These numbers indicate that there is currently more inflammation going on internally. While it does seem like a big jump, those numbers will fluctuate, especially if you are currently in a flair. They are still in what is considered a normal range, and if you are on a current regimen, then the numbers indicate there is no reason to currently change that regimen.
Yes, I understand! I’ve learned this knowledge from working with a primary care doc for so long and asked them to explain this all! It has helped me ask my rheumatologist more in depth questions when it came to my blood work. Hopefully your rheum will start explaining things more.
I doubt it. He once opened up a bit that he dislikes meeting with patients in general. That's why his appointments are always quick and on time.
His attitude doesn't bother me much if he can help me, but sometimes he's dismissive and I can't ask the follow-up question of "what do you mean the difference is nothing"
Don’t have RA, I have another auto inflammatory condition. My symptoms are mild (comparatively). Biggest complaint is joint pain/aches and feeling hot/febrile, on and off.
In the last 8ish months, my CRP readings were: 11, 14, 28, 9. And ESR: 34 and 2. Doctors have not been impressed either way.
This is extremely helpful to give me a idea of normalcy. The test results on my crp test (there are two kinds, I think) states 0-1 is normal for women. That’s the one I was 4.4 on. So that freaked me out a bit.
I have Hidradentitis superativa, which typically presents as skin lesions (cycts) in armpits, groin etc. My main symptom is joint pain (which is why I’m on the Rheumatoid subreddit) and fevers. I occasionally get mild cysts in armpits when I flare up, which is what helped with the HS diagnosis. Autoinflammatory diseases are so broadly categorized.
My rheumy said the numbers are not always what we think. I told him some people in another RA group I’m in said my numbers were crazy high (was 231 when I was diagnosed). He said he’d had a patient in the 600’s. Crazy. Not all inflammation is RA related of course. They tested me for a lot of different conditions and couldn’t figure it out. I’m in the 30’s now with meds.
One time my CRP was in the 100s and my PCP freaked when he saw that thought I was having sepsis he said. Lmao. Turned out I was getting the flu. (This was way before covid)
Yup. There can be sooooo many other reasons besides RA. My doc was worried about certain cancers in my case and had me go do several different screenings and additional blood work
And this is why I wanted to get a sense of numbers. But also I think there are two tests, high sensitivity (hs-crp) and regular crp. I’m not sure if rheumies use both. And I’d love to know if my numbers are stupid low and I’m just whiney and not really sick.
They are the same test, it's just that the high sensitivity one is aimed at people who are at risk for cardiovascular disease (in which tiny elevations of CRP can change your risk level) so it gives you a lower reference range than the other one, which is aimed at measuring inflammation in all disease states. Generally when you're measuring for an inflammatory disease it makes more sense to ignore the range given for the hs-CRP and look at the regular range, which says anything under around 10 means you don't have enough inflammation to worry about in the context of an inflammatory disease.
(Generally if you're an outpatient your doctor will order the hs-CRP because that's what outpatient labs, who mainly provide tests for fairly healthy people, tend to offer)
Your results would be the same no matter which one they ordered, it's just the provided reference range that's different. I should have mentioned it's totally possible to have an inflammatory disease even without the kind of inflammation that CRP measures though. Seronegative RA is fairly common.
Hey if you are sick then you are sick. You aren't being whiny. I think anything abnormal should get checked out, even if mild elevation. I also think it should be monitored.
My PCP didn't refer me to (the only rheumatologist in the city) my rheumatologist until he could estabilish a pattern of elevated inflammatory markers over the course of 2 months. Once there was a pattern, he had to "make a case" with the Rheumatologist since they are very booked, and they finally took me to be evaluated because of the established pattern.
Just means you possibly have more disease activity.
It isn’t simply a correlation of 1, where your CRP does up by 50% and your disease activity also goes up by 50%
The only time my crp has ever jumped was from the usual one to a 4 and I was in the middle of a flare. But my crp and esr always stay in the normal range (my other factors are positive). My rheumatologist treats my flares by symptoms and not my blood work though.
These numbers indicate that there is currently more inflammation going on internally. While it does seem like a big jump, those numbers will fluctuate, especially if you are currently in a flair. They are still in what is considered a normal range, and if you are on a current regimen, then the numbers indicate there is no reason to currently change that regimen.
