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Normal sed rate and CBC

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Ulcerative Colitis
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sdaless
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 1396
Posted 3/16/2012 3:44 PM (GMT -7)
Hello everyone!

I am going back on Humira and cannot wait!  I do have a question though.  As mentioned in my previous post I have diarrhea, joint pain and very, very irritable along with being tired.  My GI agreed I am in a flare.  I feel it also but my sed rate came back normal along with my CBC and metabolic panel.  Has anyone ever been in a flare when they didn't have elevated levels?  I know the difference between feeling well and not feeling well.  Just confused thank you.  I also am under a great deal of stress in work!

Stacy

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lovemyboys09
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 249
Posted 3/16/2012 4:06 PM (GMT -7)
I have that often!! I have even had colonscopies that have severe ulcerations but the blood taken at the same time all comes back normal.

I agree with you that you now how you feel. Im dealing with that right now and a very painful gut. My U/S and labwork came back fine but I sure dont' feel fine.
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sdaless
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 1396
Posted 3/16/2012 4:33 PM (GMT -7)
What do you do in those cases?  Family, friends and coworkers don't want to hear about your UC and then when things come back normal you question yourself.  How can this be explained or is it just part of the disease!  thanks for taking the time to answer me!

Stacy

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Christine1946
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2008
Posts : 5988
Posted 3/17/2012 9:35 AM (GMT -7)
     Both my sed rate and CBC were always normal, even during my worse flares.
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notsosicklygirl
Forum Moderator
Joined : Dec 2008
Posts : 17865
Posted 3/17/2012 10:19 AM (GMT -7)
I've never had my bloodwork show signs of a flare up. My GI said it's better that it's not affected.
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sdaless
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 1396
Posted 3/17/2012 1:59 PM (GMT -7)
Thank you everyone at least I know I am not crazy!  It helps to know you are not alone!

Stacy

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Old Hat
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2007
Posts : 5751
Posted 3/21/2012 11:52 AM (GMT -7)
In the fall, 2010 I felt incredibly tired even though my UC was in remission. My gastro ran every available blood test + urinalysis, too; all came back normal-- just vit D on the low side, usual for me & I cannot do the giant supplement per allergies. So I dragged my tail right up thru Dec when the 1st cold weather hit my area. I started to feel better-- energy level definitely improved. I concluded that something environmental had been bothering me. It can be very frustrating to establish a clear cause for what ails us! / Old Hat (31 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
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sdaless
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 1396
Posted 3/21/2012 2:43 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks lets hope that's all it is!

Stacy
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46&crashing
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2011
Posts : 502
Posted 5/4/2017 8:41 AM (GMT -7)
I just ran across this post and it is my exact question. I flared in February and tapered finishing in late March. Was doing fine, then I broke out in a strange itchy rash in April which my family doctor gave me a steroid dose packet to treat.
2 weeks ago, I started having mucus and urgency but little blood. Pain in passing stool, but stool was/is formed. Last week, my left knee went out. Cramping, pain and swelling. Doc gave me a steroid shot on Monday. Last night, my right hip did the same thing that my knee did.

I went to the Doc again this morning. He did X-ray and did a sed rate test for inflammation. Just got the call that both are fine and he is chalking it up to "wear and tear".

Could I be flaring? Prednisone is the ONLY thing that takes me out of flaring and I really really have been fighting doing anther round. I am tired, feel like crap and walk like I'm 90 years old.
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Jane974
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2017
Posts : 418
Posted 5/4/2017 10:22 AM (GMT -7)
Wow, i'm surprised that GI docs don't realize that blood work does not pick up on UC for many people, if not the majority of UCers. My ESR/CRP and all blood work is always normal even in a bad flare.

Anytime you suspect a flare just ask for the fecal calproctecin stool test, which is a direct test of intestinal inflammation. Use it to track your progress as well (you want the numbers to get down overtime). It has a 95% or so accuracy rate. It is just one small stool sample and my insurance covers everything. I actually do it every 3-4 months or so to check on progress.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16389
Posted 5/4/2017 4:14 PM (GMT -7)
We don't need extensive amounts of inflammation to have a rather crapty quality of life. A small amount of inflammation within the rectum can cause urgency and the usual annoyances of UC. There can be a big disconnect between symptoms and inflammation.
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46&crashing
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2011
Posts : 502
Posted 5/4/2017 7:11 PM (GMT -7)
Thank you for the info. After online research I suspected that maybe the Nexium I have been taking for the last few weeks might have caused a magnesium deficiency so I asked my doc to run that test. He ran that and other blood tests. Got a call from him that I am all normal.

So at this point I am wondering if my body is just having aches and pains since it is recovering from my previous use of prednisone or if it wants me to give it another round of the drug.
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Jane974
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2017
Posts : 418
Posted 5/5/2017 10:23 AM (GMT -7)

46&crashing said...
Thank you for the info. After online research I suspected that maybe the Nexium I have been taking for the last few weeks might have caused a magnesium deficiency so I asked my doc to run that test. He ran that and other blood tests. Got a call from him that I am all normal.

So at this point I am wondering if my body is just having aches and pains since it is recovering from my previous use of prednisone or if it wants me to give it another round of the drug.

BTW, if you can stomach it or don't have severe GERD, I would get off the PPI longer-term (nexium). PPI's suppress stomach acid, make you more prone to infections like CDiff and can contribute to UC flares. I was on one intermittently for years for GERD and feel way better off it. Diarrhea is one of the side effects of PPI's.
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