Annoyed

[pet-lamb]

I apologize in advance if I've posted this twice

I've just found out that my doctors have known since last May that my b12 has been borderline low deficient at 152 (152 -1000)

Anyway I'm feeling particularly exhausted now with some b12 deficient symptoms such as muscle weakness tingling tongue and roof of mouth confusion light headed tinnitus etc many other symptoms too as I have hashimotos and under active thyroid and osteoarthritis I also have stomach problems leaky gut and eat gluten free I'm coming up to 67 this year. doctors know there is a link between these things !!!!

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi pet-lamb this just highlights the need for doctors to have a better understanding of B12 deficiency.

The British Society for Haematology guidelines say on the Diagnosis of B12 and Folate Deficiency "In the presence of discordance between the test result and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed to avoid neurological impairment" and your level was scraping along the bottom.

google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j...

Was your Folate tested?

Symptoms of B12 deficiency tend to develop slowly and may not be recognised immediately. As the condition worsens, common symptoms include:

Weakness and fatigue

Light-headedness and dizziness

Palpitations and rapid heartbeat

Shortness of breath

A sore tongue that has a red, beefy appearance

Nausea or poor appetite

Weight loss

Diarrhoea

Yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes

If low levels of B12 remain for a long time, the condition also can lead to irreversible damage to nerve cells, which can cause the following symptoms:

Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet

Difficulty walking

Muscle weakness

Irritability

Memory loss

Dementia

Depression

Psychosis

Make a list of your symptoms and present this to your doctor and ask him to treat you according to your symptoms and (perhaps) even start you on loading doses "until there is no further improvement" according to the N.I.C.E guidelines below. Click on the link, then on "Scenario: Management" and scroll down to "Treatment for B12 deficiency"

google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j...

If possible take someone with you who can validate your neurological symptoms as the doctor is less likely to pooh pooh you in front of a witness.

I am not saying that this is an easy thing to do but try to stay calm, write out what you want to say and keep to the script and be confident that you are "in the right" and your facts are correct.

I am not a medically trained person but I've had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.

I wish you well

[pet-lamb in reply to clivealive]

Thanks for this Clive alive I do have lots of these symptoms unfortunately weight loss isn't one of them I'm gaining !!!But folate wasn't check today

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to clivealive]

It is important that your Folate level is monitored as this is essential to process the B12.

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.

Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:

symptoms related to anaemia

reduced sense of taste

diarrhoea

numbness and tingling in the feet and hands

muscle weakness

depression

Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body.

[pet-lamb]

It's too late now I didn't ask for it because I thought the doctor had enough sense to put it in obviously I was wrong .but when my results come back I'll put them on here and then attempted to persuade the doctor to do it.I fought the doctor's on this last year I did my own research and quoted it to them I even told them they had a copy of the protocol and guidelines in the surgery and pointed them in this direction but I got no where 😠