Pernicious anemia

[superkit]

Hi I've just been told I need b12 injections every month for life. Is this pernicious anemia as apparently I can't absorb it, due to antibodies? The doc was very sketchy!

[Hidden]

Hi superkit,

Welcome here! The new guidelines only say or you are IF antibody positive PA or you are IF antibody negative PA. It makes no difference as in the end the treatment is the same what ever the reason for your initial B12 def. Not that that is a good thing as different reasons will mean different absorption/ recycling of the injected B12, but there it is at this time.

Other causes for being B12 def can be (or a combination of) see :

patient.co.uk/doctor/pernic...

Causes[2]

Pernicious anaemia accounts for 80% of cases of megaloblastic anaemia due to impaired absorption of vitamin B12. Other causes of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

•Gastric causes: gastrectomy, gastric resection, atrophic gastritis, H. pylori infection or congenital IF deficiency or abnormality.

•Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin B12 - eg, a vegan diet.

•Intestinal causes - eg, malabsorption, ileal resection, Crohn's disease affecting the ileum, chronic tropical sprue, HIV and any radiotherapy causing irradiation of the ileum.

•Drugs - eg, colchicine, neomycin, metformin, anticonvulsants.

•Long-term use of drugs that affect gastric acid production (eg, H2 receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors) can worsen deficiency because gastric acid is needed to release vitamin B12 bound to proteins in food.

It helps to learn as much as you can to get involved with your treatment, you will find lots of good links here:

pernicious-anaemia-society....

It also helps to get blood tests results and keep a file including future ones so you can see what has or not been tested, why you were diagnosed and what changes over time with treatment. During treatment you can get other deficiencies so it helps to know more. Taking a multi (B) vitamin will help to try keep all in balance and possibly avoid other deficiencies occurring during renewed blood production say.

I hope this helps you understanding your diagnosis, it takes time to get to know what is what, this link is very good at explaining blood test results I find, see:

patient.co.uk/doctor/full-b...

Sure I've already given you far to much, sorry!

Kind regards,

Marre.