Info on active B12 test st thomas's please

[Cn13]

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping you can help. I am trying to find out if I am B12 deficient and get a diagnosis if possible. I have a GP appointment on Monday but if she doesn't seem to be listening I want to explore all my options. My query is does anyone have any experience of getting an Active B12 and MMA test from St Thomas's hospital London and do they send you a report on the results. Also I have been off all B12 since 10th April and wondering if this is enough time to get an Active B12 test done.

Those St Thomas's tests seem to be the cheapest which include the MMA also or does anyone have any other suggestions. I just want to go through all the possibilities before I give up on getting a diagnosis. I'm not really very hopeful about the GP appointment as they are only looking at blood results and not my symptoms. I just want to have other options in case it goes badly on Monday.

Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions.

[Cali25]

Hi Carmel, I went to St Thomas' 6 mth ago for the same tests. I just booked them through their Viapath site and paid for them, you don't need a GP referral. I just had a day out in London. These are my results below:

St Thomas' hospital for an active B12,MMA, Folate and Homocysteine tests.

Lab comments

Homocysteine 17.5 umol/I. ( 0.0 - 15.00 ) Slightly above upper limit

Serum Folate. 5.4 ug/L. (3.1 - 20.5 ) Within ref range (lower end)

Vitamin B12 (serum) . 189.0 ng/L. (187.0 - 883.0) Lower end of our ref range

Methylmalonic acid. 314 nmol/L. (0 - 360) Within our age related ref range

Active B12 (HoloTC). 50 pmol/L. (70 - 108). Within indeterminate range

(25 - 70)

"The results suggest that the concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in blood are declining but still sufficient to support intracellular vitamin B12 metabolism. Monitoring of levels may be required."

Since then I have jumped through hoops, if you click on me you will be able to read my posts. Have now persuaded my GP to give me B12 shots. Hope you can get some answers soon.

Yes they do send you a report you can then show your GP.

[Cn13 in reply to Cali25]

Hi Cali25 ,

Thanks for your reply that's really helpful. I am seriously considering doing this at least I will also know if I have a problem with B12 hopefully. Such a pity GP's did not agree to immediately treat with results that low.

I will have a read of your profile to see what happened. It's awful these GP's seem so ill-informed. I have a GP appointment on Monday where I will try to talk about B12 again but if that does not go well might order this test.

That's great they send a report too. Thanks