsating (hearing heartbeat) in same ear that was painful when GCA was diagnosed. Also told I don’t have PMR although I get pain & stiffness, was told to exercise more , referred to gym but sometimes pain & stiffness seems worse after doing the exercises. Just wonder what is going on

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to CavalierKC3]

Why don't you have PMR? How can they say that? Tinnitus can be part of GCA.

[CavalierKC3 in reply to PMRpro]

Because I don’t normally have raised markets, don’t usually have night sweats means I don’t have PMR

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to CavalierKC3]

You don't have night sweats? They are actually quite unusual in PMR - they are more likely in GCA.

[CavalierKC3 in reply to PMRpro]

If you don’t answer yes to all their questions you are told you don’t have it. Where my aches & pains are I’m told is not exactly where they would be if you had PMR

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to CavalierKC3]

I'd best not start ...

[CavalierKC3 in reply to PMRpro]

Been told that although ESR has gone from 7 to 19 it is still in normal range so doesn’t really mean anything. Nothing been said about having blood tested again in future

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to CavalierKC3]

That is rubbish and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the science. ESR isn't something that varies widely in each person. The normal range for a test is the range of levels found that includes 95% of a large nominally healthy group of persons, 10,000 is a common number used to get reliable statistics. 5% fall outside that range but are still normal for them. If your ESR has been as low as 7 - that is what you should be aiming for and if it starts to rise that should be monitored to see if there is a rising trend. If there is, it indicates that inflammation is developing and building up as it isn't being cleared out by pred.

The sooner you can see a doctor who gets the science and that patients are not rigid structures the better.

[CavalierKC3 in reply to PMRpro]

Don’t know who that will be at Norfolk & Norwich hospital. Can the severity of pain in PMR fluctuate from day to day. Chetan Muktyar has been my consultant, works on the 2 year pred plan, I am almost at the end. Have never changed the dosage in that time whatever I have felt like.

[Rugger in reply to CavalierKC3]

I think you said that you're seeing a GP in2 weeks? I do hope they will be more flexible in their thinking and treatment...... 💐

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to CavalierKC3]

Yes - because there are other things involved. Like a lot of us, I have arthritis in my lower spine and pelvis, a scoliosis and PMR. Each of those things impacts on my low back pain and must be managed in chorus. I have an amazing rheumy who deals very firmly with the PMR aspect and some of the arthritis - did an ultrasound guided steroid injection that dealt with inflammation in the sacroiliac joint and that has allowed a slow but steady improvement in the pain level so at present I manage without ANY pain relief from the pain clinic.

You know my opinion of CM. Personally - I'd move house to get away from him.