Blood results, cant see where b12 is?

[kbel88]

I posted last week about having symptoms and my b12 coming back as the low end of normal, i asked for a print out of the results but cant even see b12 on there most of it says normal no action required. Can someone please help me understand the results....

Haemoglobin estimation 138g/l Total white cell count 7.3 10*9/L Platelet count 236 10*9/L RBC count 4.2 10*12/L Haematocrit 42%

MCV 100fL

MCH 33pg

MCHC 331 g/L

RBC distribut width 12%

Neutrophils count 4.8 10*9/L

Lymphocyte count 2.1 10*9/L

Monocyte count 0.3 10*9/L

Eosinophil count 0.1 10*9/L

Basophil count 0 10*9/L

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 5mm

Plasma c reactive protien 1mg/L

Serum ferratin 29 ug/L

Serum sodium 139mmol/L

Serum potasium 4.4 mmol/L

Serum chloride 106

Serum creatinine 58 umol/L

Glomerular filteration rate 106mL/min

Serum albumin 39g/L

Serum total bilirubin level 11umol/L

Total alkaline phosphatase 78 u/L

Ast serum level 17 u/L

Serum Alt level 9u/L

Thyroid serum tsh level 0.84mu/L

Sorry i know most of it is probably irrelevant but i dont know what anything means!

I have started ferrous fumerate today twice a day for 3 months. Please let me know your thoughts on the test i feel so ill but now i think its all in my head

[KimberinUS]

If they tested b12 they did not give you the results.

Your mcv is raised which can be due to low b12 or b9. You need the results of both so that you know if you need both or just one.

Press your doctor for the results as 100 is higher than i ever got but im in the us and our food is fortified with folate which can mask a b12 deficiency, which i had.

Based on mcv, this is not in your head!!! So get that out of your head and demand care so you can be a productive member of society, a good family member and overall healthy person for your own sanity.

Your doctor should be the one that is questioning himself, NOT YOU!

[kbel88 in reply to KimberinUS]

Thankyou, im going back to the surgery to ask for those results. I didnt know if it was called something else so didnt want to look stupid

[kbel88 in reply to KimberinUS]

Just got the extra results- they forgot to print them. My b12 is 161 ng/L and folate is 4.2 ug/L it says both are normal- no action required. Shall i see how i go with the iron tablets and if no improvement go back? I might stop taking the b12 supplements which havent worked anyway else they will just show a higher level. Its so annoying having to check everything as my dr thinks im crazy as it is but i panic about health.

[KimberinUS in reply to kbel88]

Well my result in US said 169 pg/ml which is same as ng/l.

In US anything under 200 is deficient.

I know the uk has different standards.

I took tablets (220 mcgs) for 16 months before going back to the doctor because i felt worse!!! They said my new level of 246 showed improvement and to just keep taking them.

It wasnt until i joined this forum that i found out my level of 246 meant nothing since i had nitrous oxide (laughing gas) at dentist which had likely inactivated the b12 i had.

Not knowing that, i plodded on for another 14 months, taking tablets, before i went to another dr (at that point i thought i was losing my mind -no exaggeration, thought i might have early dementia) that gave me 1k mcg pills to take 4X daily.

After 3 weeks and a little better concentration, i found this forum and got an injection. No miracle energy, which i was hoping for that day. In fact i took a dead to the world 3.5 hour nap after the injection.

But on the next day i woke up and took a deep breath. I couldnt believe it! It was awesome. I hadnt realized i was struggling. No massive energy but i read it takes time for the body to heal. I got weekly injections and there were little improvements. The day after my 6th injection i looked in the mirror and my facial color had completely changed. I had thought my face was lighter than rest of me due to sunscreen, but nope. I had been showing a sign of paleness.

If i had it to do over i would have gotten injectiins 2X weekly.

By the way your body does not absorb all of the b12 you swallow. Only appox 1% through passive absorbtion.

Additionally your folate isnt deficient but it isnt great. My labs show 3.5-5.4 ng/ml as borderline and below 3.5 as deficient. For reference my last labs show my folate is greater than 24.

[kbel88]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience, its nice to know im not going mad... when i told the nurse im sleeping 12 + hours a night and a 3- 4 hour nap in the afternoons she suggested i set an alarm as its where im letting myself sleep to long. I wish it was that easy! I reduced my hours at work but as i am just so tired, it feels like im walking with weights tied to my legs. Im worried my collegues just think im lazy. The last 3 days i have been getting awful headaches aswell almost like a migraine. I wonder if thats connected

[Hidden]

Your b12 is definitely low, some guidelines suggest that if your levels are below 500 with neurological symptoms you should be considered deficient. What B12 supplements are you taking and how long have you been taking them?

Oral supplements are known to be less effective so you may want to consider the dissolvable capsule which goes under your tongue or injections....

I would say your headache is likely connected, I had a continuous migraine-type headache at my worst, it was so bad I had a permanent squint and struggled with daylight and bright lights. I started self injecting and day by day the headache gradually went away, along with other symptoms. I’m still struggling with extreme fatigue but as I understand recovery takes time and the worse your symptoms the longer it can take.

I would definitely recommend sticking with the B12, your level is definitely low, but perhaps consider alternate methods of supplementing. Also ensure you are taking a folate supplement to support the B12 (clivealive’s posts are very helpful on the folate subject)....