[sadie61]

I was wandering....do abnormal complements (3 & 4) diagnose a flare ...determine if your are in a flare?

 

[greenhaggis]

Hi sadie!

When I was diagnosed using blood results on top of symptoms my C3 & C4 were abnormal but so was my anti ds-dna! I was told my body was definately in a flare!

I must say though that these blood results have been normal when I have felt like i've been flaring!

Its very puzzling - perhaps someone else can give you better advice! My info is just on whats been happening lately!

Love Lesley

 

[Maia]

My personal opinion is that a flare should ultimately be defined by symptoms, but many doctors do tend to use things like ESR/sed rate, c4/c3, DsDNA, protein in urine... to help define a flare for them in addition to symptoms. A drop in c3/c4 is one way doctors will sometime define a flare through the use of blood tests at least.

 

[sadie61]

I was just wondering, I have SLE and this time I broke out all over with discoid lesions but my complements were okay

 

[greenhaggis]

I'm with Maia!

Go with your symptoms not the bloods! The bloods are useful but not conclusive - as I have seen with my sypmtoms!!

I recently had a flare along with a chest infection, my bloods indicated otherwise!

Love Lesley

 

[sadie61]

My concern is how the doctor treats you...if they go by labs then they are not treating???

 

[greenhaggis]

Sadie,

Perhaps just going to your GP for some medication and cream would be of more help - unless of course its your GP thats not helping!

 

[Clare.T]

Hi Sadie

I know that complement isn't often tested after diagnosis for the simple reason that signs, symptoms and other test results are sufficient to show if the disease is under control or not.

If there are signs of increased disease activity or new disease activity especially something so perfectly obvious as lupus skin to anybody with open eyes why would anybody doubt that something is going on.

I am pretty sure that complement levels don't always reflect worsening disease anyway as that would be in keeping with everything else unpredictable and wayward about this disease. For some inexplicable reason I think it is unlikely that complement would change for skin disease developing or worsening but I might be quite wrong.

Is your doctor saying that you can't be in a flare because complement is normal?
I hope you can get some help soon. I think skin problems starting after diagnosis of SLE must feel like the last straw. Looking bad as well as feeling bad sort of thing.

All the best
Clare