Lab Numbers | Arthritis Information

Ok, I have a question for all of you...since my dx, my labs have always come in the normal range, except for once when my Sed rate was 37. Well, I got the results for my blood work from last week and it showed my CRP as CRP high with a value of 1.5mg/dL or 15mg/L. I know that blood work can be within normal ranges, but my dr didn't want to treat too aggressively until there were some blood markers showing things. What I am wondering is how high is my high CRP? What ranges do you all have for CRP?I don't know exactly how high is really "high". Mine was 51.7 mg/L as of last month. Although there is value in the lab work, my rheumy also takes into account my symptoms...how are yours doing on the existing meds?Nothing has improved on my current meds, if anything, they have got worse. :(I always read on posts about labs and numbers and sed rates---I feel left out!! hee hee My doctors just don't test my numbers or sed rates or anything like that anymore---they did it when I was young and when they originally tested me for arthritis, but not anymore. They just test me for stuff with my meds, like liver profiles etc etc. I don't understand why all these test are still being done---my docs treat me by my symptons now and how I am feeling. Is there something I am missing?? Once you have been diagnosed with this horrible disease---why keep testing for rheumatoid factors, sed rates, ANA etc. I just don't get it?
X-rays I get, but not all these blood tests constantly. I know I have really good docs and I dont feel like they are not doing something they should---so someone please explain it to me. Because to ME AT LEAST---it seems that everyones docs are ordering way too many needless blood tests and their making a killing off your insurance companies--or in the case of people that pay out of pocket---its you they are making money off of.
Someone help me out here. I am so not understanding this.So you can see if you're 'improving' and heading to 'remission'.

TJ - mine was high but I no longer remember. Like 37??? Damn, I have to do a 'backwards' journal. All I remember is from the scale they used - I was super high like my RF of 706.

Hugs and talk to you later! Hubby comes home today!

(Thank GOD!)

Pip

Tenderjoints, ESR should be under ten and CRP under five. CRP is a better indicator of inflammation than ESR so doctors are often more interested in seeing it come down. Both have always been high. When dxed 3 years ago I was ESR 82 and CRP 65. The lowest my CRP has been so far was 19. It is not that at the moment. It's been everywhere between that 19 and the 65. All way too high. My last ESR was 50, the lowest it has been is 35 from memory. I am seroneg but my ESR and CRP is what they use to measure how I am doing in addition to how I am feeling, which can be contrary to my bloodwork. Crazy disease.

The beginning of finding out I had RA was my ESR coming back at 82 in a Full Blood Count, my GP just happened to do to check on everything. When the ESR came back at so much he then sent me for a CRP, which also came back at a ridiculous level. At that point he sent me to a rheumatologist and then the fun really began. [QUOTE=wysone]I always read on posts about labs and numbers and sed rates---I feel left out!! hee hee My doctors just don't test my numbers or sed rates or anything like that anymore---they did it when I was young and when they originally tested me for arthritis, but not anymore. They just test me for stuff with my meds, like liver profiles etc etc. I don't understand why all these test are still being done---my docs treat me by my symptons now and how I am feeling. Is there something I am missing?? Once you have been diagnosed with this horrible disease---why keep testing for rheumatoid factors, sed rates, ANA etc. I just don't get it?
X-rays I get, but not all these blood tests constantly. I know I have really good docs and I dont feel like they are not doing something they should---so someone please explain it to me. Because to ME AT LEAST---it seems that everyones docs are ordering way too many needless blood tests and their making a killing off your insurance companies--or in the case of people that pay out of pocket---its you they are making money off of.
Someone help me out here. I am so not understanding this.[/QUOTE]

It doesn't appear that you're on meds that require the labs in question on this thread. RD's request certain labs for individuals who are on dmards and biologics so that they can track liver and kidney function, complete blood counts, possible infection and several other reasons. There are side effects from dmards and biologics that can be treated early on and/or the dmards and biologics can be discontinued. Believe me, these tests are not needless when you're taking certain drugs. The tests have saved many a person's liver, kidney and in some cases their life. They also can track how well the medications are working on the disease. Many people on this forum have moderate to severe RA and multiple autoimmune diseases and lab testing is required. I hope this answers your question. Lindy

LinB2008-02-27 15:40:59wysone, if you're seroneg, and test seroneg over and over, then no, there is no point it doing excessive bloodwork. Like for you and I. (I'm assuming you're also seroneg, most JRAers are) I only get my bloods done once a year when not medicated, and once before starting a med, and then however often that medication requires liver testing. Which sounds like what you get!

But if you DO test positive, there are so many trends they can see with rising and falling levels. It's not that they're doing things PURELY off of the bloodwork, but they're using it in conjunction WITH your symptoms.

I am on Arava so I do get bloodwork done every 6 weeks---those are the blood tests I know are done for good reasons. And like Katie I get a work-up done every year with my labwork. I just don't get the whole checking on sed rates and the like that some people seem to get done every month or so---most docs don't go by sed rates anymore because its been proven that their not reliable at all. Symptons and how you are feeling is what docs rely on more then anything---at least here in the northeast. I know in different parts of the country some docs feel differently about that. I certainly didn't mean to imply that they shouldn't be checking on your progress---I just think once your tests have come back saying you got arthritis---well you got it then--case closed. And remission is always based on how your feeling---not your labwork. there are just too many false positives.
I guess I am just used to how its done here and in Boston---they seem to have the leading edge in the arthritis area. It always is very interesting to hear how other areas of the country look at this disease.Actually, I think clinical remission includes good labs, as well as lack of symptoms.

