Need help with blood test results from my daughter, please.

[ACritical]

My daughter is suffering migraines again more frequently. She has had the odd B12/ hydroxocobalamin injection for being jet lagged from time to time. Last one this July. Last month she went to Dutch GP and had a blood test done, these are the results. She has moved so having to switch GP yet again. I am not medically trained but can see that vitamin D is far to high, ferritin on the low side. Can anyone help with interpreting these results?! Thank you.

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

I've only got time to leave a short reply.

Is your daughter still in Netherlands?

Have you looked at Stichting Tekort website? A Dutch b12 website which has articles in English.

stichtingb12tekort.nl/weten...

I did notice on the website that there are some B12 support groups associated with the website, based in various cities/towns around Netherlands

stichtingb12tekort.nl/helpe...

Thought they might be a good source of information on helpful doctors etc.

If she's back in UK, might be worth joining PAS which would give access to PAS support groups. PAS has members from around the world.

pernicious-anaemia-society....

PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society)

pernicious-anaemia-society....

PAS tel no [phone] answerphone

Other UK B12 websites

B12d.org

b12d.org/

B12 Deficiency Info

b12deficiency.info/

I wish you and your daughter good luck with finding the help you need.

I am not medically trained.

[ACritical in reply to Sleepybunny]

Thank you, I have read a lot about all this , bought all the books etc.

I will encourage my daughter to ask to be referred to these clinics but the waiting times are more then 5-6 month now , I was told on the phone.

[first001 in reply to Sleepybunny]

Is her tsh in the 3 range for thyroid? That seems high. Is she tired or showing any symptoms Eyebrows not extending and shorter than normal? Different symptoms for different people

[ACritical in reply to first001]

First001.

I have no idea what you try to tell me , I am not informed at all about Thyroid problems. And yes she is feeling very tired very regularly. I haven't looked at her eyebrows, what do you mean about 'not extending'? Where can you see on this bloodtest the high for thyroid? I love to understand these comments. Thank you for doing so.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to ACritical]

TSH is an indicator of thyroid problems - it is raised in hypothyroidism - though it looks from the above as if it is in range but it's quite difficult to read the figures in the picture (for me at least).

It is only one marker for thyroid problems but generally TSH is used as the primary marker and the others aren't looked at unless that looks odd - but combination of TSH and T4 is a better diagnostic combination.

There are a number of things that can cause migraines - including vitamin D, B12, iron, thyroid.

I am a little confused by the reference to use of B12 injections for jet-lag - could you clarify how that came about. If in fact the injections are for B12 deficiency caused by an absorption problem then her levels are, as PAS-admin says - likely to be too low for her. Its symptoms rather than levels that really count after having B12 shots.

[ACritical in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you Gambit62.

I have started to read about Thyroid levels and what they mean.

The B12 injections my daughter occasionally privately gets were suggested by people she works with as an aide for jet lag. She travels a lot for her work. She organises Medical Conferences all over the world.

My daughter is well aware of how the hydroxocobalamin injections have been a godsend to me and the last 3 years she realised that these injections also work for her, only temporarily.

I am encouraging her now to get herself referred to a B12 clinic in the Netherlands, where her office is. The waiting time is quite long I have been told.

People perhaps assume that in the Netherlands all GPs are up to date with their knowledge concerning vitamin deficiencies, but that isn't always the case. Some are but some are still only looking at the results of the blood test like many GP 's in the UK.

[ACritical in reply to Sleepybunny]

Thank you Sleepybunny.

[PAS-admin Partner]

Why does she not get the normal treatment for B12 deficiency? As in regular injections? That is standard practice (in the Netherlands). Her B12 value is much too low after injections, even if it's a while ago. Ferritin is a bit on the low side yes; she could try eating more iron-rich food and/or take a low dose supplement (Floradix is good and widely available) Does she take vitamin D? It is a bit high but not worrisome (toxic is over 250) but she might want to ask the GP about it. But mostly she just needs (a lot) more B12. If the GP refuses, ask for a referral to one of the two B12 clinics (A'dam and R'dam) info on the website Sleepybunny mentioned) She could also ask her GP to have a look at thos clinics websites for more info on B12.

[ACritical]

Thank you, I am a member of PAS and am aware of Stichting b12 tekort.nl. As in the UK there are a lot of doctors in the Netherlands who are not acting on low B12 levels even if you point this out to them. Rather they treat the symptoms, depression, broken bones after dizzy spells, loss of muscle strength, in continence problems, dementia, to name a few. I myself was lucky to be referred to a neurologist that saw My B12 deficiency as a reason for causing my migraines and a few other neurological symptoms, extreme tiredness from time to time, no feeling below knees, vertigo, dizzy spells etc. I am worried that my daughter is following the same pattern as I did with her headaches. She also feels chronically tired all the time. The odd private B12 injection helps her with her jet lag, she travels regularly for her job. It does make her feel better for awhile so I suggested to have a blood test done to see what is underlying all this. Hope someone on this site can help me. To be referred to the B12 clinic in the Netherlands is not as easy, long waiting times, also quite costly if you haven’t got a Dutch health insurance.