CRP level not going down

Hi, I remember enquiring about ESR levels and CRP levels and the nurse told me that it goes by your age, she was referring to ESR - 19 is normal for a 60yr old but I don't know if it's the same for CRP.  Hope you get sorted.

I have the same problem witH ESR, it has never been below 30, the important thing is how do you feel? My CRP leapt up when I had a cold at Christmas, but otherwise I felt fine, so I just carried on with the steroids as normal.

Maybe 16 is your normal?  My bloods have never had raised markers since I started this malarkey, CRP remains stubbornly at 4 no matter what I do. Everyone is different and has a different 'normal' is the way I read it.

At higher doses of prednisone (12-15mg), my CRP and ESR went down as low 6 and 17 respectively. Since then, they have consistently remained around 16 and 29 respectively and my rheumatologist says, “Your bloods aren’t that bad.” I have had PMR now for 15 months and on the whole I feel great. I do Pilates and Tai Chi and regularly walk (4km). I am very careful with my lifestyle and diet. Since the onset of PMR, I have cut back on salt, sugar and carbs and have not gained an ounce. I do not go by my blood results any more. I go by how I feel. In fact, on two occasions my ESR went up to 40 and 73 respectively. My rheumatologist was a bit concerned, but I told her I felt fine, and I really did at the time. This is because there is a lag in how you feel and the blood tests. The two times when I had high readings were due to my tapering, I believe. I did have a couple of days of aches and fatigue but by the time I reached my doctor’s office, I was in excellent form.

One thing I can say about my own particular condition is when I first started taking prednisone, I was completely pain-free. I cannot say that has been true since going down in dosage. I have a “niggle” here and there, but on the whole feel great during the day, and I work a full-time job (self-employed, so sometimes it is way over full time). The time I do feel pain is when I go to bed at night – trying to roll over (upper back and lower back complain loudly). I think I am one of those people whose prednisone “wears off” by late day, and I do split the dose, which helps somewhat. My activity during the day may also contribute. For me, days are always good. Bedtime can be a bit painful however, and maybe this is why my readings are a little high. Nevertheless, on the whole, I see my condition as more than satisfactory, under the circumstances.

I think we are all different and therefore have our own idiosyncrasies. If you are worried that there is some underlying factor making your blood results higher than you think they should be, by all means have it checked out. I just wanted to share my own particular experience with you here for your reference. The numbers, while they are useful indicators, do not always tell the whole story.

I hope that you can soon find reassurance about your condition, if not the numbers.