High C Reactive Protein and swelling

[diane4623]

My 36-yr old daughter has been diagnosed with some kind of autoimmune disorder (the doctors don;t know which) 6 months ago. Rheumy first said it was RA, then maybe Lupus, even considered cancer at one point, then back to RA. My daughter is married to someone with Hep-C, and I wondered if this could play a factor. I hadn't heard about autoimmune Hep until today. She was put on Methotrexate and Prednisone and was better for a while. But now the whole thing seems to be starting over again - some of her fingers are so swollen they are almost blue and puffy. She now has pain in many different parts of her body. Her rheumatologist doesn't want to put her on anything else because she doesn't really know what the problem is. Tests show that her Sed rate is normal, but her C Reactive Protein (CRP) is very high. Any input is appreciated, please!

[diane4623]

Just had another CRP test done and the result is better this time - 22.3 (normal is 0 to 4.9, they tell me). What is your diagnosis?

[Littleone707]

I have a test reult that came back that says i have a high CRP rate and normal is 3 or below and I am at a 9.4. YIKES. Could this be inflamation in my chest that is making it hard to  breathe? PLEASE HELP TIHS IS NOW FULLY SCARING ME. I also can breathe ok during the day, but taking a full breathe is sometimes hard.

[diane4623]

The Remicade is in addition to the Prednisone and MTX.  We're grasping at straws to get some relief for her, since she can't function normally without the use of her hands - fingers are swollen so much (can't work, etc...).

[diane4623]

Sorry I haven't been online for a while - life happenned! Yes, my daughter has been tested for HopC on several occasions, and it has always been negative. Her CRP was 168. Don't know what 'CCP' means, so I don't know about that one.  RF is negative. ANA was high at 1:640. Went to a new rheumy last week for 2nd opinion, maybe more. He says it is RA, and started her on Remicade infusion yesterday, No improvement yet, but I know it can take time.
How are you doing? Do you have RA? Any experience with Remicade?

[PlateletGal]

Has your daughter been checked for hepatitis C yet ? It does sound like she could have RA... but she needs to see a rheumatologist to get the diagnosis. Your daughter should have these labs done (if she hasn't already):

RF (rheumatoid factor)
ANA
CCP

The C-Reative Protein tests, like the sed rate, measures inflammation. But the CRP test is more a more sensitive test and therefore, more accurate.

If your daughter doesn't have hep C, it is vital that she takes as many precautions as necessary not to get another infection.

I hope this helps and wish you & your daughter the best !