What causes joint pain with increased CRP?

Question

Hello doctor,

It usually pains in my joints and it has been there for some years now. I have consulted various doctors and I was told that it is due to low levels of vitamin D3 and that it will get cured by taking vitamin D3 medicines regularly. Recently I have had pain in the joints of my leg, hand, elbow, and foot. The affected area becomes a little red with swelling and pain. I had tested for uric acid and the level is under range. Though after the uric acid test, my doctor suggested avoiding a rich protein diet and also drinking a lot of water. Currently, I drink two liters of water per day. Even after all this, the pain has not completely settled and therefore I have done some more tests - CRP [result-33.6 (normal: under 6)], and other reports RA-quantitative (serum), and ASO are also normal. With the increase in CRP, my doctor has suggested consulting a rheumatologist for further advice. Hence, I am requesting your advice. Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your query. Your symptoms typically match that of palindromic rheumatism. It is an intermittent form of arthritis that can keep throwing joint pains and swelling intermittently initially. CRP (C-reactive protein) done during an episode may have been high. There is a 50 percent chance that it may become persistent and 50 percent that it may remain this way. Only one test is missing which is an anti-CCP (cyclic citrullinated peptide) antibody. Kindly do that and let me know about the results. As for the treatment, I suggest you maintain a diary of attacks. If joint swelling persists for more than seven days, then you need to start treatment. If it goes off and you do not get another episode for a month, then we shall wait. I hope the information was useful.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Sorry, I could not find the attachment of the reports.

Thank you.