Back with some test results!

[skyrocket]

Hello everyone!

I posted a few weeks back about my dad who has been having a range of symptoms including memory loss, cognitive problems, weight loss, diarrhea, tinnitus.

He has had a raft of tests and everything ruled out and is now having tests for dementia. I suspect low B12.

I posted and everyone said to post up the results but my parents were away and only just got back and emailed me the results:

I've got two print outs of all sorts of tests but can't make out what's what.

Can you please help me to decipher it?

There is a lot on this print out but I can see that Serum B12 is 'normal' at 243 ng/L

then it says: 180.00 ng/L - 910 ng/L (which I am guessing is the range?)

It does say B12 is 'borderline low test again in 6 months'

What else should I look for on this sheet?

[skyrocket]

I can't work out how to upload the second sheet of tests

[helvella in reply to skyrocket]

You can only have one image on the first post on a thread.

That is, you cannot have two images anyhow on a single thread.

You can put up a link to your results which you post somewhere else (e.g. DropBox).

You can play about with your results so that they are a single image.

You can type your results and simply post them as text!

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to skyrocket]

I think you need to open another post to do another photograph

The B12 is on the low side. Does his doctor know about his symptoms?

"memory loss, cognitive problems, weight loss, diarrhea, tinnitus." each of which could be due to B12 Deficiency.

Is his serum Folate listed on the test?

[skyrocket]

Clive serum folate is 15.5 ug/l which they classed as 'normal'

Yes GP knows his symptoms. They seem to be pushing towards dementia but I feel we need to be ruling out B12 first.

I also wanted to mention that despite me telling her not to, my mum was giving him a B12 sublingual spray when he had his blood test. Grrr

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Are you in UK?

If you could add the missing results in a post on this thread it would be helpful. I can see a result for eosinophils but not the rest of what is normally in a full blood count. Some people with low b12 show signs of macrocytosis.

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

patient.info/doctor/macrocy...

patient.info/doctor/pernici...

Other sources of b12 info

1)Pinned posts on this forum. I found the summary Fbirder compiled useful, lots of quotes from UK b12 documents. i take a copy to GP appts. link to his summary in third pinned post (last link in list).

2) PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society)

pernicious-anaemia-society....

3) B12 Deficiency Info website

b12deficiency.info/

4) b12d.org

b12d.org

5) Book "What You Need to Know About Pernicious Anaemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency" by Martyn Hooper, Martyn is the chair of the PAS. tis book is up to date with current Uk guidelines.

6) Book "Could It Be B12" by Sally Pacholok and JJ, Stuart. Very comprehensive and has a chapter with case studies about how B12 deficiency affects the elderly.

7) BSH Cobalamin and Folate guidelines

b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/ Click on box that says "Diagnosis of b12 and Folate deficiency"

These are UK guidelines on how to diagnose and treat B12 deficiency. It includes info on people who are symptomatic for B12 deficiency but have results within normal range and also when to diagnose Antibody Negative pA (PA where IFA , intrinsic Factor Antibody test is negative).

Has your father had an IFA test?

8) BMJ B12 article

Article makes it clear that people who are symptomatic for B12 deficiency should be treated to prevent neurological damage.

bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5226

I gave my GPs a copy of BSH Cobalamin Guidelines and a copy of Martyn Hooper's book and I take Fbirder's summary with me to appts.

I believe that GPs get more funding for dementia patients than they do for PA/B12 deficiency patients.

bbc.co.uk/news/health-29718618

Unhappy with treatment?

b12deficiency.info/b12-writ...

citizensadvice.org.uk/healt...

HDA pct charity

hdapatientcaretrust.com/

Ths charity gives free second opinions on medical diagnosis and treatment.

[skyrocket]

I can't seem to upload the other photo can you tell me which results I am looking for and I will add them.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to skyrocket]

see helvella's response above - you can only post one picture on a post - so you will need to do another post for the other picture.

The picture is upside down here which is making it difficult to read.

you can edit a picture by going into edit post - one of the options in the down arrow just under the post.

Does your GP know that your father was getting B12 from a sublingual spray - high dose presumably - when the test was being done. I would have expected his result to have been a bit higher if he didn't have an absorption problem as the dose in a spray is presumably 1000mcg=400xRDA.

[skyrocket]

No the GP didn't know. I repeatedly told my mum to not give him the spray before the test because it would scupper the results but she didn't listen...:/ It was the dosage you specifiedI

I will start another thread with the other sheet of results.