# How common is Almost normal bloodtests?



## Solidsam

Hi evry1! As i posted elsewhere i've had rectal bleeding for several months now i had originaly 3 anal fissures now thankfully down to one! Been heavily constipated since the begining but only started getting stomache pains recently.... I've taken blood tests several times but besides for vitamin d deficiency (which i've had a few yrs now!) everything seems normal! Is that a sign i don't have ibd or how often does it not show in blood test results?


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## DJW

Hey.  Not necessarily.  IBD can take a long time to be properly diagnosed.  We have a lot of people here who are still looking for answers.  I'm sure someone will be along soon who can offer more help.


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## InkyStinky

Hi! Do you know exactly what blood tests have been done? 

The forum wiki entry for Crohn's has lots of great info on diagnostic tests: http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Crohns-Disease  If you haven't had labs that check inflammation (like ESR and CRP) those would be good to check. 

Have you had any imaging or scopes?


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## Solidsam

Hey thanx for replying...... So far i dunno off hand but i think most regular tests plus cell counts and stool tests.... I haven't had any scopes yet but waiting now for appointment by GI so hopefully he'll do some.... Thanx for the link i'll deff. Check it out!


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## Patricia56

It is not uncommon to have all or mostly normal lab values while still having active disease. This is close to typical in kids.

Do not let anyone tell you that normal labs mean nothing's wrong.


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## valleysangel92

Hey there

Sorry I'm late in on this 

As said above, normal blood results don't mean that you don't have IBD or that it isn't active. When I was last in hospital my doctor told me she didn't actually set much store by bloods at all, since they are often misleading when normal. 

I have almost always had normal inflammation markers, even when I've been at my sickest, so don't allow doctors to tell you you're fine purely based on these.


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## Solidsam

Thanx so much valleysangel for takin ur time to help.... I had my appointment yesterday by colorectal surgeon and he told me that since my blood is fine it is assuring! He said though that he wants me to have a sigmoidoscopy just to make sure all is good so thank gd he didn't just brush me away!


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## valleysangel92

I'm glad your surgeon is still going to take a closer look. I think that's where some doctors fail a little,  some will look at normal bloods as reassuring but not as a sign nothing at all is wrong whereas others will look at normal bloods and decide you must be fine and your symptoms will go away on their own. So you seem to have one that realises bloods aren't everything which is definitely a good thing. Best of luck for your scope, please feel free to let us know if you have any questions and make sure you keep us updated with how you're doing!


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## Solidsam

Thanx sooo much for all the support i'm getting


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## RickUK

My bloods are/were always normal. CRP highest reached was about...16.  I am yet to be diagnosed (although crohns is suspected) and I was also told that normal bloods, aswell as feeling well, or having perfectly normal bowel movements, do not mean that you don't have IBD. Far from it.    One test I had done, while my bloods were normal, was faecal calprotectin, and that was almost 800! normal is below 50.   

So yeh, even with normal bloods I had inflammation going on, so do not let people tell you normal blood =  nothing wrong


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## baistuff

A CRP of 16 is actually quite abnormal.

M.D.


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## alex_chris

I have been diagnosed with Crohn's in 1999. I have it under control and have been in remission for quite some while now. My blood tests are completely normal, you could never use them as an indication that I am a CD patient.

The best way to diagnose CD is through a colonoscopy, tissue sample tests, blood tests and the simple old discussion of symptoms.


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## StarGirrrrl

Every Hospital in the world has different ranges they consider normal, I wouldn't call a CRP of 16 quite abnormal I would call it modestly raised.

My GP thinks a CRP under 20 is fine whereas a past Rheumy would like it at 0 but would grudgingly allow up to 10 for example. I've been sitting at 22-36 for several years.


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## chuckmya

My MRI of the small bowel-normal, CRP normal, ESR-normal, all labs normal, colonoscopy looked normal BUT biopsies were not normal! Terminal ileum biopsy revealed slightly active ileitis BUT anastomoses biopsy showed severely active chronic enteritis so I started Entocort and will be weaned off as I start Humira! Weird! :rosette1::dusty::rosette1:


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## DustyKat

For my daughter (14 at the time) bloods were of no use in indicating the severity of her disease. The opposite for my son (17 at the time), his bloods were exceptionally sensitive to changes. 

As to a CRP of 16, it is all relative to where you live and what lab you use. In Australia, and I think the UK uses the same unit of measurement we do?, a CRP of 16 can be very close to normal but you need only look at the reference range for clarification. I have used a lab where <16 was normal, another had <12 as normal and the current lab we are using has <6 as normal. 

As a comparison to the US:

US 16 = Aus 160

Conversely…

Aus 16 = US 1.6

After the experience we had with our daughter I don’t look to blood results as the be all and end all if the results don’t match the level of symptoms I am seeing in front of me. 

