C3 and C4 levels up and down? Discharged after 1out of 5 showed negative for auto immune screen!!!

[meeche1978]

Advice please. My son is 5 and his blood was being monitored as they suspected Systemic Lupus. 4 of his blood tests showed low C4 with regular leg pains and limping occurances, permanantly swollen glands in his neck. Iron deficiency, sudden bed wetting etc. Then after Iron supplements his C4 improved but apparently only slightly low C3. All the other symptoms are still there but because the last blood test showed improvement my son has been dismissed by 'the new doctor' who only saw him that once! I went away and left it but he seems to be going downhill again.

Confused about the blood tests. Does and increased c4 and C3 mean that it isn't lupus? As that is what the doctor told me. She said if its up and down then it is more likely to be the cause of an infection.

[kazp]

Ask exactly what these bloods mean. Very important to ask lots of questions.

Lupus isn't a one blood test diagnosis at all, its many different tests and there are so many factors to take into account.

I do hope that your so doesn't have Lupus, I was diagnosed when I was only 9, and so young.

As your son is so young and there are so many things that children can get that can look like something else.

I trust you haven't just been left to cope, that there are follow on tests etc?

Hugs to you both.

[meeche1978]

Thank you Kazp, that means a lot.

He has allergies and asthma too and is always tired. He has so many problems including problems with his eyesight but after just one of the blood tests came back negative ANA (whilst the previous ones were all positive) and the new paediatrician discharged him straight away since his blood had improved and I just thought that it was rather quick to discharge him when the symptoms were all still there just because the last bloods showed slight improvement. She still said the c3 was still slightly abnormal but that there was no need for their services anymore!

He has a rotating hip, right leg and intoeing gait which causes him to fall over when he runs and so he tends to gallop limping with the leg which turns in and yet I have been told that he won't get an occupational therapy referral unless it's 'really bad' not sure how bad they expect me to wait for it to get but do feel we arevbeing let down by professionals. X