I had a g.p. appt last Tuesday (17th July) to discuss the possibility of my having B12 Deficiency, or PA. I took along with me, some paperwork that listed quite a few of the symptoms that I myself am experiencing.
After relaying everything that I thought important, including low normal B12, 263ng/L (220-700) below range Folate 2.3ng/ml (2.6-17.3) Low Ferritin 31ng/ml (10-420) and low but in range Iron 17umol/L (14-28), I got what I pretty much expected, and was bitterly disappointed at the lack of even a tiny bit of understanding.
I have not been offered anything for the Folate, and even though I explained in detail, all of my symptoms, I left the surgery, thinking "why did I bother"?
No further testing was offered, although I managed to get her to agree to test for Intrinsic Factor Antibodies.
Can anyone please tell me if I.F. testing alone will show whether I have B12 Deficiency or PA? Also what should my next course of action be?
Thank you
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Chelle1310
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I prefer to put queries about treatment etc into a polite, short letter. In UK, letters to GP are as far as I know, filed with medical notes so I think are less likely to be ignored.
My experience is that Total IgA test is not always done but I think it's an important test as people with IgA deficiency will need different tests for Coelaic disease.
NICE guidelines Coeliac Disease (2015 version) recommend anyone with unexplained B12, folate or iron deficiencies is tested for Coeliac disease.
Hi, I have the, Could it be B12 book, which is what prompted me to see my g.p. in the first place. It just seems that I am constantly ignored, fobbed off etc. This is my health and my crappy quality of life that I am trying to improve. So frustrating to feel like you have to literally battle for everything these days..
Thank you for all of the information and links that you have provided for me, seems I have some reading to do..
I don't know if this test is available in the UK, but my daughter's pediatrician identified a B12 deficiency by running a Spectracell test panel. There were several things that it tested, but it's a test that checks for deficiencies at the cellular level. Meaning, are these substances crossing the cell wall? She had been previously diagnosed with a D3 deficiency and it took several months of high dose D3 to get her above the lower limit and it showed the same on the Spectracell test. However, B12 serum levels were fine, but Spectracell showed a deficiency. She was not a vegetarian and she took multi-vitamins at the time. The only thing the doctor could tell me was that she needed methylated B12. Meanwhile, I looked up what all of this meant and figured out that it could be a methylation defect, specifically a MTHFR defect. I found an article that gave an explanation, why it was important and then it recommended to take a DNA test through 23andme (since it was the cheapest at the time). Then upload the raw data file onto Genetic Genie for free, which will pick out SNPs relating to methylation and detox. Sure enough, I and all my kids have the MTHFR defect and several other related defects. The kid who 1st got the Spectracell test would get sick taking so much methyl-B12. One of her defects makes her sensitive to methyl groups and it was recommended to take a combo of methyl, adenosyl, and hydroxy B12. It was also recommended to take methyl folate with it. Apparently, folic acid itself is not good. I have since found several paid websites that I can upload the raw data files to have SNPs analyzed.
it is a root cause for b12 deficiency and reduced my iron saturation % to 20 and total serum iron to 69.
i got tested just to rule it out as i never had the main symptom of heartburn. BUT then the test came back positive.
after treatment (it took me two tries) my iron saturation percentage increased to 35 and total serum iron increased to 109.
i cant help you with how much b12 improvement you will have, as i was already getting b12 injections, due to a deficiency at 169, prior to getting tested for h pylori.
my doctor never suggested h pylori. i just read about b12 deficiency root causes, on this forum, and decided to get tested to rule it out. i had to actually argue with my doctor to test me, as i did not have heartburn, the main symptom of h pylori. so very glad i persisted.
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