C-Reactive Protein Levels

[Stanz]

So, update on my hubby. I started to reply to Zizzle's thread on this and think this deserves it's own thread. So, excuse me, but I feel a rant coming on.

Yesterday I had Prolotherapy with my ND. I showed him the letters about my paternal GF's medical history that I talked about here: [url]http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/ ... highlight= His analysis was the same as mine. My GF wasn't "cured of TB" in 5 weeks - he never had TB - he died of a bowel obstruction, and I posted a link to what has happened to the research on Crohns there earlier tonight.

We met with his MD/ND today to go over the results of his ELISA Panel and it was fascinating. High reaction to green and Lima beans, most dairy, gluten, wheat, bakers and brewers yeast and a bunch of other things that weren't as high. He had been 2 months GF when they drew his blood for this test, so his doctor is pleased that he was already GF. BUT - what was most surprising is that his other blood tests showed the usual low vit.D levels we have and for the first time EVER in his medical records, she tested his C-Reactive Protein and it was through the roof. 6.14 mg/L - when the ref range is <.70 mg/L. His risk for future MI - which I assume means "medical incident" is 2.56 HIGHEST range. The note on it says: "Relative risk for future MI listed above is the risk derived from hs-CRP only and is indpendent of other risk factors. The risk from sex, age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipedemia, family history and body mass index are not included in the above risk of future MI and should be included in the overall risk assessment for future coronary events."

He doesn't smoke, he doesn't have any markers for diabetes - yet, he has high cholesterol, high blood pressure, he is over weight-the classic GUT/bloating, he eats healthy most of the time and knows better because he is a paramedic, but has pretty ridiculous carb cravings, as did his Dad and he has been seeing doctors about this for YEARS. His family history of health issues, which are all of those plus diabetes, should have set off warning signals to ANY doctor he saw before I knew him, but nobody tested his CRP. He's been getting allergy shots since '96, his allergy doc never once tested his CRP level and I am ashamed that even though I've read through all his test results since we met around then, I never noticed that he hadn't been tested for this.

It was my CRP level - that I had to request I be tested for - after doing research at the library, cause I didn't have Internet - that ultimately led me to be hair tested for lead poisoning in '97 and I was in the 97th percentile for toxicity. I'd have never done this if I hadn't talked with a co-worker who had a similar history. Unfortunately, after getting chelation for that and "getting the lead out", I just assumed that I'd taken care of it and that getting lead poisoning from heat-stripping my house, was why I had been so sick. I felt so much better - for awhile - until the next crisis in '98 (my sister's suicide) when I started feeling sick again and was told I literally had every autoimmune disease "made up" by our doctors. I am seeing the Head's of Rheumatology and Dermatology at OHSU - a teaching hospital - and I'm being told that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Eczema, you name it. I'm being prescribed Methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and all kinds of other crap to suppress my Immune system, as my "illness" continued on in the form of joint damage and skin issues and rampant weird infections. This all culminated in my next crisis in '06 (my brother's suicide, 7 UTI's in 1 year, a massive dose of Cipro for MRSA (which I never had) and my 2nd marriage) which started my almost 3 years of constant D and losing a frightening amount of weight. I look back on my blood tests from that time and my CRP was always high. None of the idiots I was seeing ever made the connection to diet and I know we've all been there.

In "Gabe's talk" I was gobsmacked by my dx/w/MC in late '09 and finding ya'all here and then finding out I was gluten sensitive genetically. I was so depressed that I just figured I had colon cancer, which 2 of my siblings had died from, and I really just didn't want to know, and my DH didn't think that was fair to him so I had the colonoscopy and then found you guys.

So this is what his doctor advised/prescribed for him today: Probiotics, including ProBoulardi saccharides, and L-Glutamine supplements, to calm down his immune response and also being GF, DF, and legume free. In her opinion he has classic "leaky gut syndrome". He's still too cheap to order even the genetic tests from Enterolab, even though I said I'd pay for them.

So..we went out to see a live performance of the Moth Radio Hour show tonight. We got home late and I saw there was a message on our answering machine. It was his Mom, we were out of town all weekend with her for a birthday party for a family friend and got home late Sunday night. She had been sick since we left her with some stomach pain - which she'd been having for awhile - this had progressed to severe pain and D since we left her on Sunday. She saw her MD today (Tuesday), he dx her with Ileitis, which is possibly Crohn's related. She has 3 children, ALL are now GF because of dx w/Crohns, Diverticulitis, HBP, Lupus, ADHD, you name it-they have it, and now she's seeing a GI tomorrow. I sent her an email with links to Dr. Hymen's stuff and others, but I'm pretty sure she will take whatever drugs they recommend, despite her family history.

And so it goes........I love her to pieces........she's 76, she and her husband always followed doctors orders, my FIL's father was an MD, my sister-in-law (my DH's brother's wife) is an MD, she has 2 kids, one is a genius who may actually be on track to make a difference in all of this and one who has some form of autism. What part of genetics do these people not see?