Dusty. xxx


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## RickUK

DustyKat said:


> For my daughter (14 at the time) bloods were of no use in indicating the severity of her disease. The opposite for my son (17 at the time), his bloods were exceptionally sensitive to changes.
> 
> As to a CRP of 16, it is all relative to where you live and what lab you use. In Australia, and I think the UK uses the same unit of measurement we do?, a CRP of 16 can be very close to normal but you need only look at the reference range for clarification. I have used a lab where <16 was normal, another had <12 as normal and the current lab we are using has <6 as normal.
> 
> As a comparison to the US:
> 
> US 16 = Aus 160
> 
> Conversely…
> 
> Aus 16 = US 1.6
> 
> After the experience we had with our daughter I don’t look to blood results as the be all and end all if the results don’t match the level of symptoms I am seeing in front of me.
> 
> Dusty. xxx


In the UK, well my DR anyway, they like to see CRP around 5.


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## baistuff

StarGirrrrl said:


> Every Hospital in the world has different ranges they consider normal, I wouldn't call a CRP of 16 quite abnormal I would call it modestly raised.
> 
> My GP thinks a CRP under 20 is fine whereas a past Rheumy would like it at 0 but would grudgingly allow up to 10 for example. I've been sitting at 22-36 for several years.



Granted I do not know in your country what the cutoffs are. I am basing my statement of an upper limit normal CRP of 5. If it is, then with all due respect to your doc, a CRP of 16 is actually significantly abnormal. That would be more than 3X normal. If your WBC count were 3X normal, it would be around 30,000, alk phos around 300 and an AST of 150. Creatinine would be around 4 if 3X normal- depending on age, weight etc... that could even be a range close to needing dialysis. 

Labs that are 3X normal are quite abnormal. Now if your baseline is much higher it might not be a big deal, and certainly with CRP it's non specific test and many things can elevate it. But make no mistake- if the normal upper limit is 5, it is indeed very abnormal.


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## Pilgrim

My daughters labs were pretty normal. A little low on Vit. D, a little low on iron, a little high on ESR. I'm glad your getting scoped. You should get the info you need that way with some certainty. Good Doc.


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## nogutsnoglory

My blood tests are often normal which is why they didn't know I had IBD till I kept complaining and they did a colonoscopy.


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## lilac

normal bloods are usual for me when I feel like my bodies gone into meltdown with loads of symptoms. It's a strange one :yfaint:


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## If*

Many thanks Baistuff! Super easy explanation (even a caveman...lol kidding) seriously, well put.
What I thought was 'normal' is not, could the Dr. mean normal as per patient history with CRP or SED?? Also, if you only go when symptoms are misbehaving and not when calm wouldn't that be a tough call.


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## Solidsam

Seems like a common thread..... We all feeling as rotten as always but the blood seems normal! (I've been low on vitamin d for a while-seems maybe connected??) Anyway I suppose I just gotta wait for the scope (its a pity I'm only getting a sigmoidoscopy for the lower bowel and not a full colonoscopy) but I hope if it is something it'l show up!... Good luck


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## Polaris

My blood work usually presents as normal/low-normal, too. It's beyond frustrating.


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## StarGirrrrl

baistuff said:


> Granted I do not know in your country what the cutoffs are. I am basing my statement of an upper limit normal CRP of 5. If it is, then with all due respect to your doc, a CRP of 16 is actually significantly abnormal. That would be more than 3X normal. If your WBC count were 3X normal, it would be around 30,000, alk phos around 300 and an AST of 150. Creatinine would be around 4 if 3X normal- depending on age, weight etc... that could even be a range close to needing dialysis.
> 
> Labs that are 3X normal are quite abnormal. Now if your baseline is much higher it might not be a big deal, and certainly with CRP it's non specific test and many things can elevate it. But make no mistake- if the normal upper limit is 5, it is indeed very abnormal.


Oh I see your points totally.

Maybe I should have been clearer, I did acknowledge a CRP of 16 isn't right, but some with IBD can have a reading in the 100s or even 1000s so that's why I call 16 raised but not significantly abnormal.

In my experience Drs have not been deadly concerned about my CRP, they acknowledge it's not normal but call it modestly raised, some have told me they wouldn't really worry if it was over 100+ etc in the context of my symptoms.

Why in this day and age there are not universally accepted ranges I do not know, I think the scientific capability is there!


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## cb123

if blood tests show nothing ask for calprotectin test ,this measures inflammation in faeces,Some people around 10%of population have good bloods but still have high inflamation rates, In my case the doctror thought i was depressed until IDB nurse did this test and test showed severe infection 1800.


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## LeslieC28

I am so glad you made this post! My blood tests also usually show fine and up until I found my current doctor my others would tell me it was a bug and started to make me feel like I was crazy because they would tell me I was fine! Just keep at it until you see results and good luck!


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## Gabriel89

I have generally good blood tests too. My CRP level does not reflect my condition at all. It was never been more then 10 if i am properly recalling it.

Only my monocyte count is elevated a bit mostly.


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## Anxious855

cb123 said:


> if blood tests show nothing ask for calprotectin test ,this measures inflammation in faeces,Some people around 10%of population have good bloods but still have high inflamation rates, In my case the doctror thought i was depressed until IDB nurse did this test and test showed severe infection 1800.


I must be in the 10%. Bloods were good, FC was high


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