Blood tests and diagnosis - should I be concerned?

Just an update on the above post......

I was ignored for 18 months and now I am having investigations done due to high liver function test and elevated sed rate....... Since changing my doctors whom was concerned he immediately referred me and now I am seeing the top Rhuematologist. My doctor predicts autoimmune hepatitis with Polyarthrtis or an autoimmune Polyarthritis, will not know fully until tests have been checked and I go to my next appointment in June????

Also with the views of a previous Rheumatologist (Dr A) my present Consultant (Dr B) did not seem happy with Dr A's conclusion and so since this I have had to have ultrasounds on kidneys and Liver and I may have to have a liver biopsy, depending on my present blood results????

So if you do read this please get a second opinion!!!!

Kind Regards

SES

i am just like you. I have no idea what to think anymore. It started with a bad neck. I lost curvature in it. Went all dizzy couldn'y hold my head up. Then i wuld have hurting ribs and muscles. At the moment all my blood tests are fine except my platlets are fluctuating and i've had mri of neck . ct of neck . abdominal ultra sound because i have extreme bell pain but i don't know if its just muscle problems ( but they said the ultra souund was fine). My rhematologist had ordered a chest ct on monday because i have a constant sore throat and ribs hurt.. It is so confusing and every time i go to my doctor they shrug their shoulders at me even when i am crying because everything on me hurts and aches and is sore. I am baffled because one day i was at work the next day i was crippled with pain and having weird symptoms. I am so scared its cancer or somjething like that but i have been reassured that something like that would have been found by now because of all the blood tests and scans..

Hi Vicki28

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, 18 months ago, and now it is something else........ it is good that your Rhuematologist is doing further testing, I asked my doctor what certain blood work means and then that is when he predicted the auto-immune hepatitis......... so if you are unsure, to put your mind at rest ask your GP?

There are all sorts of reasons why your platelets fluctuate.......

Hashimotos thyrioditis could be a possibility? I have read this, I have an underactive thyroid and I have to take thyroxine every day, it is controlled by this medication...........

[quote:fcdba628a0]Infection

Infections can cause a high or low platelet count.

This is thought to be due to the hormones, called cytokines, that are produced as part of the body's normal defence against infection.

[b:fcdba628a0]Inflammatory disorders[/b:fcdba628a0]

These conditions may cause a high platelet count in a similar way to infections.

In adults either a high or low platelet count may accompany other symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

[b:fcdba628a0] Tissue damage from trauma or surgery[/b:fcdba628a0]

The platelet count will also increase when a relatively large amount of body tissue is damaged either intentionally following surgery or after an accident. This is part of your natural defence mechanism to ensure adequate clot formation and prevent fatal bleeding.

[b:fcdba628a0]Medicines[/b:fcdba628a0]

Rarely, some medicines (steroids, vincristine) cause a temporary increase in platelet count. These drugs are sometimes used to treat patients with a low platelet count because of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

[/quote:fcdba628a0]

I hope this information helps? if in doubt though do research yourself as I did as a fellow member says knowledge is power, however sometimes things can alarm you by your research so it is whether you feel you want to, as I know it can be a kind of daunting experience, as your thoughts can wonder and upset yourself anyway, I left the majority of answers to my GP whom I have got now, I changed to different Surgeries in august last year, I changed doctors as previously I was not being listened to...... you are having further tests done which is good you are not being ignored, do not give up, as I finally got a good doctor to listen to me in the end, it appears your GP is being thorough so hopefully you will not wait too long now for answers anyway, I think your GP would have give you some idea by now if he was very concerned, I do hope you do not wait too long for answers?............. take care xxxxxx.

thankyou for replying. I hyave just taken my kids up town and now i can't hardly sit up i hurt so much. Its a very hard thing to explain to other people when there are no physical outside signs of being poorly. Thats what i keep explaining to my doctor.. i don't feel sick or poorly just sore achy and tired. I have looked on the internet for things and i aqm scaring myself because everything is pointing to tghe really bad things, but when you look other things up even the simplest of things have the same symptoms like a common cold or just a bad neck.

Hi Vicki x

I think though if there was anything too serious your doctor would have said as my new doctor said straight away he predicted auto-immune hepatitis which I have read and is also scary....... but as your doctor hasn't said a possibility or your specialist then I would be a lit bit more optimistic that they can get to the bottom of this and solve it, an old friend of mine had problems with her platelets and was put on steroids and then she seemed to recover, I think she has to get tested every so often too, just to make sure her levels are as they should be? but as I do not speak to her then I cannot fully say, the only point I am saying is she is ok? My mum in law has Osteoporosis and poly-arthritis and she seems to have similar pain like you, but I am not sure which one is causing her pain???? again my mum in law takes prednisilone and this helps her?

