Calproctein v CRP

Does anyone have experience of having normal enough looking BMs, normal CRP only to have a facel calproctein test done and find a really high reading that was correctly telling you that something was indeed going on in either intestine or GI tract?

I've never had calprotectin testing done...
Curious what your symptoms are exactly...normal enough bms doesn't clarify.

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I don't contribute very often, but I just logged in to search this subject. I have a new GI because mine retired. We met last week and she ordered a Calprotectin STL and CRP. I received results today and CRP is 5.9 (standard range 0-10) and Calprotectin is <27 (standard 0-50). She said that everything is normal and we'll correlate with my colonoscopy scheduled next month. I've never had these tests before... I haven't seen a "normal" bm in years... I get flare-ish every fall/winter... new doc thinks I have an underlying condition, such as IBS. I go 3 times every morning before I leave work. New doc thinks things can be better. I don't know if this helps any, but this is my recent experience with the same tests.

Charlie789 said...
Does anyone have experience of having normal enough looking BMs, normal CRP only to have a facel calproctein test done and find a really high reading that was correctly telling you that something was indeed going on in either intestine or GI tract?

Yes, this happens to me a lot, because my CRP barely rises even when I'm being told I'm about to have my bowel removed (bullet dodged 3 times now). What tended to happen is that I'd have increased gas, with that distinctive UC smell, some pain, and yellower, narrower stool, but no diarrhoea or bleeding, so I'd ignore this and carry on, then discover my faecal calprotectin had risen (approx 200 to 600).

When my faecal calprotectin is in the thousands I have obvious symptoms of flaring (frequent diarrhoea etc).

Despite having UC for 18 years now, I've only just come to the obvious conclusion that I shouldn't ignore these very early warning signs! (although I had a bad experience with a UC nurse recently who said if I don't have diarrhoea I'm not flaring....which isn't actually true for me....I was once hospitalised without diarrhoea....possibly because I've got non-continuous UC, including a caecal patch, which means I can be ill but the stool can still form further down the bowel sometimes).

Sara14 said...
Wow, that nurse was incompetent. You don't need diarrhea to be flaring!

Thanks Sara, I appreciate your comment, as the incident was actually worse. She ranted at me, and said I was the only person in the clinic who monitored stool shape and colour, amongst other things. She's been one of my IBD nurses for a long time so I'm hoping it was just due to her being overworked.

I was shaken and upset, and it's put me off going to clinic.