Dr duck

[Pixielula]

Well I suppose his reaction was as I expected but not what I hoped, I took mum to see her GP on Monday to try to get treatment for what I believe is a B12 deficiency, her bloods done last August were 233. I don't think I have ever met such a pompous arrogant SOB in all my life, he was bristling with indignation made no attempt to even pretend to be listening. Just sat looking at the computer monitor pretending to be going through old notes and referral letters, whilst telling me that my mother is elderly and has a long and complex medical history. Like this fact has completely passed me by for the last 53 years so thank you for the enlightenment Dr Duck..... Quack quack, so now my furry is calmed somewhat, what is my next step please. He has agreed to do another blood test at least. I'm thinking we may have to take her for a private consult, but where and to whom? She has some neurological symptoms so I am acutely aware that time is running out. Mum lives in Exeter so any ideas I would be so grateful, please help me.thank you

Pix

[Gambit62 Administrator]

You could try writing to the GP and drawing their attention to the BCSH guidelines and the NEQAS alert on the dangers of going purely on B12 results - sometimes they respond better to having information in writing (though I doubt any of us will be holding our breath on that from what you have said about your experience).

Otherwise you could just go for trialling B12, eg a nasal spray or sublingual - they may not be effective for everyone but that can be very effective and it would cut out the idiot factor. My aunt and brother don't have formal diagnoses but find a nasal spray does the trick for them - my aunt was starting to experience balance problems that completely baffled her GP but were sorted by using a nasal spray for a week - 500mcg a day - so for her a bottle costing about £22 will last around 6 months ... so you can guess what she gets for her christmas and birthday presents

[Lisahelen in reply to Gambit62]

Has she had the blood test? If so then personally i would say try some in whatever form, even getting oral spray or drops from holland and barrett to see if it makes any difference. Trouble is without that initial high dose from gp i suspect it might take a bit longer to see any benefits. I use the droppers which stop my yawns but i need high dose methyl patches to deal more effectively with the rest.

So as gambit says trial it and see.

[Pixielula]

I took some info I had printed out along with a check list of her symptoms and the severity of them on a 1-10 scale he wouldn't even look at them let alone take them from me! I'm hoping that her bloods have lowered since August and another problem is mum won't take anything unless her Dr says it's ok. She thinks he's lovely and was worried I might upset him...... I was very close to shoving mums symptoms list down his throat!!!

[Pixielula]

I'm worried that If I start supplementing she will never get the high dose jabs that she needs and nothing will be on her records, the loading doses were so important in my recovery and I suspect she has absorption problems as well so I would like to keep that as a back up plan..... 

[Pixielula]

She had a blood test last August it was 233 but just b12 not IF or homocysteine, she has anaemia and vit D deficiency as well as diabetes and hypothyroidism 

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Pixielula]

the diabetes is almost certainly going to make it extremely difficult to get anyone to listen as all of the symptoms like memory or peripheral neuropathy will be put down as being caused by the diabetes.

My mother was put on B12 shots after a second blood test a few months after her first showed that her levels had fallen significantly.  I was a bit frustrated that despite it having been made obvious this was a huge concern to me ... and she was in hospital for a lot of the period  - infections, and a diabetic hypo caused by district nurse - nobody bothered to tell me that she was on shots and I only found out from looking at the records her district nurse leaves - as she has her insulin administered for her as she is no longer deemed able to cope for herself because of cognitive problems.  I'd observed her get better for a while when she was in the cottage hospital and then she went down hill again very quickly - which fitted with the timing of loading shots and my own experience of B12 - which was that loading shots didn't really do me any favours - have an autoimmune response to high levels in the blood which means that I get functionally deficient at the cell level very quickly.  My recovery on really started when I started using a nasal spray 3-4x a day so would have to conclude personally that recovery isn't necessarily dependent on loading shots.  However, also aware that B12 is a very individual thing and what works for one doesn't translate to works for everyone.

[Pixielula]

Thanks gambit.... Yes that is the point I made to the doctor as symptoms of thyroid diabetes and b12 D all cross over and mums blood sugars are currently very high, so he feels it's safe to assume that is the route cause of her symptoms, but I have never heard of diabetes causing a swollen cracked tongue or drop foot or restless leg but the high blood sugars are his get out of jail free card. Her sugars are partly due to the fact that she doesn't walk anywhere as she topples over and is so exhausted she can barely move and she craves high salt acid and sugar foods it's a vicious cycle. I'm currently working on getting her blood sugars down but it hard whilst she feels so wretched. Her bloods are being done again next Friday. If they are still "in range " I will take her private, but who do I go to? Is it an endo or a general doctor I don't know where to start, and I still want to kick her GPs head in. She is his patient he has a duty of care towards her, and he was so dismissive. I got angry with my dad as he does the shopping. He was buying her fruit shoots and whotsits for crying out loud..... Sorry I'm venting again.... So yeah any help on where I might get treatment if GP won't help ..... Pix

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to Pixielula]

If your Mum is on Metformin for her diabetes that will adversely affect her b12 levels

[Pixielula]

Oh and for me the loading doses were amazing I'm trying to get them more frequent than 12 weekly by week 7 I'm counting down the days, but I have some sublinguals that I'm using now to see how it goes, so yes does seem we are all different in our reactions .....

[Singoutloud]

There is always one to avoid in most gp surgeries.   Is there any way of seeing a different doctor in the same practice.   They may have a different approach or view or possibly writing to the practice manager with a complaint about the treatment received or lack thereof.  

[Retren]

RetrenI personally would draft a letter to the British Medical Society about the visit and hand your GP a copy. There is no need for a physician to display arrogance in this fashion.He has not gone up the heirarchy of achievement.Ask him where his training took place.hope it,s not Guadalehara.A member of the medical profession takes an oath to put their patients needs first,a big part of treating is to listen and observe. This thing with the computer incidentally is all over.Some could probably always need that crutch.I hope your mother can get treated by someone who gets the fact there is always an element of anxiety in these interviews.I don,t know if this helps.I was married to an Endocrinologist for 50 years he was never home always spending time with his patients they actually thought he was the same as God,this was because he always extended himself and that is what his students tried to emulate.

[Pixielula]

If it was me I would change Drs, but for reasons I have yet to understand mum thinks he is great! I suspect it's because he doesn't nag her about her blood glucose levels, thanks to whoever it was that sugested I ring PA society will do that also B12 society. Mum is Very stubborn and can be quite difficult so she has to be "managed" properly otherwise she digs her heels in and generally does the opposite, she has been in metformin for almost 20 years she is also on glictazide and insulin ...... Not easy