Blood results

[Wellington1]

Well, I have finally recieved my blood results (with reference ranges) from the nurse.

Intrinsic Factor - negative.

Parietal Cell - negative.

Serum B12 was way over range 2000 (180-900) as expected due to B12 injections.

I was expecting a fight with my GP about withdrawing my B12 injections. Strange thing was she said carry on with the injections!!!! I am really baffled as to why she requested the above tests in the first place.

The only other out of range results were:

MCH 33.8 pg (27.0-33.0) High

Lymphocyte count 0.9 10*9/L (1.0-4.5) Low

I don't know what these mean. Should I be worried?

I have a telephone call booked with the GP next week but not sure that I need to speak to her now that the injections are still available to me.

I was getting so anxious about all of this. My husband thinks that I should cancel the call and not draw attention to all this but I would like to know the reason for her decision to leave the injections be.

Any observations?

Thank you

[fbirder]

The MCH and lymphocytes are only just out of range. For most of these tests results the 'normal' range is set so that 95% of 'normal' people will fall in tat range. So 2.5% of people will be below (assuming a normal distribution). Nothing to be worried about.

I'm with your husband. Your negative result strongly points away from your deficiency being caused by PA (more than 90% of those with PA test positive). Get the doc to look at that and she may decide you don't need the injections.

[Vps1980 in reply to fbirder]

Which result rules out PA?

[fbirder in reply to Vps1980]

Ooops! I accidentally took my evening pills this morning. That means I had a double dose of gabapentin. I'm a bit dopy.

The parietal cell antibody test.

[Vps1980 in reply to fbirder]

They probably haven’t given me that!

[fbirder in reply to Vps1980]

Probably not. They don't recommend it anymore because a lot of people without PA have the antibodies.

They have two antibody tests.

The gastric parietal cell antibody test. If you're negative you probably don't have PA. If you're positive it means nothing on its own.

The Intrinsic Factor antibody test. If you're positive you almost certainly have PA. If you're negative then it's meaningless.

[Vps1980 in reply to fbirder]

I really need answers, this is so frustrating

[Wellington1 in reply to fbirder]

Thanks for your reply fbirder. I've been having B12 injections for over 20 years. Was told I would need them for life at the time but wasn't told whether it was PA or deficiency. I do get symptoms when my injection is due usually about every 6 to 8 weeks - headaches, pins and needles, lack of concentration, light headedness and feel down in mood. Hence the anxiety about the injections being removed! Could it be deficiency rather than PA? I used to pass out a lot as a teenager and was told I was anaemic and given iron tablets.

[fbirder in reply to Wellington1]

Well, it's definitely a B12 deficiency. As to whether it's caused by PA, I would say almost certainly yes. And that you are one of the 10%.

[Wellington1 in reply to fbirder]

Thanks - its a complicated business. At the moment I am having problems feeling like I am not able to take enough breath in. I also get breathless when walking. That may fit with PA too.

My other problem is with sweating profusely. Just walking down the road I end up looking like I have just got out of the shower - haven't seen that this is a symptom of B12 problem but thought I would mention just in case others had experienced this.

[Nackapan in reply to Wellington1]

I tested negative for parietal cell antibodies. I wasnt given an intrinsic factor test.

My first ever b12 was 106 tange pg/mol. Range 190-200

I was also told b12 injections for life!! But then told it was a dietary deficiency (it isnt)

I'm nearly 2 years in. Tried 1000 500 50 mcg of b12 tablets inbetween injections to no avail to try and get them further apart as instructed by gp. Well she only said 50mg twice a day.

Have daily symptoms still. Have never got symptom free. I'm on 6 daily b12 injections now as for a year on 2 weekly as prescribed and felt loud I was treading water.

So much is still unknown

I also think once on injections your body works differently and you are lucky if you can come off them. I'm still hoping for improvements as nothing else had helped. After 2o years of having them yoh certainly will know how necessary they are to you. I also wouldnt bother with consult.i get a flush which is different to the menopausal flashes I had. My mum gets the profuse sweating. She never used to. ??