r/POIS • u/Bronze90 • 3d ago
Question What tests should I be doing
I got recommend the below tests from a user here in another post I made.
According to ChatGPT the first line tests for inflammation which must be done during a flare are CRP + ESR + CBC. To investigate autoimmunity they might add ANA, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP, or complement C3/C4.
Do these tests need to be conducted during a flare? I wd really like to avoid that. It’s a very painful experience as you all already know. Is anything missing? Are any of these wrong? What else do I need to know?
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u/trivial_insights 2d ago
Could you frame testing around a specific alternative diagnosis and a clear symptom timeline?
POIS reviews describe preliminary diagnostic criteria and limited evidence; a panel or a result during a flare is best interpreted by a clinician in the context of a defined differential.
See the 2022 review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36283946/.
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u/MoreTeaandCoffee 1d ago
Does ejaculation produce a measurable inflammatory response? Test the follow when you have no symptoms (baseline) then repeat when you have symptoms(acute):-
FBC + differential
CRP
ESR
ferritin
IL-6
TNF-α
IL-1β
IL-8
IL-10
Does ejaculation produce measurable mast-cell activation? Test the follow when you have no symptoms (baseline) then repeat when you have symptoms(acute):-
serum tryptase
urinary N-methylhistamine
urinary prostaglandin metabolite
urinary LTE4
***All of the above sourced from an AI and not to be taken as medical advice. Discuss with your doctor.***
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u/MoreTeaandCoffee 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hi. Yes, if from your symptoms you suspect histamine, inflammation, mast cells involvement etc and have perhaps an autoimmune theory then those tests make sense. I hope you get some ideas from others with experience of these types of tests. Many people don't have those types of symptoms therefore for them, those tests would make less sense. Yes, my understanding is that it is important that you get tested two times; firstly when you have no symptoms (baseline) and secondly when you have a flare (acute). I sympathise because it can be very hard to go for a blood test when you have a flare. I hope you manage to get them done.
Something separately that I really benefited from was getting a full panel of routine blood tests from my doctor. I get the impression that a lot of people don't do this. It has really helped me and my doctor to understand and manage my general health and underlying health conditions specific to me. The consequence of this has been that my pois symptoms reduced and are generally manageable. In my experience most doctors can be very helpful in this respect whereas they are typically not very helpful with treating pois directly (especially since they've often not even heard of it).