Calprotectin level is high

[AlexIta]

Hello everyone,

Yesterday, we got the response from the doctor " Calprotectin level is high". This week my son will do blood test and then he will visit a GI to check is intestines.

I have few questions:

How long does it take to the Calprotectin to go down?

Why do they check the blood? Is it to check anemia?

How do they do colonoscopy on a 5 years old kid?

Sorry for all these questions; I am a bit scared!

 

[crohnsinct]

Calprotectin can take awhile to go down but first the source of the inflammation must be found and dealt with. If it is IBD, I guess it is possible that the disease comes and goes so there is a chance inflammation may go down but typically, you will need medication or a period of exclusive enteral nutrition to deal with the inflammation.

They are check the blood for many things. Anemia is one of them. Other things may include vitamin levels (vit d is a common deficiency with IBD), inflammatory markers (C reactive Protein and Sed rate), liver and kidney function etc.

A colonoscopy on a 5 year old isn't much different than anyone else. You prep the day before and scopes the next day. Patients are usually put under so they have no discomfort or recollection of the actual procedure what so ever. Are you seeing a pediatric GI? Will the procedure be done at a pediatric hospital? If your son has some anxiety, perhaps you could arrange a tour of the hospital ahead of time. I believe you are in Italy, right? In the states we have a department called child life. These are people specifically trained to help explain procedures and such to kids. They may even meet you the day of the procedure. You can ask about this at your hospital.

It is good you are moving to scopes so you will finally get some answers and know what you are dealing with. If I recall correctly there was also a question of whether or not your son's issues were a milk protein allergy. High fecal calprotectin can be caused by that as well as a few other things. scopes should provide a clearer picture of what is going on.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

 

[AlexIta]

We live in London, I do not know the Hospital yet.

Now, He is visited at the North Middlesex Hospital by a Paediatrician; who will refer Mattia to a paediatric GI. The doctor said "she does not know which hospital yet, but it would be a paediatric hospital."

You recall well, I think is something with milk proteins; because every time he drinks milk he has diarrhoea and blood in stool with a bit of stomach ache just before he needs the toilet. He did not have diarrhoea since November, he got cow milk last month and the diarrhoea and blood came back. However I red it is possible to have high calprotectin with normal stool; scope will help.

Is it possible to have high calprotectin, so an inflammation of the intestines, without having any pain?

 

[crohnsinct]

Hmmm I don't really know how likely it is but my youngest daughter was pretty asymptomatic at the time her fcp test came back very high. She tends toward constipation so I guess you can say her stool looked pretty normal.

I am not sure though if her stomach pain ever really went away or if she was just tired of complaining and having no one listen but she was not complaining of stomach pain for months prior to the high result. The one and only reason why she was tested was she hadn't gained any weight in a year and she was 11. Oh that and she has a sister with IBD and had previously complained a lot of pain.

There are a few parents here from the UK so hopefully they will be able to help you with any hospital related questions, although, I know of one that is on holiday at this time.

 

[AlexIta]

Someone told me the Great Ormond Street Hospital is quite good and the Portland Hospital; Hopefully my Mattia will be refer to one of those two.

My son looks asymptomatic if he has IBD, he never complains; actually I am asking every now and then, but I always had negative responses from him. Lets see what the Blood test will show.

In September, the scope and hopefully we will have a response. Is it possible to distinguish between IBD and CMPI (cows-milk-protein-intolerance)?

Kids with suspected IBD are tested also to IgE?

 

[Mr chicken]

IgE is to look for true allergic reactions that can cause anaphylaxis to a specific food or total IgE for other conditions such as egids or jobs syndrome .
Eosinphillic disorders can cause inflammation in the gut as well and are triggered by foods .