Is it a crohn's flare or not?

[Tinkerbell]

Hello,

I have joined the forum today, as I have had the last two days off sick from work. I started 6:00 Monday morning with diarrhea, mucose and severe pain, after visiting the bathroom 13 times I finally managed to get some sleep. During monday afternoon I was in no pain and I was no longer visiting the bathroom, I went to the hospital for a blood test as I feared that it could be the start of a flare-up.

I have had my blood test results today and the CRP level (that indicates inflammation) is 2, so the IBD nurse has said that I am not in a flare and to see how I go. I have been off work today as I am weak and hve no appetite.

Has anyone else had good blood results but suffering from crohn's symptoms?

I am struggling with the unpredictability of this disease

 

[Rebecca85]

I never had the crp test, but many people on here have said they test clear even when a colonoscopy shows severe inflammation. One person even tested clear hours before an emergency surgery! So yes, you could still be in a flare!

 

[crohndee]

hey welcome to the forums. im fairly new myself.
judging from personal experience I would say it's possible you could still have a flare despite a decent blood test result.
i recently had symptoms .. blood test didn't indicate any major inflamation but CT showed quite severe inflamation and narrowings.

 

[Rossy]

I never had the crp test, but many people on here have said they test clear even when a colonoscopy shows severe inflammation. One person even tested clear hours before an emergency surgery! So yes, you could still be in a flare!

Yeah I agree, blood test are notoriously unreliable, much better for the nurse to go by your symptoms (13 BMs and pain) rather than some crummy blood test!

take care.

 

[Lulu]

I'm the opposite, no symptoms but CRP is up around 36 but apparently I'm not in remission.
I would go with what your body is telling you and not just rely on a blood test.

 

[DustyKat]

Yes, yes, yes.....................(((waving madly)))!!!

Roo had a normal CRP and ESR right up until the night before she had emergency surgery for a perforated and infarcted bowel. So yeah in our experience I would go off your symptoms, the blood tests showed nothing until she was septic.

Dusty.

 

[Rebecca85]

Of course, it was Roo I was thinking of with the surgery! Sorry for forgetting who it was!

 

[Crohn's 35]

I wish I had a buck for every test that came back negative for this disease. I'd still have Crohn's but at least I would be rich :lol:

Losing your appetite is normal, being in pain is not. Diareah is very common and if you can get Questran when you get a diagnosis that should help. In the meantime unsweetened applesauce is amazing..homemade is better (but you need to come here and get it ) banana's are great too. Rice also helps. I hope you get some relief! :hang:

 

[Tinkerbell]

Thank you for all your comments. It is so reassuring knowing that you guys are going through the same. I went back to work today as I do not like taking time off, I think sometimes I need a few extra days to recover. I am waiting for a capsule endoscopy....so the results from that should show what goes on, I hope anyway.

I have not had many symptoms today but I think it is cos I have not eaten much, it is tea time for me now so I will see what tomorrow brings!!

Thanks again

 

[MysteryLocket]

How are you doing?
To me it sounds like a flare - but i'm not very skilled in knowing this kind of thing /yet.
But my gi doc told me when he did the crp blood work on me, that even if it came back saying nothing there would still be a 70% chance that I had crohn's, with inflammation. And it came back saying I did, so there wasn't any confusion for me in this. But He did state that it's very common for it to come back and it isn't the clearest test. But it does tend to give some insight into it, for some individuals.

 

[outlier]

Welcome.
Sometimes your blood is ahead of body and sometimes it's the opposite. I'm defiantly in a flare for the last 3 months, but my blood is just starting to show inflammation. My doc stopped actually caring, how much inflammation my blood work, going with how I feel, since diagnoses is not a question.
The unpredictability is awful. I am also struggling with that factor too.

 

[Tinkerbell]

Thank you outlier,

I am off work again today as the pain is unbearable. I have an appointment with my hospital consultant this afternoon, so hopefully they will ignore the blood tests and do something.

 

[gringo43]

Sorry to hear your in so much pain Tinkerbell. I hope you get into see your doc and get some relief.

Jerry