Hi
Still on the sulfasalazine and been having a bit of a flare the last month or so. My most recent blood test showed my CRP level was 13. Nurse said it wasn’t too much to worry about and it should calm down.
Anyone had similar readings?
I was diagnosed with PSA last summer
Actually it is quite low😊xSimba
Thanks. I’m new to all of this !
Like OT said it's more the trend to follow. CRP is a very sensitive marker for inflammation. The sedrate tells you more about the ongoing inflammation. I hope you can discuss and get answers to the abundance of questions concerning meds and tests that are often overwhelming in the beginning, from your rheumy team. It is part of their job ( a very central part), to help you understand as much as possible about the meds, their effects and how and why your blood is monitored. Good luck😊Simba
Having a single reading doesn't help much - you need the normal range quoted by the lab that did the test anyway, and then see whether the levels are going up or down.
And for some people, having a level within the normal range doesn't mean that they are not having pain, swelling and inflammation of their joints.
The best thing to do is keep note of your results, and that way you learn what's normal for you and how you react in a flare.
For most people 13 would be nothing, hardly above normal. But for me this would indicate a flare. And it's only because I can show nurses/doctors my results over time that they believe me, otherwise they would shrug off a reading that low.
Your fortunate to get yours - they seem to not want to share mine have to insist....
So true I can be in pain at the high end of the normal range and really down for the count when just above the high end
Janarruk. I wish mine was as low. Average 34 and rises to 60 sometimes. On 5mg of predictive but it does not always work. I think nurse right, not a lot to sorry about. Ladyjan
A couple of weeks ago I started to feel a bad episode coming on and my crp was 94, when I was admitted to hospital twice last year it was 400, my latest crp after steroids has come down to 19.
I struggle with high crp and can feel it creeping up as achey fingers and ankles as the Prednisone wears off. Do you do anything to to try to lower it of stabilise ?
Wow 400 is scary high Chalmers.. they must have put you on high steroids dose initially to being it down. Your right, you can feel it coming. I’ve concluded in the short time I’ve had this inflammatory disease not to exhaust yourself and push when your tired but stop and just rest and sleep. I’m just on 5 mg prednisone atm and feeling ok. Think the rheumy wants me to try biologics when I see him this month. I’ve been off all demands for 2 months, dropping steroids and taking the odd naprosyn for a few days. Not quite sure what to do actually. It’s just so variable, when I’m crook I want to try the biologics otherwise I don’t.
It is quite individual and as helixhelix said, for some people 13 can be very high. My CRP has never been much above this even when my ESR was well over 100 and my knees, ankles and hands looked like footballs and I couldn’t move at all. Another of life’s mysteries.
Mine is about triple yours - had to bring out the Prednisone - so don't stress too much.
Mine was 37 just 2 weeks ago. It was 150 in May when this inflammatory arthritis hit me. Hasn’t been lower than 17 since and they still did bi lateral knee replacements 2 months ago when it was 34. Not too high to be really worried about Jamarruk, how your feeling is a good indicator too I think.
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