So where do I go from here?

[KTMac]

Newest blood test shows:

B12 over 2000 (I said that was because I'd just had 6 injections & you shouldn't test again that soon)

Folate over 20 (which is a surprise as I stopped taking it ages ago as it made me feel funny)

MCV 96 (range 83-101)

MCH 31.9 (range 27-32)

Zinc 9.1 (range 11-24)

TSH 2.73 (range .35-3.5)

free T4 12 (range 8-21)

ferritin 55 (range 23-300)

Grudgingly referred to a neurologist on the basis of my 'worsening' neurological symptoms - which I thought was nerves getting better

So what now?

[Hidden]

Hi KTMac,

I believe it takes some 4 months for folate to leave the system say so that may be going down eventually.

Your MCV & MCH was 6 months ago ( from previous post) MCV 102 & MCH 33.7, so all is going the right way. It just can take time, it's still early days for you, it took years for my MCV to go under 90 (with more frequent B12 and folic acid). Can only be a good thing seeing a neuro, with your history, sure hope you are feeling some benefit from the B12 injections and folate def having been addressed?

Kind regards,

Marre.

[KTMac in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Marre, I guess I was hoping for more B12 as 2 weeks without & I have a mouthful of ulcers again

Plus my tummy is bad & my pins&needles are back

[Hidden in reply to KTMac]

Yes I can understand that, its not easy, it can take time, and seeing a neurologist can or not help, all just a gamble it seems. You can but try and if nothing helps try to self medicate, its all a matter of trying to see what helps you best it seems, Marre.

[Hidden]

Also you are still def in zinc? Re: "Zinc 9.1 (range 11-24)", I see zinc def can be associated with a number of condition, see:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/234...

Adv Nutr. 2013 Mar 1;4(2):176-90. doi: 10.3945/an.112.003210.

Discovery of human zinc deficiency: its impact on human health and disease.

Prasad AS.

Author information

Abstract

The essentiality of zinc in humans was established in 1963. During the past 50 y, tremendous advances in both clinical and basic sciences of zinc metabolism in humans have been observed. The major factor contributing to zinc deficiency is high phytate-containing cereal protein intake in the developing world, and nearly 2 billion subjects may be zinc deficient. Conditioned deficiency of zinc has been observed in patients with malabsorption syndrome, liver disease, chronic renal disease, sickle cell disease, and other chronic illnesses. Major clinical problems resulting from zinc deficiency in humans include growth retardation; cell-mediated immune dysfunction, and cognitive impairment. In the Middle East, zinc-deficient dwarfs did not live beyond the age of 25 y, and they died because of intercurrent infections. In 1963, we knew of only 3 enzymes that required zinc for their activities, but now we know of >300 enzymes and >1000 transcription factors that are known to require zinc for their activities. Zinc is a second messenger of immune cells, and intracellular free zinc in these cells participate in signaling events. Zinc has been very successfully used as a therapeutic modality for the management of acute diarrhea in children, Wilson's disease, the common cold and for the prevention of blindness in patients with age-related dry type of macular degeneration and is very effective in decreasing the incidence of infection in the elderly. Zinc not only modulates cell-mediated immunity but is also an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

[KTMac]

Thanks - she gave me Zinc supplements but said the side effects could be quite significant