Normal CRP but feels like a flare?!

[Elaine777]

Hi all, I'm hoping for some advice or just some reassurance.

I have inflammatory arthritis and take 25mg MTX a week, I have my ups and downs but mainly with fatigue these days. However over the last week I have had a couple of days of pretty severe widespread pain (hands, feet, elbows, ankles, back, hip...), this is new for me as my arthritis is mainly in 1 knee and (weirdly) turns up from time to time in my clavicle joints. After a few days of cocodamol I spoke to the rheumy team and had my bloods checked, turns out my CRP is normal and bloods show nothing odd. I now feel like it's all in my head!

Had anyone else had experience of flare symptoms like severe pain, but very little swelling and normal bloods?

Thanks

E

[Olmettig]

My CRP was in the Normal Range and my RF Factor was way out of Range and it came back Positive. My whole body is in a flare.. knees, ankles, hands are super weak, and my legs just hurt. I feel so sluggish today. I just recently took a new blood test called the Vectra D, it is suppose to show where the RA is in my body and a certain time and the serverity of the progression... will see... I too said am I getting crazy that my body is achy in a different spot daily..

Hope you feel better soon, one day at a time.

[Elaine777 in reply to Olmettig]

Thanks Olmettig, I hope you feel better now. As you say one day at a time ☺️

[premierscfc]

Hi Elaine777 , I had a similar situation back in early January when I could tell the disease modifying medication I was on was no longer working, but my bloods had not altered. Unfortunately it took till the end on February before my bloods rocketed.

I am now still waiting for the new med to start working so consequently I have had constant disease activity since Jan😣

Hope your bloods catch up soon.

[Elaine777 in reply to premierscfc]

Hi Premierscfc, that sounds awful. I hope you get some relief soon. I always feel like I have to convince the doctors and nurses that things aren't right, I find that so frustrating. I keep being told to take photos of swollen joints so I can show them next time I'm in. Why do they need evidence?

But it's seems to be the way it is, so I guess I better learn to calmly embrace it. ☺️

Take care.

E

[medway-lady]

I hope your feeling a bit better, ironicly I had a high CRP but was fine no pain no swelling, the next time the CRP was low but I had an awful lot of pain and swelling. Then again just a couple of months ago high CRP and swelling and extreme pain so I don't think its an exact science. Its sort of an indication as I was told no way to tell if its the RA making the CRP high or an infection. My RA moves about too wake up wondering which bit will hurt ! now again in remission so no pain or swelling. lol Try to pace yourself as I find overdoing it makes it much worse and don't beat yourself up for something you can't control. x

[Elaine777 in reply to medway-lady]

Thanks Medway lady! It's been a long week but feeling a bit better now. I'm waking up wondering the same thing - which bit will hurt today? (so far, only an ankle and foot but hey, it's still early! Lol)

I hope your remission continues. Take care.

E

[FionaHerts]

Yes! I'm the same. CRP has always been normal. My ESR goes up and down reflecting flares, but has only ever been just out of normal range even during the worst flare ever.

I have RA, but sometimes I think my symptoms (lots of tendon and ligament involvement) seem more like PSA. I have hand and feet involvement and feel like I'm standing on stones most of the time. Hardly ever get visible swollen joints, just tender joints.

Some doctors are good at looking at symptoms rather than just the blood tests. I find it so upsetting when I get a doctor whose doesn't and looks at me like I'm just having these symptoms for the fun of it!

When I had my full RA diagnosis the consultant made note that my pain, swelling and stinging inside arms and feet responded to oral steroids (it was like a miracle). Methotrexate has helped too.

[Elaine777 in reply to FionaHerts]

Hi Fiona,

Your symptoms are so like my own - I get a lot of ligament and tendon pain and rarely have swollen joints. I also have that same feeling in my feet.

thanks for sharing your experiences, knowing it's not just me is comforting. Take care

E

[dbestdeb]

That’s always the story for me. The bloods they usually do look totally normal. Finally they ran a different test that measures different inflammatory markers, and that one came back very high and the dr decided a different drug was in order.

I’m in the US, and I know the treatment protocols are a bit different here, but it is definitely not in your head. Hang in there!

[Cheesechurch]

Sometime inflammation does not show up in your blood test. My arthritis flared up and I had problem with my feet and my blood test were ok but I had a scan and it showed active rhumatroid arthritus.So if you are still having joint pain ask your rhumatroid consultant for an ultra scan