lab tests

[carries]

I just got my labs back from last week. My ESR and CRP went up. My sed rate was 19 which was in normal range and is now 33 which is High. Ref range was 0-20.
My CRP went upto 1.11. :angry:The reference range was less than 0.8. My C3 and C4 complement remained in normal range…..however my red  blood cells all improved as well as liver function tests.:D

My dr is on vacation this week and I really hope and pray this isnt going to change his mind about AP.  I really hope this inflammation was due to my period and I just got done with ABX pencillin for a few days than changed to cipro for 10 days for the infection in my stitches from the mole that was removed.  I dont want to give him any reason to not let me do AP. He wanted me to stop it and switch to MTX but I said no so he told me he respected my decision but was concerned. I also just came off pred a month ago….

My CRP and ESR were normal until now…I am so confused????

[Lynne G.SD]

Hi Carrie;
      Don't worry so much about numbers.Lots of people go through this “up and down” dance for a long time before things even out.My doctor always told me to go by my feelings.This may sound strange but all my tests showed normal except for white and red blood cell counts that were just a taf off.I never could figure out why my tests were normal and I was dying.
                    Lynne

[Parisa]

Hi Carrie,

I second what Lynne said.  Your labs and even your symptoms will seesaw back and forth.  As long as you are moving forward despite the occasional blips I wouldn't worry.

[lynnie_sydney]

[user=1508]carries[/user] wrote:

I just got my labs back from last week. I also just came off pred a month ago….

My CRP and ESR were normal until now…I am so confused????

Carrie – I understand you must be concerned but believe you may have answered yourself in your own post. Coming off pred a month ago is a likely trigger for an increase in inflammation markers which it would have been controlling (suppressing).  There is almost inevitably going to be a rebound effect from that, ask anyone who's done it. AND, on top of this, you have changed your protocol – coming off mino to take the amoxy then re-starting. Any changes in regime are always likely to provoke some sort of herx response in your body. AND you have recently had an operation. ESR and C-RP are general inflammation markers, they are not specific to rheumatoid illnesses – there could be some residual inflammation arising from your op. Any or all of these things are potential culprits. Lynnie

 

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[nord]

[user=1508]carries[/user] wrote:

I just got my labs back from last week. My ESR and CRP went up. My sed rate was 19 which was in normal range and is now 33 which is High. Ref range was 0-20. My CRP went upto 1.11. :angry:The reference range was less than 0.8.

…

My CRP and ESR were normal until now…I am so confused????

How long ago was the ESR of 19? Did it drop to 19 after the surgery you had on your lung? It rises, and particularly drops, a lot slower than CRP (several times).

[carries]

The ESR was 19 in Feb 2010 .

Now it is 33 …after my surgery…..as of July 2010

[nord]

That does not seem much a month or so after surgery (I only saw the thread afterwards, not sure when you had it?). It will come down more slowly as fas as I know (not a health care professional).

I hope the recovery goes well (is it still painful?), and that you can get AP the way you want.

[carries]

No I am not in pain throughout the day. I wake up in the morning with stiffness and pain…nothing that keeps me up …but as soon as I move around I am good to go for the day!

Lung surgery was 6/3/10….and melonoma removed on my leg was 6/19/10…then following that the stitches got infected so I am hoping I am just having a little flare from all that drama to my body….hoping it will subside….but as far as pain not much at all. I dont even really have to take anything for it.

I just want the ESR and CRP to stay normal so my rheumy doc lets me stay on it. If he doesnt I do see an AP dr so I know she will….but I want my rheumy involved as much as possible….he keeps leaning towards mtx dont want that!

[nord]

Ouch! Melanoma, too. 🙁 Take good care of that. Then you have two things to point to as explanations why the inflammation tests are higher (given this it looks low, I think, again with layman disclaimer). Good argument to the rheumy: “? I've just had these surgeries, just let me xxxxx for a while”. 🙂

Mtx… don't know much, but the little I've seen says “run”, fortunately you don't literally have to (if the leg is not ok) 😀 But you're doing well on AP, why does the rheumy want you on mtx?

[carries]

He doesnt believe in AP. He worries about the inflammation inside my body. ….inflammation I do not feel or know about such as the nodule on my lung….never knew it was there….came up on a chest xray that I had randomly done….I get his point….but what about the damage mtx does to your other organs…that scares me. Plus, I want babies someday and dont wanna go on a medication that harsh until after the fact.

But I am off prednisone now and doing well…so I kind of dont get why in the h*ll he would want me on something different. Its working if you ask me!

[nord]

With Babies hopefully to come, getting well first and drugs free is a very good bet for taking care of the babies! Perhaps you know it , but the parents (yes both) health long before you think it can have an effect, it has! There are some good books on it.

Strange reasoning by the rheumy with the mtx as you're doing well.

[ideamktg]

Hi Carries,
The labs may be changed, but how do you feel since the last time they checked them?

[carries]

I feel a little stiff when I wake up in the morning…but as soon as I get out of bed and move about…I am good to go!!! I did just get off pred June 8 so I am not sure if my body is going through some withdrawl symptoms or even a little flare up due to my two surgeries and then infection.

[APbeliever]

Sorry to read about your tests Carrie. Actually, Lynne and others are correct in stating that ESR goes up and down every now and then. My ESR was 30 at first, 17 a few months later, 28 back in April 2010 and now it is 8 (Woah!). I am not stiff in the morning these days and feeling a lot energetic thanks to LDN and antibiotics. However, my LDL chlosterol ran upto 133 (never went up above 97 during past seven years). Don't know what my CRP is now but it used to be around 13.5 when this all started. It went low to 0.7 after a few months. I think you really ought to look into MTX and biologics. I know many people are against MTX and Biologics here but I am not anymore.

 Inflammation also causes plaque to deposit on your arteries and LDL and HDL chlosterol problems. You can talk to your doctor about low dose MTX along with Minocycline. It really helps in getting quick remission. Initially, I tried it too and it really helped me a lot in getting a quick remission. I wish I had continued it for at least six months because I was almost normal back then.  I read Dr Franco's notes on roadback advising against use of antibiotics and MTX at the same time but there are a lot of patients taking Biologics and MTX along with antibiotics that I know of these days that are getting quick remission. Under a doctor's supervision and testing every six weeks for liver problems, I believe you can get quick remission before other problems come up. Every medicine has some side effects as I am sure you realize already. The best thing to do is to get quick inflammation control (do not let inflammation get you into other problems that you don't want like heart disease etc etc). You can talk to your doctor about Enbrel also as there are many people who had normal babies while on Enbrel. As always, rest is upto you.

[carries]

AP Believer,

Thanks for your insight. I greatly appreciate it…unfortunately I can never go on any biologics…due to lupus and now melonoma. I am going to put the MTX off for a while…I would like to start trying for children in a year and am trying to put that off. First I will try the mino then if that fails me which it hasnt so far….then I will go to MTX. Everything you are saying makes a whole lot of sense about trying to get the inflammation under control before it does damage. …..hopefully the mino will help this.

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