Hi Ailsa
It's just as well I could find my notes! No actually it's imprinted on my brain!
CRP stands for C-Reactive protein and is a test which measures the concentration in blood serum of a special type of protein produced in the liver that is present during episodes of acute inflammation or infection. Normally there is no CRP in blood serum so anything over 10 is indicative of something going on. It is generally thought to be more reliable than the ESR. CRP is more responsive to changes than ESR and the result is therefore usually pretty accurate.
ESR is Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). It is a simple test used to determine how much inflammation is in the body. An ESR test simply notes the speed at which blood cells sink to the bottom of a test tube. The faster the blood cells fall, the more inflammation is in your body. Normal ESR is between 1-7mm but this increases with age and individuals. For some 20-30mm may be quite normal. Mine is generally okay when it's around 16mm. It isn't the most reliable of tests as it can be very slow to react to changes.
Your results are odd ... sorry Ailsa. Are you sero-negative by any chance? It sounds as though the ESR is a rogue result. This can happen, either in the sample taken (it might have started to coagulate ie not shaken well enough) or in the lab (who knows what goes on?!)
In my opinion that CRP result after only 3 injections is brilliant! Long may it continue. I'm sure that if you are feeling better and the inflammation has eased up you are on the right track. I wouldn't worry about ESR ... mine rarely reflects what it's supposed to!! It was over 100 for 6 months (my CRP was 1), I had all sorts of tests but nothing was found! Then it dropped as fast as it had risen and we are none the wiser
Ahh such is life!
Lyn x
