Watching an early repeat of ;Heartbeat.
Still a novelty being able to watch TV again.
A character died of heart failure because of PA diagnosis missed.
No elaboration. Cause of death was asked for.
Set in the 60s !!
Also an advert saying to eat enough b12 rich foods !!
Jumps out now if ever mentioned.
I wonder if new waves of GP's "forget" things like PE..as it may have been a Post War thing...? Bad diets ..restricted food supply...etc..?
Am glad you are enjoying TV watching again... !
K 🌼
Why on earth does the NHS not offer blood tests with a vitamin panel as a matter of course?
Upon my first presentation to the GP I was dismissed as 'stressed' and offered a blood test for diabetes. Why could B12 and folate not be added to that? Why was I not asked how my diet was? I was asked if I was stressed - why not ask me about diet, alcohol, sleep too?
Is it because we're British?
I think it's because Doctors are trained to look for B12 and folate when there's evidence of anemia. If there's no anemia, or no indications of anemia, then there's no need for a B12 test. End of.
But this is absolutely bonkers when my B12 deficiency could have easily been averted with even the mention of B12 deficiency 12 months before it all went downhill fast. Plus, it would keep Doctors on their guard to follow up with patients in, say, 6 months time for monitoring.
Instead, we have to incur damage and risk our health, or even a heart attack, because Doctors can't be arsed to check using a simple, cheap vitamin test.
B*st*rds!
😆
Agree.I've asked it to be included on the routine blood form.
Otherwise a lottery if done.
My first ever b12 / folate test was when I was 57.
Id not been to the doctors 7 yesrs then went 3 times.
Like you say asked if I was stressed .
Told menopause.
I said I knew something wrong.
Kept falling over.
Fatigue.
Vision problems ect ect
I t was only after j collapsed and on 2nd / 3rd visit another doctor ordered everything including a brain mri scan.
Even after tge blood test came back j eas jot asked what I eat or drink.
Told dietary .
So I produced a food diary .
You sound angry.
I even went for the 50+ health screen
Waste of time .
If that had been done properly I would have s baseline b12 level I eas well at .
Too many opportunities missed.
No red flags given my medical history .
I couldn't think for myself.
Yes training on vits. Or s specialist nurse ??
"Too many opportunities missed"
Yes. I think that's why I'm angry. Too many times we're told 'it's in your head' or 'stress'. So what is the point of a healthcare system?
If we knew it was stress, would we be at the Doctor? If we could work that out for ourselves, why would we bother the healthcare system with something?
It doesn't work. And we pay for the NHS, it's not free. We pay through taxes. That's why I'm angry. To have an ineffective system that simply does not work and makes things worse.
I think if more of us admitted that primary care NHS has much room for improvement, it might improve.
But then, if people like Matt Hancock keep getting into power, what hope do any of us have? I hope that man gets hit by a truck and dies.
A truck loaded with broccoli, perhaps ?
I wish that so much valuable time had not been wasted early on offering me antidepressants, when I kept repeating that I was not depressed. Not all post menopausal women are depressed, they just aren't listened to. Well, that could be depressing, if it wasn't so infuriating.
Mood-swings, yes - none of which were real, none of which were me. Just the B12 deficiency.
But I didn't mention that then (didn't make the connections) - I presented initially with lower back and left hip pain, daily diarrhoea and exhaustion.
Have read recently a mild deficiency in zinc can cause diarrhoea .So difficult to work out if we need vitamin supplements unless levels can all be tested .
A very high blood volume of b12 must knock the balance though.
Was wondering as bought vit C and then realised it had zinc too.
So read up on zinc.
Minefield
I did that stomach acid check this morning - before eating/ drinking, drank a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water. Still getting nothing at all .
Checked that tin contents were still active: put a drop or two of lemon juice on small chunk of it - bubbling up like a witch's cauldron !
My GP laughed when I told her about this test. Okay, not very sciencey - but if you do it with a healthy partner as a control, it is not only more fun, but reliably produces identical results.
Wasn't offered a more scientific alternative.
Doubt I'd get far asking for a zinc test - but you never know.