And despite my family history, my siblings follow orders too and don't look at diet as a cause of them being literally crippled. I have one niece who is Schizophrenic and weighs over 300 lbs, several others who are questionable and 2 of my great nieces are on steroids for Crohns and have made no dietary changes despite that they are in Nursing School and that their father, who is an MD has had a bowel resection. What part of "we are what we eat" do these people not understand?

Have you guys had your CRP levels tested? If not, why not? Ask for it now.

End of RANT!

[tex]

Hi Connie,

Sorry to hear how things are going with various family members. FYI, I believe that physicians usually are referring to myocardial infarction when they use the abbreviation "MI".

My CRP level has been tested only once, to my knowledge, (at my request), 5 months after my ileostomy, (IOW, July, 2010). It was 0.620, reference range (0-0.785).

I hear you, it seems that most people would rather stand on their head, in a cold rain, to take a pill that they know will probably shorten their life, than to change their diet.

Tex

[Joefnh]

Hello Stanz, that's quite a time that both you and your husband have had... Certainly the proper testing is always a good thing to have done. It is amazing that there is a sense amongst doctors and patients that what we eat does not affect our health, how can we be so collectively stupid!!

When I do my shopping on the weekends I am now so aware of the foods we eat and what's for sale at the grocery stores. There have been several times that I have noticed a mother with overweight young children and the cart is just full of garbage...nothing but factory made junk, it's no wonder we are getting sick eating like this. Unfortunatly I see this every week at the market.

As far As the CRP test, that is one of the tests they watch me for in relation to Crohns disease. It is a good marker for inflammation and does tend to indicate possible future cardio vascular health problems, but it is also used to watch for disease activity with autoimmune diseases. I have mine checked about every 3 months and typically it is at around .7 mg/ L but has spiked up to as high as 2.2 mg/L

Joe

[Zizzle]

Wow, Connie, your combined families could be poster children for undiagnosed celiac/gluten intolerance!! So much suffering, and to think much of it could have been avoided, perhaps even depression and mental illnesses. I'm so sorry.

My doctors have always been surprised that my CRP level is always low, and my SED rate (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is normal. They are markers for inflammation, and probably the only reason they haven't slapped a true autoimmune disease diagnosis on me (they've wanted to call it Lupus, RA, MCTD, AIH, etc), but no, I'm still too healthy. I can't wait to see what my values will be this summer, after 2 full years on the GF/DF diet.

My parents live on a coffee farm in Guatemala and my dad has high CRP and low white blood cell counts. I know the CRP is a measure of heart attack (MI) risk. He appears healthy and eats a healthy diet, but I wonder if all the herbicides/pesticides and general pollution around their region is contributing to all of this (all garbage is burned, nearby sugar cane plantations are burned after harvest, etc.). My mother has one health issue after another. Have you assessed you and your extended family's environmental risks (besides your paint stripping)? Is there/was there farming or manufacturing nearby? There is so much we can't see or suspect. I know I'm struggling with my nickel allergy -- any exposure causes a long-term itchy rash. I wonder if heavy metal toxicity may explain my worsening allergy.

My rant...my FIL has significant symptoms of MC (IBS, long history of NSAID abuse, newly identified gluten intolerance - just starting to join his wife on GF diet). He had his routine colonoscopy yesterday and I asked my FIL and MIL (a nurse) to please ask the doctor to do biopsies for MC. Well my FIL never mentioned his symptoms to the doctor, and my MIL mentioned it to the nurse before the procedure. After is was over, my MIL asked the doc if he had done the biopsies. He said he didn't get the message in time, and he doesn't see MC in men, and my FIL hadn't mentioned having any issues. AARGH!!! They did find a good size polyp to send the to the lab, but I doubt that will show anything else. I sent my MIL to at least buy probiotics for him, as I see this as the best time to try and recolonize with something beneficial. But I'm still so pissed off!!!!!!!


Regarding your hubby's carb cravings, you mentioned he reacted highly to brewers and bakers yeast. Those are signs of candida (yeast) overgrowth, which would surely explain the carb cravings. The yeast organisms literally give your body signals to feed them. Has he ever shown signs of thrush in his mouth? The usual treatment is a 100% yeast free and sugar free diet, even fruit sugar, and it can take a long time to kill them off. But I've wondered if you can get a jump start on the process by taking a yeast-killing med like Diflucan. There are several anti-yeast supplements and herbs as well. I suspected I might have this (I tested low-positive for yeast through Enterolab), but a recent complete stool analysis ordered by my doctor (Genova labs), showed I didn't have yeast overgrowth (phew!!).

[MBombardier]

Connie, I think MI likely means "myocardial infarction," i.e., a heart attack.

[Stanz]

Thanks for the affirmation, guys, we still haven't talked to his Mom yet this morning, she often sleeps late and he doesn't want to wake her.

Yeah, I guess you are right about what MI means and thanks for the heads up on possible Candida, Zizzle, I will look into that. Both his parents had had heart attacks and his Dad died a year ago of cancer after having had pretty much every disease known to man. I'm sorry that your Dad didn't get the proper testing done yesterday, Zizzle. Will write more later.