Unsure my test results are correct - help please?

willo148

Hello,

This is my first post so forgive me if I waffle on!!

I've had an underactive thyroid (controlled by tablets) for years as well as suffering with premature menopause at the age of 18. I see a specialist (Endocronologist - think thats how it spelt!) for these conditions and have been told that at some point in the future my adrenal glands may fail.

Anyway, about 2 years ago I started to get painful joints, particularly my knees/hips and spoke to my specialist about this. They tested me for various things, said they couldn't find anything wrong and I was just left to deal with it really!!

The aches and pains have persisted over the 2 years, as well as the tiredness (I could sleep for 8-9 hours a night and still wake up tired). I went for a check up at the doctors 3 weeks ago and saw a new GP, as my other one has retired. She asked how I was feeling on my thyroxine and I mentioned my tiredness and aching joints. She said my thyroid levels were ok but she would test me for various other things via blood tests. I tested borderline for my white blood cells (what ever this means!) so they tested me again. Again I tested borderline and saw the doctor last night to discuss the next course of treatment. I saw a different doctor, who said that the low white blood cell count could just be a virus and nothing to worry about. He said there's no swelling on my joints (when he casually looked at them!) and there's not much else they can do, so it will probably have to be put down to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I'm not really comfortable with this diagnosis, and have requested more bloods be taken. I know at the age of 31 I should be feeling alot less pain and tiredness than I am!! I feel like an old woman :-(

Would it be possible to have arthritis and it not actually show in the blood results?? Could the low white blood count be related to arthritis?? As I have other issues (under active thryoid and premature menopause) I feel like arthritis could be the issue but the doctor I saw last night didn't seem keen to test/scan/X-ray me at all?!

Sorry for the long waffle of an email - I'm just confused and upset by the state of my body and want to get some sort of diagnosis and treatment plan sorted

Thanks
Willo148

suzygirl

Hi, I will offer a suggestion. SLE can cause a low white cell count, it can also cause arthralgia, which is painful joints but not swollen joints. Check out the symptoms and see if they match yours.

You could ask the doctor if he thinks you have an auto immune type of arthritis, that should trigger blood tests which would indicate if SLE is a possibility. ( Although as you already have an auto immune condition, this may confuse the ANA test. ) If your results show inflammation you could ask to be referred to a rheumy for advice.


I hope this is useful, feel free to PM if you want more info. I have SLE amongst other conditions. I am sure others will also be along with advice.

dreamdaisy

Auto immune arthritis comes in two sorts, a sero-positive (where rheumatoid factor is positive in the bloods) and sero-negative (where it isn't). I have a sero-negative type, psoriatic arthritis, but I was fortunate in that because my inflammation markers were so high (and some joints were hot and swollen to prove it) it was generally accepted that I had an inflammatory arthritis - the precise label didn't really matter.

Tiredness is a factor with all types of arthritis, as is pain and stiffness, but diagnosing anything on the auto-immune arthritic spectrum is sometimes less than straightforward. Given your other conditions I think you warrant further investigations so fight your corner and I hope you get some answers soon - suzygirl has already made a good suggestion about what could be going on but as we are not doctors we cannot attribute causes to symptoms. I wish you well. DD

stickywicket

I'm with the others, willo148. I think this warrants further investigation. Good luck!

frogmorton

Hi Willo

Lovely to meet you Sorry you are feeling so rough though at the moment

My brother has the opposite thyroid issue to you! Only just found out and he is going to see the endocrinologist next Tuesday so I have been doing lost of reading so I am aware that joint pains can be a symptom.

BUT sometimes when we have one diagnosis everything is put down to that and all of us can have more than one thing going on can't we?

My bloods are negative, but I have arthritis so bloods can certainly be negative. The diagnosis conveyor belt is a slow one at the best of times. Seems to be a case of trial and error, testing this, then that eliminating one possible cause then another until they establish a diagnosis.

I am sure you have a right to ask for further tests to be done though and hope you can get them. I think it can help to have someone with you when you ask though....a family member/friend??

Good luck

Love

Toni xxx

Toots

Hi Willo, welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you're feeling so sore just now and can only echo what others have said already. Keep nagging at the doctor if you feel dissatisfied with their conclusions, and good luck! x

Islaydoc

Hi, as a medical scientist I agree with everyone that this needs further investigation, you can request your GP does a full set of blood tests to include ESR and CRP levels and you have right to ask for a referral to a Rheumatology assessment unit.
Hope this helps