My friend was so fortunate. On her first visit with pain under her ribs and low mood b12 was tested along with other things She was believed and not even offered antidepressants.
Then treated
I remember feeling quite shocked being offered antidepressants then and being told I was stressed.
Didn't even cross my mind I was depressed.
I definitely left the surgery stressed.!!
Told to consider my options
Ie what antidepressant!!
Perhaps stems from an assumption that menopausal women ought to be depressed !
Yes,perhaps it is???Certainly women are disregarded more when going to their Gp with symptoms.
All to quick to blame the menopause rather than think what the hormonal changes can do.
Yes some get depressed.
Most don't!
Do you think that's because most GPs are men?
I.e. would women GPs be more understanding of hormonal changes do you think?
Lots of good work done by Davina McCall on menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms and hormone disruptions. She wasn't believed by many Doctors. Similarly, Shania Twain had Lyme's disease but was told by over 20 Doctors it was 'Psychosomatic'.
Why are Doctors so bad? Again, rhetorical question, but what is the point of our medical system? It doesn't save lives, it ruins them through ignorance, arrogance, assumptions, and judgements.
Do away with it and start again with more compassion and empathy. Empathy levels should be tested before GPs begin in practice. If they can't be understanding and open, they shouldn't be allow to do it.
But since no-one wants to work in healthcare anymore, I suspect we'll have to start a protest in the streets soon. I'll be up the front for sure.
My chosen Gp out of 6 in the practice was a female gynaecologist before z Gp.
She thought it was all hormones though rathef yhan thd trigger and i eventually trialled HRT.
In my case if wax b12 deficiency.
Gop's simply can't know everything.
She acted on my very low b12 results but simply couldn't believe alll my symptoms were ftom that.
Lack of training.
She stayed open minded.
Though j know she thought dietary pychosomatic at times.
Still tried pushing antidepressants.
She did however keep my 2 weekly b12 injections on several occasions.
She also got frustrated I wouldn't try drugs which wasnt fair as I also trialled amytripyline.
Both were only for 2-3 weeks anc disastrous for me.
I disagree in thd fact lives are saved.
Acute care much better.
There are very good doctors thank goodness.
It's when it's not a speciality.
Then you get pushed round the system ruling out but not communicating and joining the dotx when symptoms overlap.
I suppose there's still so much unknown in the medical world and like you say - training is limited. Hematologists are only getting 1 hour of training on b12 which is clearly insufficient.
I think it's just more the case of having a more open mind. If a patient comes with symptoms, GP's should listen and not disregard symptoms or assume anything, like stress or anxiety, because this is very damaging. Or judge one patient by another or their impressions - I was told 'we're seeing alot of somatic problems these days', before I'd even got into a conversation about symptoms. And I understand the process, but it is not a helpful statement. Neither is the question of 'have you been stressed lately'. That's not the business of a Doctor. A Doctors role is to investigate symptoms and run tests, not to condescend or assume someone is mentally unwell. Surely there is a process to determine if someone shows signs of mental illness like anxiety or depression?
If we had more than 10 minutes with a Doctor I suspect there would be fewer patient appointments. I'd be interested to see if 10 minutes is really a hindrance not a help.
Yes listening g skills.10mins ridiculous
Open minded needed.
Asking about stress it relevant but shouldn't be used as a diagnosis so readily .
We all get stress !
Continuity of care would help.
Sounds like you need more Broccoli, Pickle500. Sorry, couldn't resist. 😜
Cant have too much broccoli i say - with cheese...!
Make sure to sprinkle your cooked Broccoli with Mustard Powder to get the most of that magic stuff - Sulforaphane.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/298...
Over broccoli I usually have one or more of toasted sesame oil, soya sauce, roast paprika or nutritional yeast.
That's what got me into this trouble!!!
Nutritional Yeast...? I will give that a ( B1 ) spin 😁. Thank you! I use a blue cheese sauce...with breadcrumbs
It usually has B12 added to it. Probably useless amounts for PA though.
Endoscopy 
Examining the Pathology of the Parietal cells
Answer's at last for my deficiency.
Thinking of starting B12 supplements, has anyone got any advice?
