Blood test results

[Catlover3]

Hi. I've just got blood test results back for my daughter whom has been suffering with extreme fatigue. She has had low B12 and ferritin, folate at various stages of her life. She has also just had a hemiplegic migraine which resulted in a trip to A & E and a CT scan which thankfully was fine.

Serum ferritin 38 range 11.0 - 307

Serum folate 20.8 range 3.1- 19.9...she has been supplementing with 400mcg a day

B12 201 range 180 -914

D3 48 told to supplement with over the counter tablets.

TSH 1.16

No other recommendations have been made by the doctor. Anyone got any thoughts?

Many thanks

Catlover3

[Gambit62 Administrator]

If your daughter has thyroid problems then the ferritin could be a little on the low side - seems that range for people who have thyroid problems seems to start a bit higher - around 40 - according to some research.

B12 may or may not be an issue. Serum B12 isn't gold standard test - will miss 5% who aren't B12 deficient and catch 5% who are so symptoms become important - MMA is an alternative test that can clarify (as is homocysteine as she doesn't have a folate deficiency).

Ruling out B12 deficiency on the basis of no macrocytosis showing up in full blood count is also problematic as 25% of people who are B12 deficient don't present with macrocytosis at first.

what other symptoms does your daughter have?

pernicious-anaemia-society....

[Catlover3 in reply to Gambit62]

Hi Gambit62. She has awful memory loss and very poor concentration and sleeps without feeling refreshed. Also has pain in her knees and back. Our previous doctors did test for PA but did a test which should no longer be used, can't remember what its called. Her B12 was way below range and the surgery gave her the loading doses of B12 then said she was fine! I know that her high folate can mask B12 deficiency but she is reluctant to stop taking it. The trouble is that she suffers with depression and the doctors have always put any problems she has down to that. Its so frustrating for her as she wants to be able to read a book like she used to. She wants to be able to exercise but she's too exhausted. If we go out she has to shower the night before as its too much to do it on the day, and go out. She has to go to bed as soon as we are back as she is so tired she feels sick. It is no life!

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Catlover3]

if she has had loading doses and these results are after those then the evidence is she has an absorption problem and needs maintenance doses as her levels are obviously plummeting - though GPs may not be able to think that one through without a lot of help.

how long ago were the loading shots?

[Catlover3]

Hi. The loading doses were ages ago. We found out from getting all her medical records when we moved 300 miles away , that after the loading doses she should have had top up injections every 3 months. As she started to get tired again I bought her the Boost B12 spray so of course when she was next tested her results were up to 900 so they refused to treat her. She stopped taking the spray and now she is back down 201 despite eating a very good diet high in B12. I don't think she will ever get diagnosed so have got her to restart the Boost.