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Esr results

Posted , 7 users are following.

gail63312
gail63312

Hi guys..saw my gp today...my Esr was 18 so the gp has said not to treat as yet and have more bloods done in 8 weeks to see if it raises..I'm not sure if this is good or bad...? 

0 likes, 21 replies

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  • Nefret
    Nefret gail63312

    Posted

    Gail, sorry, I don't know your past history, but if you have been diagnosed with PMR it seems a very strange way to go about treating it.  I've never ever had raised inflammation markers so under those circumstances I'd still be waiting now......almost 14 years on.
    • gail63312
      gail63312 Nefret

      Posted

      I had episodes 8 wks ago heaviness of shoulders and overwhelming feelings the Dr took bloods especially for pmr and esr has come back 18 gp said it shut be around 10.... I don't understand any of it but he said bloods again in 8 wks...maybe u can shed some light on this for me my gp was vague about it....gail
    • gail63312
      gail63312

      Posted

      He did say i had inflamed muscles
    • erika59785
      erika59785 Nefret

      Posted

      Inflammation markers were never discussed when my GP said that I have PMR because of my symptoms.  I do have a history of RA which he knew.  Often the inflammation markers are not conclusive.
  • heather39822
    heather39822 gail63312

    Posted

    My first ESR level in June was 105. After three months of prednisolone it was down to five. When I asked the consultant this week if such a wide spectrum was normal with PMR, he said it was.
    • gail63312
      gail63312 heather39822

      Posted

      Omg mine was 18 . I don't understand he said it should be around 10.. so what does this mean?
  • roweslady1961
    roweslady1961 gail63312

    Posted

    My ESR came back last week at 97, I was told around 17 is a more normal level ?? After a week on 60mgs Prednisolone, I am now down to ESR of 31 & dropped to 40mgs of Pred. Awaiting Rheumatology appt for next week. Not sure any of that helps but that is where I am at the moment & have no idea if 14 is such a bad level to be at?
    • roweslady1961
      roweslady1961

      Posted

      Sorry, I mean a level of 18 not so bad??

       

  • denise76179
    denise76179 gail63312

    Posted

    I think Eileen has said that she didn't have any increased levels of ESR or C R protien and I'm sure I read on this site somewhere the scientists are now saying the C-R P is a better indication - Do you have raised levels of CRP?
  • heather39822
    heather39822 gail63312

    Posted

    Just checked my CRP figure and in June it was 58. After these 12 weeks of high pred dose its now down to six. The consultant says that figure - together with ESR dropping from 105 to 5 - is typical of PMR diagnosis. But guess all our situations are individual. Hope you get some form of diagnosis and relief soon.
  • Nefret
    Nefret gail63312

    Posted

    You don't seem to have a diagnosis for PMR, is that right?  Inflammation markers are just that - they show that somewhere in the body is inflammation, but it is non-specific - you'd probably show raised markers if you had a cold.  They should never be used as anything more than a guide and yes, they are finding now that CRP is a better indicator which should be used with any symptoms present to reach a diagnosis. 

    It's also difficult to compare test results as most labs have their own scale to work on. 

    As I said, I don't have and never have had any raised markers and I was a classic PMR case in all other respects.  Eileen is another such one.  They are simply an indication, nothing else.

    • ken78211
      ken78211 Nefret

      Posted

      new to site, diagnosed with PMR two weeks ,taking pred and quite disturbed there is nothing that can cure this disease. Dr. told me this attacks most people in there 70's and older , I'm 59 is this true ? Not sure being on Pred. long term will be good for anyones health long term. Despite being able to function again without severe pain ,I can still feel my joints where all of my pain occurred , is this normal.
    • erika59785
      erika59785 ken78211

      Posted

      Tthis is tough, and you are young to have  to deal with it.  I was diagnosed 3 months ago, and I am 74. It is an awfu andl painful disease, but with care and caution about Prednisone one can make life livable.

    • EileenH
      EileenH ken78211

      Posted

      The older you are the more likely it is that you might be diagnosed with PMR - about 1 in 2 of people in their late 70s/80s will develop PMR. However, it appears in people over 50 fairly commonly and is the most common form of rheumatism in over 65s. I was 51 when mine started identifiably, it was probably there before that. I have never had an abnormal blood test, however ill I was. 15mg of pred achieved a miracle.

      The diagnosis should be made on the basis of clinical history (symptoms) and possibly blood tests - but there are no blood tests that give an answer 100% whatever any doctor says "the blood tests confirm..." is rubbish. They just make it more likely if they are high - but for many people the raised blood tests lag up to months behind the symptoms, about a fifth of patients never develop what is called "acute phase reactants".

      I don't quite understand why you feel "disturbed" there is no cure - there are many illnesses where there is no cure as such, they can only be managed. To be able to cure you must know the cause - and even then you can't always cure. 

      Whilst being on pred longterm may not be good for anyone's health - neither is not treating PMR. Long term inflammation in the body damages blood vessels making other illnesses more likely and can also predispose you to certain cancers. Immobility due to the stiffness and pain and the fatigue makes you more likely to develop osteoporosis too and the whole picture makes it more likely you will become depressed. And if you need to work still then taking pred may make that possible - few people could work a normal job with PMR without pred. They'd struggle to get there in the morning for a start! I've had PMR for 10 years, I was self-employed as a translator and could just about manage that though it was hellish. I couldn't have got to an office and held down a job then and when it got really bad after 5 years I couldn't get out of bed never mind get dressed and get to work.

      It will take time - it was 5 or 6 months before the joint pain went for me. But the idea is to be able to function - you may not become fully pain-free until the underlying autoimmune disorder burns out, if it does. And by then you will be older - so other bits might hurt!

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