Hello everyone,
Can anyone suggest the best way forward for me. My latest blood test has shown an increase in CRP from 1 to 5.3 and ESR 17 to 25. I currently have a second UTI, first one August and am taking antibiotics. Could the UTI be elevating my CRP and ESR? I don't want to increase my pred unless absolutely essential. It has taken me 18 months to get from 9mg to 4mg a day.
I don't seem to have any PMR pain. The CRP is very low in comparison to the 64 to 78 in past flares.
It is my understanding that any infection can raise your CRP levels. If you feel OK apart from a miserable UTI you might get away with avoiding the sick day rules ie double your dose for a few days and go straight back to where you were. At these low doses, we need to consider our Adrenal recovery - see FAQs.via this page. This is very soon since your last UTI or the infection is persisting.
Thank you. It is a tricky one. And i agree I do think perhaps my kidneys are not playing nicely.
I have been told that we are pretty prone as we get older. My hygiene, non scented precautions have helped me. Adcal was an awful trigger, I stopped calcium supplements and hopefully get enough through diet and K2 and vit D supplements - lots of water - keep hydrated. Mannose D waterfall helped as much as antibiotics that bring their own miseries.Good luck!
Very interesting you state Adcal is a trigger. I had my bone density scan on Wednesday in the hope I can stop Adcal and Alendronic Acid. I have been taking both for 4 years with no break. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
That’s a clue!
Or you could rely on diet for your calcium as it is relatively easy to do.
Yes, I agree and I am pretty good on my calcium intake through dairy products.
My consultant has removed calcium from my meds and told me to take it through diet as it was causing problems. I still take the alendronic acid and vit d though
Thank you, I am hoping bone density scan is good enough to stop the calcium and Alendronic Acid - at least for a while.
Even with good bone density it is better to take the calcium so there ie plenty in the system to be absorbed as pred increases the amount you lose in the urine.
Gosh its a vicious circle .... You learn new things every day! 
I do!
Hi Sheffield Jane. What is Adcal? Thanks. AlideJ
Hello, It's a calcium and vitamin D tablet often prescribed when you also take Alendronic Acid.
Thank you. Mine is called Calcichew D3.
A UTI could influence those results. Are they treating an known offending organism or are they just treating symptoms?
They ran a urine test, no bacterial growth but pus in urine so they are treating as a UTI. I am not 100% convinced to the cause.
Here is a useful bit on pus in urine and other causes, notably kidney stones (high calcium supplementation?) and proton pump inhibitors like Omperazole. Also for ladies, particularly those past menopause, can cause contamination of urine samples that have come from elsewhere in the region. If you are getting a bit of cystitis from the calcium it might be swaying the result. If you end up with more antibiotics again, I would ask them to ask “why?” a bit more.
my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...
Thank you, really useful!
The infection could well be the cause of the raised markers - and a single raised set of markers unaccompanied by symptoms should NEVER result in a kneejerk increase of pred dose. Give it a week or so and get it checked again to see if there is a rising trend which is what might suggest PMR flaring.
Try adding D-mannose to the antibiotics - I find it really helps clear out the bugs. It is supposed to flush them out of the bladder wall where it is said they "hide" from the antibiotic which tends to be concentrated in the urine rather than in the tissues.
I found calcium supplements caused cystitis symptoms - the burning and frequency due to irritation of the bladder and urethra. Doesn't happen with a high calcium diet though. And keep your vit D supplement, preferably higher than is in AdCal!
Thank you for the information. I will look into D-mannose.
Have a look at my reply to Tayzee in this digest today.
Thank you. I am now monitoring closely.
Low ESR and CRP levems
CRP/ESR and calcium levels
CRP AND ESR
Symptoms reduced but ESR/CRP unchanged 
GCA with normal CRP but high ESR?
