I had a private blood test done a couple of weeks ago. My B12 is sitting at 88.
T4&T3 okay
have Hasimotos and on 100mgs Levo
Hoping to get an appointment Monday with my GP. Any advice please the more I read the more I am starting to panic as I have had symptoms for years. They seemed to have been overlooked or confused with the menopause.
A Vitamin B12 deficiency is easily remedied either through diet, supplements or injection.
Your doctor should be aware that Hashimoto's may put you at risk of developing a B12 deficiency so treatment should be forthcoming.
It would be a good idea to ask to have your Folate level tested. . Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body. There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.
I am not a medically trained person but there are others on here who will be able to give you good advice.
"Don't panic!" - "Permission to panic please sir!" (Sgt Jones)
What is your diet like - do you eat meat/fish/dairy/egg. If not then possible that deficiency is dietary. If you do then that would suggest an absorption problem which ideally should be investigated but the most likely - particularly given the diagnosis of hashis - is PA
You need to discuss the results with your GP. They may want to repeat the tests as sometimes they distrust results done privately. You need to make sure that your GP is aware of NICE and BCSH (British Council for Standards in Haematology) standards (assuming UK based) and that there are different protocols for treating if there is neurological involvement.
Your folate is towards the low end and could become depleted when you start treatment with B12 - so you may want to supplement with folic acid - 200-400mcg a day should be enough.
Would be worth checking your ferritin/iron levels as absorption problems can affect other vitamins and minerals.
GP may also want to do a full blood count. Please make sure they are aware that, although macrocytosis (slightly larger rounder red blood cells) is a classic symptom of B12 deficiency 25%+ of people who are B12 deficient present with other symptoms first so the lack of macrocytosis should not be used to rule out a B12 deficiency.
follow on. Any advice please from all you knowledgeable folks. I do admire you and have learned so much from your anwers
received the results from the nhs repeat bloods
Vit b12 101pg/ml 191-663
private results 6 wks ago 88 so has gone up a bit.
bone, liver ,kidneys all seem to be in range.
THS.0.22mU/L 0.27-4.2 down from 0.34 private test.
B12 was checked only because I said I had tingling in right hand and left side of my face. That is only one of many things making my life a misery. I asked about the terrible dizzy spells with sickness and cold sweats but didn't think they were related. Doc said I had peripheral neuropathy. PA never mentioned. I have started a course of 6 B12 injections every second day and then 1 every 3 months.
Can you please advise what if any vitamins I should be supplementing to get well
supplementing some folate would probably be useful - 400mcg available from supermarket would usually do the trick.
The recommended treatment in the UK (NICE and BCSH guidelines) if you have neurological symptoms is loading shots 3x week until symptoms stop improving (review at 3 weeks) followed by maintenance shots every 2 months.
Glad you got your GP to start treating you and stop dismissing a reading of 88 as a one-off
thank you I really don't know what folks like me would do without folks like you. I am learning so much and find it appalling that GP don't ha e some kind of check list to discover why a patient presents so many different symptoms
had my docs appointment today. oh dear I feel like I just go round in circles. She had my private blood results and said they were all good. i had to stress the B12 result sitting at 88 and she said that was okay. one low reading doesnt mean anything. after some further pushing she at least agreed to repeat the tests. Just another week of getting no where
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.