After some advice for my 16 year old daughter. She has always been clumsy but over the past few months is getting more so as well as forgetful, extremely tired and eye sight problems to name a few b12 deficiency symptoms. She is vegetarian but eats eggs and dairy and she has been taking 1000 iu tablets 3 tines a day in the hope this may help. I think she should have done blood tests to check for possible causes but if she is checked for B12 will it show as high? Should she stop taking the tablets for a while and then go to gp? I have b12 deficiency but have not been informed it’s P.A. although I believe I have it. Thanks in advance.
Advice please : After some advice for... - Pernicious Anaemi...
Advice please
Supposedly you need to get off the tablets for months (4?) before a b12 blood serum test will report results accurately.
You can also get her methylmalonic acid tested but I believe this will also read incorrectly since supplementation has started.
Ohh blimey , 4 months of nothing during her 1st year of A levels!! Probably best to do it now though than wait till she’s worse. It might not even be B12 (I hope) . Thank you for your advise😊
Two scenarios for if she has low B12 -
1. It's because of her diet. Although eggs and dairy do contain B12 it's not a lot. You would need to eat a 2-egg omelette, washed down with a glass of milk every single day.
2. It's an absorption problem.
___________________________________________________
You could stop the oral supplements for four months, then have a blood test. If it's low B12 then the test should show you that it is. However, it won't tell you if its low because of scenario 1 or 2. Then you won't know if she can cope with just pills.
You could have a blood test now. If it's low then you know that it's an absorption problem. If it shows that her B12 is high then you know it was dietary and she just keeps taking the pills.
I was vegetarian for around 20 years from about the age of 15. At around 16 I was tested for glandular fever because I was constantly exhausted. I stopped being vegetarian around 10 years ago although I suspect I do not eat as much meat/fish as an omnivore otherwise would. I have digestion problems which I'm not sure whether is owing to poor diet (I had an eating disorder) or being a long term vegetarian.
There is a facebook group called Recovering Vegans and Vegetarians for people considering or transitioning back to eating meat. The majority did so for health reasons.
Thank you, I will get her to have a look. She has suffered since a small child with digestive issues but gp always just gave stool softners!
Probably why she avoiddc meat as harder to digest.
If she does want to change her diet i would start with fish and chicken breast . It is easier to digest. Hopd the reason for her digestive problems are found. Mh daughter when younger was clumsy ect.
Shes now an adult and finally diagnosed with hypomobility (Ehlos danlos) HEDs . She was also severely b12 deficient . There are huge differences in severity.
Worth a thought if at the doctors to rule out .
Only my thoughts
Hi,
Have you considered joining and talking to PAS?
PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society)
Based in Wales, UK.
pernicious-anaemia-society....
There is a helpline number that PAS members can ring.
Link about "What to do next" if B12 deficiency suspected or newly diagnosed.
b12deficiency.info/what-to-...
Links about B12 Deficiency in Children (mentions teenagers)
b12deficiency.info/children...
stichtingb12tekort.nl/engli...
Above link is from Dutch B12 website so units and reference ranges may vary from those in UK.
Useful B12 book
"What You Need to Know About Pernicious Anaemia and B12 Deficiency" by Martyn Hooper
Martyn Hooper is the chair of PAS (Pernicious Anaemia Society). BNF treatment info in book is out of date. See BNF link below for up to date info.
BSH Cobalamin and Folate Guidelines (UK document)
b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/gui...
Flowchart from BSH Cobalamin and Folate Guidelines
stichtingb12tekort.nl/weten...
Flowchart outlines a process for diagnosing PA and Antibody Negative PA in UK
BNF Hydroxycobalamin
bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/hydrox...
BNF Hydroxycobalamin (Children)
bnfc.nice.org.uk/drug/hydro...
Lots of B12 info in my replies on the the thread below eg symptoms, causes of B12 deficiency, B12 books, B12 websites, B12 articles/documents etc.
healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...
Some of the links may have some upsetting details.
I am not medically trained.