human
The reason I dont really trust the answers of the rheumatologist is because of the lack of testing/evaluation/time really spent trying to understand whats going on. If a doctor ordered a bunch of lab work and based on the lab work decided it was/wasnt something, I would believe it but they barely looked at my joints, and one flat out said that they dont believe my pain
gpt
Not saying this is your case but an example would be a kid hitting his head then acting normal and coming into the ED. How could you tell he didnt have a head bleed. Well, it is kind of what I do and I know which kids should get a head CT and which shouldnt. So maybe they are seeing something that says no.Another problem is when I see that people have gone to many doctors, I instantly think they are doctor shopping for the diagnosis they want. It definitely biases me and if you go to a rheumatologist, I am going to assume they did their workup, so I am not going to be looking for anything rheumatological. So I am even less likely to draw labs.Not saying either of these things are your case and maybe stuff is getting missed which is a bummer. But all in all, no I dont mind if people get second opinions.
Rheumatology: a positive ANA then a negative one days later?Male/ 38 years old/ USAI had some tests done with my primary care doctor because I had generalized muscle aches, felt run, headaches and cracking joints for a few weeks on and off. I had blood work done and my CRP was 26, my ESR was normal, my rheumatoid factor was normal, my anti-CCP was normal, my ANA IFA was 1:80 positive. Speckled. , and my Lyme panel was normal.I saw a rheumatologist 4 days later who did a repeat of the blood work and those results just came back a little differently. The CRP went down to 15 and the ANA Multiplex Reflex 11 was negative. What do I make of this?
ANA 1:80 is considered low positive. Some might say negative. Labs like this fluctuate frequently especially if not super positive like 1:320 and higher. And ANAs notoriously fluctuate based on blood storage, travel and lab technician. Its clear based on your CRP that you have inflammation going on. It takes time to garner a rheum diagnosis for most people because the picture isnt crystal clear at the first visit. See what your rheum has to say as the whole gamut of labs is needed for context.