Help interpreting results

[svenena]

Hi all, hoping for some insight and advice, please. Hope it's okay to post here even though I probably don't have PA.

I had a blood test last week as I'm getting lightheaded when I go from sitting to standing. My blood pressure was also tested, which showed a drop in the systolic pressure of 30 when I stood.

I've had the blood test results back now, and all of the values on the complete count are completely normal (in the middle of the ranges), so I'm not anaemic. The other results were:

Ferritin: 9.4 ug/L (10.0 - 291.0 ug/L)

B12: 302.0 ng/L ( 211.0 - 911.0 ng/L)

Folate: 7.35 ug/L (>=5.38 ug/L)

(There's a warning under the folate one that a folate-rich meal can increase this. I wasn't told to fast beforehand, and had baked beans for lunch about 1.5 hours before the blood draw, so that may have impacted that result?).

I'm seeing the doctor later this week, but would appreciate some advice on what I should ask about. I have a couple of other general symptoms which have been ongoing for a few years and may or may not be related - poor memory and feeling cold all the time, but nothing else, really. I'm generally fit and healthy.

The ferritin level is outside the range, but as my CBC was all normal I don't know whether that would cause symptoms. I've read mixed things about B12 levels. Could I have symptoms even though I'm quite far within the reference range?

Should I be asking for extra tests, or will I just be told to eat more iron-rich foods? I'm not vegetarian, but don't eat much red meat.

[Nackapan]

Ask about orthostatic intolerance and was there an associated rise in bpm on standing Both of these things can be Pots.

Or something similar.

Thyroid tested.

Thete is a thing called functional b12 deficiency

Up your dietry iron to help raises ferritin levels.

400mcg of folic acid is recommended for young women.

.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

whilst folate is responsive to diet because it isn't stored in the body I don't think the baked beans the day before will have had a significant impact.Ferritin is just one measure of iron status and doesn't tell the whole story - there are cases of people who have had iron poisoning because they were treated on the basis of just ferritin so if the other iron indicators have been done and haven't shown any abnormalities - check if you have had an iron panel done.

Serum B12 is a difficult test to interpret as there is such a large normal range but individuals tend to sit at different points in the range. If you have had an earlier B12 test that was significantly higher (ie greater than 20% higher) that could be indicative of an absorption problem).

[mcg-woo]

Ask for methymalonic acid test. With B12 serum at 302, you could still have a B12 deficiency if you are having symptoms. High MMA levels would indicate such. I had a deficiency at 282 the first time my levels were tested. By that time, I had been symptomatic for years and already had a couple of misdiagnosis. Proper treatment is paramount. Without it, symptoms will only worsen. Good luck!