Anyway my dear friend I predict if there is anything serious you would be told on Monday with your CT scan, I do hope you get answers as there is nothing worse than feeling this awful nagging pain with no explanation, if nothing shows up with your tests they could even dx you with fibromyalgia as this has all sorts of symptoms.......

Widespread Pain

Morning Stiffness

Fatigue

Vision Problems

Nausea

Sleep Disorders

Urinary and Pelvic Problems

Weight Gain

Dizziness

Chronic Headaches

Cold Symptoms

Temperomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome

Multiple Chemical

Sensitivity Syndromes

\"Fibrofog\": Cognitive or Memory Impairment

Skin Complaints

Chest Symptoms

Anxiety

Depression

Dysmenorrhea

Aggravating Factors

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Muscle Twitches and Weakness

Memory Loss

Weather Changes

Troubles Breathing?

This is what they could dx you with if they ave no explanation of your pain?

Take care xx

SES

Hi Vicki28

Just wondering how you got on today?

I hope everything was ok?

Kind regards

SES x

i am so nervous about the results. I done the stupid thing again and loked on the internet for all my symptoms especially the rib pain one. All it kept coming up with was myeloma cancer. But then i say to myself ' well i have have so many blood tests and i've had a chest x-ray now the chest ct surly by now they would have found it if it was that. I have also been told that i have to gety my contraceptive implant out (implanon) because it could be causing some of my aniexty symptoms because i am not 'natural' if you know what i mean....

how are you? have you had any results or any more knowledge on your change in condition??

Bless you Vicky, I think if there was anything wrong hun they would have said something as when I had my ultrasound she said it seems to be ok? so please try not to worry, the waiting game I know is hard, I wont find out I think now until June, so i know how you feel in that respect xxxx Anyway no news is good news....... Like you I feel if there was anything urgent they would have called for me there and then xxxxx Take care xxxxxx

Hugs

SES x

how silly do i sound!!! i have an appointment tomorrow with my rhematologist. Hes a very nice man and has a personal connection to these situations. His wife has very bad RH. so he understands and knows how important results are. He called me in for tomorrow because he said he forgot he was going on holiday and wanted to keep all his patients up to date before he went away. How nice and caring. I find this website comforting because sometimes you feel so alone and vunerable. its nice to have somewhere where you can just tell everything because the other person will understand.

Hi Vicki, so nice to hear from you....... it is nice that the Rhuemotologist is looking after you, it sounds like then it may be something relating to an arthritic situation like myself, because if it was something else there is certain Specialists for certain diagnosis, I hope this makes sense? anyway they will finally get to the bottom of things.... eventually :oops: nice to hear you are comforted on here too, as this website sorted me out when I was going through a lonely time and it is such a relief knowing you can chat to others in a similar situation anyway vicky heres a little something for you xxx

[img:80c8895fc0]http://www.heylis.co.uk/images/mothers_day_flowers/HappyMothersDay_flowers.jpg[/img:80c8895fc0]

how very nice!! thankyou. I had my chest ct results yesterday and every thing was compltely normal. So happy.!!! Blood tests were all fine too. He gave me a leafley on fibromyalgia. He also said that i should see a neurologist to rule other things out which i am happy to do. So so far so good. He told me to relax and have a beer!! I think ni need one after all this!!

Hi Vicky

So glad to hear all tests were fine, at least now you have dx of Fibromyalgia they may put you on nerve tablets like Lyrica or Gabapentine, the Pain Specilalist put me on anitryptiline also to help with sleep, please do insist in getting bloods checked in the future to ensure you are getting the right treatment, as already mentioned I have abnormalities for 18 months and now being looked at, you can get further infomration on here about Fibromyalgia, and for a time I was told I had this so I chat to the lasses in the forum whom are very nice, so if you are feeling low please go in there too and chat with the girls, they are so nice....... I will introduce you :wink:

This is the fibromylagia forum at present........

http://experience.patient.co.uk/discussion.php?p=80775#80775

Anyway take care and I hope you have a lovely day on Sunday xxx

i have just found out that some of my blood results:

serum ana antibiody level - weak positive

weak positve ana staining

fluctuating platlet count

loss of lordosis in neck

dehydrated neck disc.

serum free t4 level 15pmol

esr2serum ana - speckled

what do all these mean!!!!

Hi Vicky 28

Sounds like an auto-immune problem like me, due to the ana being a weak positive, I am no doctor and so please do not quote me on this but I predict ankylosing spondylosis maybe a possibility due to this and loss of lordosis in neck and dehydrated discs????? Like I say I am no doctor but is is only what I have read previously and as there is other factors involved like platelets, I am not sure about the other two but ESR is usually inflammation which could be involved in the above???? Diagnosis can take a long time I am told, as they have to rule out things accordingly.

I would ask your GP as he/she would have a better idea than me??

Take care and I hope you have had a pleasant mothers day xxx