Terrible pains in leg and arm muscles

[ajbod]

The thing that i don't understand, is that Polymyalgia Rheumatica is easily diagnosed by a blood test. My father in law had Giant cell Arteritis, which sort of overlaps PR, they are quite similar, and the test defines which is the problem. The hospital doctor that diagnosed him, took the blood and walked to the lab, returning in 20 min's with the answer. Steroids are the only answer, but are very effective. He was on 19 tablets a day.

 

[PatsyB]

weird then cos the Doctor told me they cna not find out with a blood test the only way they can do it is by giving steroids and see if it takes the inflammation markers down which they have thank goodness

 

[ajbod]

From my father in laws experience, that was obviously bull*, to avoid the cost of a test. When i took him to Truro hospital whilst on holiday, i said i suspected fibromialgia, the doctor said good shout, but he suspected it was rheumatic, hence the test, turned out to be GCA rather than PR.

 

[PatsyB]

After many weeks on steroids the inflammatory markers going down it still above high reference but
CRP
Serum C reactive protein level 22.87 mg/L [0.0 - 5.0]; Above high reference limit
the other though, is abnormal not sure if it means I have infection or what??

Pathology Investigations

Differential white blood cell count
Neutrophil count 8.3 10*9/L [2.0 - 7.5]; Above high reference limit
Lymphocyte count 1.3 10*9/L [1.5 - 4.0]; Below low reference limit
Monocyte count - observation 0.9 10*9/L [0.2 - 0.95]
Eosinophil count - observation 0.3 10*9/L [0.01 - 0.7]
Basophil count 0.0 10*9/L [0.0 - 0.1]