That is to say, just because you don't feel it, doesn't mean it's not actively damaging something.

And you wouldn't only see that in labs, or x-rays, or whatever other test they needed at the time.

Maybe I've just had this disease way too long and the labs don't change for me!!!! hee hee That must be the sign when you've been to the doc so many times that theres no point to order labs anymore. When I was young I had a regular seat in the corner of the lab that was assigned to just me!!!Well no, after you've had it for so long and if you're testing the *same* way over and over and over, I don't think they would continue to drain you. They don't do it to me either. However, I *am* seronegative, which really means there just isn't a whole lot my blood work will ever tell them.

BUT! You *can* suddenly be NOT seronegative. So lab work is *always* a must at some point. If you were to suddenly show numbers in your labs, it would be helpful to the RD for picking meds and seeing how you were doing.

Like I said, just because YOU don't feel it, doesn't mean it isn't there!

hmmmmm........maybe I'll take option B---feeling well and no labwork!!!! hee hee or even labwork saying I shouldn't be feeling well----but actually feeling well!!!
The whole "seeing something in the labs that you don't feel as of yet" is just a pain in the ass. Like when my eye doc told me a couple years ago that he could see that I would be near-sighted in a couple years. yeah , thanks buddy---you could of saved that one and forgotten to tell me. when it happens---it happens----I'll pass on the warning!! hee hee
thanks for making me feel old before my time.I'm in clinical remission, normal labs for the first time in 10 years, on physical exam no inflammation, MRI normal, except for damage. Any amount of inflammation will result in damage according to the most recent studies suggesting that an MRI should be done in addition to labs. That study was posted on AI sometime in the last couple of weeks. Sed rates are an important part of the labs, they show systemic disease.

If there's a spike in the SR results it could mean that there's an infection or other systemic disease and it should be investigated, expecially if you're taking dmards and biologics. A rise in the sed rate isn't just related to RA. I felt great for 5 years on no meds until I had labs, xrays, and the worst flare ever. I had considerable damage done during those 5 years.

But like I've said before everyone is different and there are many ways of treating autoimmune diseases as there are doctors. RDs set up individual patient treatment plans based on symptoms, diagnoses, age, and other medical issues. They're all as different as we are. What's right for you may not be right for me. Lindy

Well, they test my ESR and CRP all the time. Monthly basically. As well as liver function stuff with still being on MTX. My RD and GP want to see where those inflammation levels are and if they are getting anywhere near normal. Today at my RD appt, he showed me a graph of my ESR levels over a period of time and how they dipped right down to 30, the lowest I have ever been and then can back up again to halfway where I had been prior to Rituxan with this recent flare I have had. It was good to see it in chart form on his computer screen. My RD does blood work every three months but he doesn't always order the same things. He does test my SEDS rate everytime as well as liver and kidney. I'm not as up to date on my blood tests as a lot of you (What their called and what they mean). I get a letter from my RD after every lab trip and he'll check off what was done, what was normal and what was abnormal. Then he'll make a quick note (Which I can barely read!) at the bottom of the page.

I think I've had blood work done about every three months since I was dx'ed. From what they told me early on even regular use of IUB can cause serious problems with your liver and kidneys. These test however can catch problems long before you would know there was a problem. That's one thing that has given me the confidence to take these stronger medications all these years. Knowing that they are testing early and often to head off problems gives me piece of mind.

My GP does the liver/rf/crp/esr/T4 every three months. I'm serepositive (highish RF range 1-20 am down to 118). My ESR is 11 (has gone up since dx), and my crp has gone up to 3. I'm due for my next batch at my rheumy's appt. in march. My RF coming down, I'm hoping is down to the sulpha. Liver results all in normal range some are climbing some are dipping. When I tell my doctor I'm flaring and the bloods prove that is the case, he learns to trust my judgement. I like keeping a check of how its all doing. Every single one of the tests they did on me was normal, and my doc still wanted to put me on enbrel. I think every doctor is different. cah1418, that's because you can still have RA with normal labs. Confusing, huh? Lol. This disease is so variable. You can have high labs but no RF and have RA or normal labs and have RA. There are just so many variations. I think that is what frustrates me so much....that the blood work can vary so much. I mean my RD says, well you have RA as far as symptoms, history, and everything else, but your blood work is ok...I don't want to treat any more aggressively until your bloodwork shows too...my RD would still like to see my bloodwork not be ok...so I am so confused. :( I mean all the research says that aggressive treatment is key, so...I don't know.

And now with my heart issues, my cardio says they are RA related, so it makes me want to treat even more aggressively.

I just wish it were like Staples and there was an EASY button!!

It would be great if there was an Easy button, hey, but there is not. If you have RA symptomatically, it shouldn't matter about the bloodwork, they should be treating you aggressively regardless. Hmmm...silly. My lab numbers on Jan 4 were ESR 80, CRP 14.7

I had my first Rhuemy appointment tonight since my last blood test on Jan. 23rd and the ESR was 5 and the CRP was 0!

Doctor says I am in a medicine induced remission. Is holding off on Humira until my next appointment when I will be down to 15MG of prednisone and depending on what the bloodwork I have taken within the next couple days shows. Last bloodwork done I was on 40 MG prednisone. I know the new bloodwork won't be as good because on 25 MGS. I'm already starting to have mildly achy joints. :(

I have to get a fasting glucose test because my sugar readings have been high since this all started.

Also wants me on fosamax and have to get a bone density test.