If you have Crohn's, have your blood tests shown signs of it?

[community]

Have blood tests been useful in your diagnosis?

 

[DustyKat]

I can only vote once so I voted with Sarah's results. All of her blood tests returned normal for nigh on 18 months. She had the outward physical symptoms but the bloods weren't at all reflective of what was going on.

My son on the other hand had very minimal physical symptoms but his bloods showed everything...raised inflammatory markers, low haemaglobin, raised white cell count.

Dusty.

 

[flowergirl]

my CRP was high, but everything else was normal.

 

[outlier]

the only reason crohn's was suspected, because i was so anemic.

 

[tiloah]

I'm not 100% sure but I believe my blood tests have never shown inflammation.

Right after my surgery when I had been starving myself, my blood tests showed low something (CRP?) which they said was consistent with either low protein intake or low protein absorption. I also have low B12 levels. Never had anemia.

I have had chronically low albumin since I was diagnosed, but they don't know why.

 

[DustyKat]

Hey Nic,

Your albumin would be low because you have difficulty absorbing protein. Crohns disease is a known cause of low albumin levels because of malabsorption.

Dusty.

 

[sunflower]

When I first got diagnosed, my Sed Rate would be elevated. After a few years, it shows nothing. I am not usually anemic, my B12 was in the low normal range and I don't have the Crohn's gene. The only thing that is usually elevated when I don't feel good are the platelets. And, no one will tell me why.

 

[DustyKat]

Since your disease looks like it is large bowel I imagine you bleed when you flare?

Bleeding can increase your platelet count as does inflammation as it stimulates platelet production.

Dusty.

 

[sunflower]

Oh thanks! I have been asking that for years! I worry that it might increase my chance for clots.

 

[Keona]

All but one of my images came back as non-definitive crohn's (?!?!?!) .. my blood work all comes back normal except once .. all I was told was I had a vitamin deficiency so I voted that all came back normal.

I was told that perhaps the stuff I had to drink didn't absorb into my bowels correctly and therefore did not open my bowels correctly and could have made the areas where it looked like thickening of the wall and strictures...

the problem I have with this reasoning is that I think it is far too coincidental that the pain and the areas where "the bowel looked collapsed" are one in the same... not to mention the 3 week constipation stints ...I don't have any confidence in doctors anymore (or my G.I ....anyway).