CRP looking good

[ChrisBeeLoop]

Currently down at 3 ¼ mg after starting at 20mg in November 2023. I have had a few aches and a bit of wooziness and was looking for my CRP results to give an indicator of whether the aches and fatigue were PMR related or a symptom of adrenal insufficiency. My CRP is 2 so I am happy that it is adrenal related. So far so good.

However, my creatinine levels are still below par since a problem showed up last autumn and I am disappointed that I haven’t bounced back to previous levels of kidney function. My lovely GP sent me a text message saying the creatinine level and eGRF ratio seem to have stabilised and this might be my baseline level. He doesn’t sound worried but I am disappointed.

What has concerned me is low levels of Haemaglobin and Haematocrit, just below the normal levels at 117g/L and 0.358 respectively.

I can’t get a face to face with this super GP until 12th May but have booked a telephone appointment for 29th April. In the meantime I am wondering if these results are related to the kidney function or just plain old fashioned anaemia? Anaemia might also be partly to blame for the never ending fatigue and occasional dizziness. For the first time in my life I am keen to take iron tablets because a little bit of constipation might help my loose bowels!

Any thoughts oh wise ones?

[Obscureclouds]

You don’t say what your creatinine levels are. Once when my autoimmune system was all over the shop I got a call from the Haematology Lab at 4.30 am to say they were seriously concerned at the drop in my creatinine levels down to 43 and were putting in an urgent request for my GP to ring me at 9.OO am. When she rang she said she wasn’t too concerned as a lot of relatively healthy people in their 60s and 70s were nearer the 45 lowest baseline than the recognised 60 norm baseline. In my case my previous blood test had been high for my age at 87 so it was the big drop that had caused the concern which she rightly said would settle down in due course. I’ve not returned to the 87 but looking at my history of 2 weekly blood tests August-March there is a lot of fluctuation between 73 and 84 ( eg 84, 74, 83, etc) May depend on time of day, or just how are bodies function. I also have low haemoglobin levels (at times under the base line) but it doesn’t seem to give GPs cause for concern . Hopefully you’ll not have anything to worry about either

[PMRpro Ambassador]

One form of anaemia is anaemia of chronic disease and it is common alongside autoimmune disease. If the haematocrit is low, the total Hb be also be low - fewer RBCs to make up the total Hb,

It is only when you get low renal values for 3 consecutive months that they start to think about it as individual values may vary quite widely with state if hydration, what you ate the night before and so on.