Lab test results | Arthritis Information

Okay, predheads, here's my last blood work results: I'll list the out of range things, and you guys give me some input. I really don't know what some of them are, (like c reactive protein): whitebc 13.1H-hemoglobin 10.1L-hemocrit 32.6L-MCH 25.3L-MCHC 31.0L-RDW 15.8H-platelet count 804H- Creactive protein 5.91H.

Okay, so ya'll explain it to me: platelets are supposed to be 140 to 400. Mine are 804. C reactive protein is supposed to be .80, and mine is 5.91.

Diagnosis is "probably PMR convering to RA. Platelets highter than usual for active RA".

Ukay! ya'll 'splain it to me. Thanks

WOW Betsy! I don't pretend to know what any of it means... what do the docs
say? The only thing I know about it is the c reactive protein is what my doc
says is more reliable than sed rate for PMR dx - she thinks it will become the
true dx test. But I don't know the numbers on it.

Please keep us updated on what they tell you... at least maybe now ou will
get some answers that can provide some treatment ad relief that works.
You are in my thoughts
pgrBetsy

go to www:labtestsonling.org

hope you have good news....tks for your PM everything explained

rose
correction that shud read......labtestsonline.org

sorry Rose the ding-a-LING
Thanks so much. I'm going there now, Rose.Well, that was very informative. It looks like all my abnormal results have to do with the anemia from inflammation. I get another injection Thursday. They say my blood will start to build and I should start to feel much better by then. Thanks so much. It's good to know about that site.glad u got some info about your blood results and hoping you are feeling better......there's a coldness to the weather here today, different kind of day with all the kids getting back to school or college, however, we've been empty nesters for years, but always a bit sad.

take care

rose
pgr, Maybe I'm passing on info that you all already know, but I had some questions on my recent lab work and wrote to asclsconsumer@ascls.org and in a few days got a very detailed response explaining what several tests meant and suggesting one more appropriate. No charge, and a lot more than I expected from an email contact. Try them. As they say in NYC, "Couldn't hoit!"Brich, Sorry...my previous post was meant for you but somehow I addressed it to pgr. Is there witchcraft at work???lol, Bob! I was trying to figure it out!
pgr

What would a CRP of 27 mean???? My ESR is around 35 so I am a bit "inflamed" but no one has said anything about the CRP being so high.

Any light on this figure would help, please.

Love Judi xx

Betsy and Judi,

Did you have the regular CRP done or the high sensitivity CRP? For the high sensitivity, anything above 1is not normal, but from what I've been reading, the hscrp is mostly done to check for cardiac health risks. I forget what the norms are for the regular CRP. I saw my rheumy yesterday and asked again about my sed rate being a little high. He said some people just naturally have a higher sed rate. Not sure I buy that. But he ordered an hscrp, I guess to check for chronic mild inflammation, as the crp test is more sensitive or reliable than sed rate. After reading on-line, and getting thoroughly confused, I'm wondering what good it will do, as it doesn't really tell where the inflammation is coming from. And one site said that folks with arthritis should not have an hscrp done, as they already have inflammation. Duh.Will wait for the results - but if they are not normal, is it because I still have mild PMR or maybe I'm at risk for heart disease? (my dad died at age 56 of a massive stroke - never was really sick his whole life until that). Sorry I can't shed any light on the matter. I'm as confused on this issue as the rest of you.

Betsy, I hope things continue to go well with you on procrit. Are you still continuing to feel better?

Reni

Judy, I am not a doctor, but I play one on TV. No, really, I don't play one but I did print out the labtestsonline discussion on C-reactive protein. CRP is a substance made by the liver. Its concentration increases within a few hours after the start of an infection. Its rise often precedes pain and fever. Those are partial quotes. The next sentence may be of more help in understanding a level of 27 when the normal range is 0.2 to 0.9. "The level of CRP can jump a thousand-fold in response to inflammation. It drops relatively quickly as soon as the inflammations passes..."

I would guess that with a sed rate of 35 (normal range 0 to 20), you're getting confirmation of inflammation. Have you changed your prednisone dose lately? Hope this is of some help.

Bob,

My continuing question is why my sed rate is around 44 for quite a while (was higher, but then dropped to the 40's and has been holding there for several months; even on meds, it was 42). I am 57, almost 58, and my rheumatologist gave me this formula for women over 50 , to add 10 to one's age and divide by 2 to get the upper end of normal sed rate. That still would put mine at about 33, so I have had chronic inflammation for over 5 years now. Not high enough in my (or his) opinion to warrant going back on pred. Hmmm.....

Reni

Hi Bob

The last CRP was done when I was holding steady at 10mg. I shudder to think what it is at the moment as I have just dropped to 3mg and I have a throat and chest infection!!!! Going by Reni's formula my upper end normal ESR should be 29, so I'm not that OTT. However, my CRP has been high, even on 20mg.

I will have lots of queries to ask my new rheumy, if and when I get to see him.

Cheers!

Judi xx