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What Does My Blood Test Report Indicate?

Posted on Sat, 1 Jul 2017

Question: I'm a retired doctor ,2 months into a second episode of PMR (last one in 2009) Treating myself with topical and oral diclofenac.My symptoms have worsened if anything .Took steroids for 18/12 first time around.My very recent blood results ( no tests done 2/12 ago at outset. equivocal CRP, ESR within normal limits have surprised me considering the severity of my symptoms .Would this be a Voltarol effect or could it reflect the duration of the present flare up?.Yrs XXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Naval Mendiratta (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
PMR

Detailed Answer:
Good evening

Thank you for writing on health care magic

Well yes it can be a Flare again. ESR and CRP dont always collaborate with the symptoms at times...Moreoever you know the symptoms at the best...So i guess you can judge the flare...

Second test we can do is, give one shot of steroids..That is one of the test we do for PMR. If it improves, we know it is PMR....If no improvement and normal ESR CRP we should consider some other causes like Fibromyalgia..

Hope the information was useful

Do let me know for more queries. I could be happy to be of some assistance

Regards
Dr Naval

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Naval Mendiratta (2 hours later)

Thank you. I would expect ,some 2months into the episode ,that had I been on steroids abnormal blood results (CRP and ESR) would have normalised. Would one expect the same thing to happen taking Voltarol Yrs RLJ

Answered by Dr. Naval Mendiratta (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Further course

Detailed Answer:
Good evening

Well, yes if you take NSAIDS for that long it tends to normalize..Both of them are anti inflammatory, with steroid being the more potent one. So it will take care of the inflammatory parameters. But then again , we should expect improvement in your symptoms as well if the inflammatory markers go down...Cause eventually it s not the lab we are looking at...Your well being is our key goal....

SO, have you been on Voltarol for last 2 months???

Do let me know for more queries

Regards
Dr Naval

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana