Results day

[Raven321]

Hey guys so Im getting my results today after work and I'm really nervous. I had a full blood count done couple of weeks ago due to forcing my doctor as I have all the symptoms of B12 deficiency. Obviously I had to research that myself as my doctor wasn't bothered. I guess I'm just really scared to go and get results as it could be anything. I don't share a lot with anyone about my health issues. It could be anything I'm petrified to be honest 😕

[pugdogs10]

Hi..be brave and go and get the results, you cant sort it until you know what you are dealing with and whatever it is you will get help here. Be sure to get a printout of your results....you are entitled and they will be useful in the future. Good luck.

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi Raven321. Can perfectly understand how you feel about this, especially if your GP has been less than useful.

Please do feel confident about sharing your health issues on this site. Many here have been through the same (probably all, in fact) and so will be able to help and support you...and as you only appear as a user name, it will be anonymous and you will be in control.

It's also especially useful to be able to get advice about how to handle difficult and often hostile GP's 😖.

As Pugdogs10 says, get a print out of all your test results (you are absolutely entitled to these) and if you want to post them on the site, together with some details about your symptoms and other medical conditions, people will be able to advise about your results (GP's often say things are normal when they are most finitely not) and suggest further ways to get help.

I really hope,you have a good outcome but if you don't, please don't despair. Post again with details, if you feel you can, and people will be along to offer as much help and support as possible.

And it's really good to feel less alone with this nasty thing called B12 deficiency.

Please take care and let us know how you get on 👍 X

[Raven321 in reply to Foggyme]

Thank you fogeeme and Puggdogs 10. I finally got my results and doctor said blood test shows everything is normal. He said he tested for everything and there is no abnormality in anything. I asked for a print out of my results which upset the doctor and he finally gave them to me and agreed to refer me to a specialist. I should be happy I know, but I'm not because without a diagnosis I can't have a cure can I? So I feel really upset to be honest. The docs messed me around years ago when I was diagnosed with coleac disease after months of visits begging the doc to take me seriously. Due to the delay in diagnosis I developed osteoporosis at such a young age. Not happy

[Raven321 in reply to Raven321]

I feel so alone in all this. I have such a busy hectic life I have no time to be ill and because I look normal on the out no one understands at all so I have stopped sharing with family and friends alike.

[JordanC in reply to Raven321]

Don't stop sharing - I did that and it caused my anxiety to spike to its highest in over a year! I took a small printout outlining B12 to my partner and said just so you understand. He has a Crohns so he understands a bit of how I feel. Family can be harder to show but keep at it, I used to get "but it's just a vitamin?!" And now they're coming around when I stopped hiding so much of what went on and can see better. It's hard for other people to get what it feels like, harder for you when you don't have a firm diagnosis yet but from my reading of articles the blood tests for B12 deficiency aren't reliable so wait in the specialist.

Docs don't like to be questioned do they? Mine came out with "if you aren't happy with the level of care then I advise you find another GP" 🤔

Hang in there and keep posting and looking here ❤️

[jade_s in reply to JordanC]

Telling my family that b12D can do "permanent nerve damage" due to destruction of the myelin sheath around nerves was what caught their attention! They took it real serious after that.

"if you aren't happy with the level of care then I advise you find another GP" - what an idiot! Hope you DID find another GP but god help their other patients!

[JordanC in reply to jade_s]

Well that's one way to cut through all the niceties I suppose!! Good for you though, I'd never heard of it until I was diagnosed so keep at the specialist. You know your body better than a 10 minute doctor does.

I haven't yet, only happened yesterday so I'm in the middle of writing a letter and gathering evidence ... then I'm changing!

[Raven321 in reply to JordanC]

Thank you

[Raven321 in reply to jade_s]

Thank you so much x

[Foggyme Administrator in reply to Raven321]

Hi Raven321. So sorry that your doctors is still being difficult.

Be interested to see what your blood results were - doctors often say that they're normal, when they're not (results at the bottom or top of a reference range are not good enough to for some people). If you'd like to post them, then people can help with interpretation and you'll be able to see if your doctor was correct or not. If you feel able to do this, it might be that we can advise about ways to try and get treatment and diagnosis (since GP's are not always good at this, as you are finding to,your cost).

And just wondering what kind of specialist he referred you to?

I can understand you being upset with your doctor - even without a diagnosis he should be trying to alleviate your symptoms - while still looking for a diagnosis.

I'm also suspicious of your GP's claim that he tested 'for everything'...hmm, not everything because something's still wrong so there must be a cause. Again, people here could advise about what other tests you could reasonably request, 'cause I bet there are some that he could have done, and hasn't 😖.

Just wondering.....is it possible for you to change your GP?

And about your other reply - looking normal on the outside so nobody understands - yes, all here will know exactly what that feels like. We all look normal (whatever that is for each one of us). But..inside we are wrecked...because B12 deficiency affects every cell and system in the body.

The best way to try and get family and friends on board is to educate them - can be something as simple as leaving information laying about so that they can 'accidentally' see it. Or better still, print the PAS pinned posts on this site and ask each of them to read the information.

I like jade_s 's suggestion - try that. It should certainly get their attention.

I think one of the problems is that people really cannot understand because they do not know how dangerous and debilitating B12 deficency is. So perhaps they need help to 'know'.

Please know that you can talk and share here, so post as often as you need to and people will pop along to help.

Take care and if you do feel you can post all your results, if you put them in a new post, more people will see them and be able to comment.

Take care x

[Hidden in reply to Raven321]

Why has he referred you to a specialist if he says everything is normal. Did he say why, and what kind of specialist it was.

You have the right to have access to your records online, not the whole info that doctors write, but it would include test results. If you get repeat prescriptions and access to appointments online ask for access to records. You'll find info on NHS Choices, GP Services online. You can them take your own time to look at the results and look up what they mean

[Kenbowns in reply to Hidden]

Chris193 is absolutely correct, I have just done this, ask for the relevent form at gp reception, provide some id and in a couple of weeks they will give you a password for access, blood test results are in there.

[fbirder in reply to Raven321]

The docs messed me around years ago when I was diagnosed with coleac disease

It's possible for coeliacs disease to produce many of the symptoms associated with a B12 deficiency - neuropathy, fatigue, brain fog, balance problems. Could it be that your coeliacs has progressed to produce those symptoms?

[Raven321 in reply to fbirder]

I never thought of that to be honest. I wasn't aware that it could produce these symptoms especially seeing as I've been on a strict gluten free diet for about 10 years now!

Maybe the doctor should point that out.

[fbirder in reply to Raven321]

It's not something that's very well known. Some of the coeliac web sites don't even mention it as a possibility, or put it down to absorption problems. I didn't know about it until my neurologist suggested it as a possible cause of my symptoms. I decided he must be wrong as I didn't have any of the GI symptoms. It was somebody on here that pointed out that it's possible to have coeliacs without the gut problems.

However, it's supposed to get fixed by a GF diet, so it's probably not your answer.