blood tests: Hello. I have b1... - Pernicious Anaemi...

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Ma79ja profile image
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Hello. I have b12 deficiency but my Dr don't want to treat it and doesn't think that b12 deficiency is a problem. My symptoms are getting worse. I would like to do more tests like MMA and homocysteine but I do not know when they could be done after the injections to be accurate. I got 10 injections in June this year and nothing after that. Will those test be useless since I received some injections?

Thanks

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Ma79ja
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Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

The tests look at levels of bi-products that build up because lack of B12 mean that some 'waste processing' systems aren't working as well as they should. If you have been supplementing with B12 this could affect results - as could any residual B12 in your system from the shots you had in June. However, I think the usual recommendation is don't supplement for 3-6 months in between testing and if your last shot was in June you would be in that window now - though might be better to wait until the 6 months.

Sorry that your doctor appears so ignorant of just how serious B12 deficiency is. May be you could try encouraging him to educate him/herself by giving them a copy of 'Could it Be B12?' or 'Pernicious Anaemia the forgotten disease' - B12 Awareness week is at the end of the month.

Ma79ja profile image
Ma79ja in reply to Gambit62

Thanks. Dr doesn't listen at all. I am going to see another Dr today. I have appointment with neurologist and my Dr informed me in advance that that neurologist doesn't like suggestions and corrections from his patients. So how can you inform them when they are like that. It's my health and I feel so hopeless. I am not supplementing at all. I just have had those injections in June. The blood tests I wanted to do privately and pay for it so I don't want to waste money if they will not help with my diagnosis.

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator in reply to Ma79ja

Think it is really saddening that doctors are so closed to talking to their patients. If they think that behaving as if they know everything makes them good doctors then they are sadly mistaken. However, people are people.

The doctor I actually felt most confident talking to was a migraine specialist I saw about 5 years ago who openly admitted that a lot of what he did was follow what he could see was working rather than claiming that he, or anyone else, actually understood everything that happened with migraines. Unfortunately it is so rare to find someone who has the confidence to admit that they don't know everything ... even when it is obvious that there is so much to know it's impossible for one person to know everything.

I don't have an answer and I can really appreciate what you say about wasting money if they will not help.

Poppet11 profile image
Poppet11

What symptoms do you have?

Unfortunately the bottom line is that even if you are given treatment it will only be one lousy injection every 3 months.

Ma79ja profile image
Ma79ja

I must say that I will be happy with any treatment. They still didn't diagnose me with deficiency or PA nor anyone think it has to. I do not have Dr and I am desperate. GI Dr trying to find what is wrong with me after I had pancreatitis attack 2 years ago and that is going so slowly. But he doesn't mentioned anything about b12. My family Dr (private) is very kind but do not understand b12 and claims I do not have PA even I've not had any test for it. He gave me 10 shots and that's it. He admitted that he and other Dr's do not know much about b12. I went yesterday to public health centre ( I think Dr's works there as a punishment) and they were rude and not interested. Basically they do not know what to do and said that I have appointment to neurologist and wait for that. I do not know what to do or where to go.

My symptoms are: weakness, anxiety, feet tingling, buzzing (sometimes spreading to legs), pain in both legs but one is more painful (burning pain deep inside one thigh), feeling faint after some work or exercise, pallor, nausea, loss of appetite and lately some warm feeling on one leg comes and goes and last several sec.

Thank you

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