C-Reactive Protein

[kailau]

Has anyone ever mentioned your C-Reactive protein as being any sort of indication of Lyme or a correlation of it being high with Lyme disease.  My mom's test results have shown a steady increase.  I know it's a marker for systemic inflammation, but the doc's don't seem too concerned and chalk it up to her "RA".  Just wondering if any of you who have seen an LLMD can tell me if this is something they look at.
Thanks,
Kai

[mojogal]

Like Wonko, my c-reactive protein and sed rates are both high with my Lyme which the doctor says is showing there is inflammation in the body however it is not just a Lyme thing and can reflect other illnesses, thus the craziness that the great impostor (Lyme) can be.

[rcma]

This is interesting.  I have 3 of 4 positive c6 peptides.  But no positive WB test.  An infec dis specialist made a big argument that there MUST be a high CRP with Lyme infection.  He said there is NO infection in the body that wouldn't register a high CRP.  I think he's full of it.  But I'm trying to fund something to debunk his argument.  I think that Bb does its damage thru the nervous system, and even when the infection is not "active" enough to cause a high CRP, the destruction to the nervous system and the organs (brain, heart, etc) is already in motion.

Do you have any sources?  

[patsy10]

The inflammatory markers are usually normal with lyme.

[wonko]

I have had my c-reactive protein and SED rate (both non-specific markers) measured during various work-ups by other doctors (neuro, rheum) and they were sometimes high.  

Now that I am under the care of an LLMD, I get re-tested for these numbers every time they order blood work, just to keep an eye on it.

To my knowledge, c-reactive p and SED are not diagnostic by themselves, as you say, they indicate inflammation, but not the cause.  So they are not very useful diagnostically.

My numbers have returned to normal range with Lyme treatment.

Does your mom have more specific RA blood tests?  Lyme can look like RA, and of course, there is also the possibility of having both.