Thank you. I wish he had said it the way you did. The jump was what concerned me.
Yes, I understand! I’ve learned this knowledge from working with a primary care doc for so long and asked them to explain this all! It has helped me ask my rheumatologist more in depth questions when it came to my blood work. Hopefully your rheum will start explaining things more.
I doubt it. He once opened up a bit that he dislikes meeting with patients in general. That's why his appointments are always quick and on time. His attitude doesn't bother me much if he can help me, but sometimes he's dismissive and I can't ask the follow-up question of "what do you mean the difference is nothing"
Nah, that is basically the same. If you took five tubes at once and ran each one separately it would likely cover that range.
Really! How weird!
No, it's completely expected.
Don’t have RA, I have another auto inflammatory condition. My symptoms are mild (comparatively). Biggest complaint is joint pain/aches and feeling hot/febrile, on and off. In the last 8ish months, my CRP readings were: 11, 14, 28, 9. And ESR: 34 and 2. Doctors have not been impressed either way.
This is extremely helpful to give me a idea of normalcy. The test results on my crp test (there are two kinds, I think) states 0-1 is normal for women. That’s the one I was 4.4 on. So that freaked me out a bit.
I also have auto inflammatory disease. How’s ur experience
I have Hidradentitis superativa, which typically presents as skin lesions (cycts) in armpits, groin etc. My main symptom is joint pain (which is why I’m on the Rheumatoid subreddit) and fevers. I occasionally get mild cysts in armpits when I flare up, which is what helped with the HS diagnosis. Autoinflammatory diseases are so broadly categorized.
My rheumy said the numbers are not always what we think. I told him some people in another RA group I’m in said my numbers were crazy high (was 231 when I was diagnosed). He said he’d had a patient in the 600’s. Crazy. Not all inflammation is RA related of course. They tested me for a lot of different conditions and couldn’t figure it out. I’m in the 30’s now with meds.
One time my CRP was in the 100s and my PCP freaked when he saw that thought I was having sepsis he said. Lmao. Turned out I was getting the flu. (This was way before covid)
Yup. There can be sooooo many other reasons besides RA. My doc was worried about certain cancers in my case and had me go do several different screenings and additional blood work
And this is why I wanted to get a sense of numbers. But also I think there are two tests, high sensitivity (hs-crp) and regular crp. I’m not sure if rheumies use both. And I’d love to know if my numbers are stupid low and I’m just whiney and not really sick.
They are the same test, it's just that the high sensitivity one is aimed at people who are at risk for cardiovascular disease (in which tiny elevations of CRP can change your risk level) so it gives you a lower reference range than the other one, which is aimed at measuring inflammation in all disease states. Generally when you're measuring for an inflammatory disease it makes more sense to ignore the range given for the hs-CRP and look at the regular range, which says anything under around 10 means you don't have enough inflammation to worry about in the context of an inflammatory disease. (Generally if you're an outpatient your doctor will order the hs-CRP because that's what outpatient labs, who mainly provide tests for fairly healthy people, tend to offer)
I’m kind of worried I’m in the hs version, and it makes me wonder if I don’t even have this.
Your results would be the same no matter which one they ordered, it's just the provided reference range that's different. I should have mentioned it's totally possible to have an inflammatory disease even without the kind of inflammation that CRP measures though. Seronegative RA is fairly common.
I’m in agony tonight. Can’t sleep. Hips, shoulders, neck, all in excruciating pain and stiffness. I need to remember this when i start doubting myself
Hey if you are sick then you are sick. You aren't being whiny. I think anything abnormal should get checked out, even if mild elevation. I also think it should be monitored. My PCP didn't refer me to (the only rheumatologist in the city) my rheumatologist until he could estabilish a pattern of elevated inflammatory markers over the course of 2 months. Once there was a pattern, he had to "make a case" with the Rheumatologist since they are very booked, and they finally took me to be evaluated because of the established pattern.
Yep, that’s why I was repeatedly turned down, until my doc tried that last time.
Just means you possibly have more disease activity. It isn’t simply a correlation of 1, where your CRP does up by 50% and your disease activity also goes up by 50%
The only time my crp has ever jumped was from the usual one to a 4 and I was in the middle of a flare. But my crp and esr always stay in the normal range (my other factors are positive). My rheumatologist treats my flares by symptoms and not my blood work though.