Could my son's "normal blood test" results be pernicious anemia?

[Mindseye]

My 25 year old son suffers from extreme lethargy and lack of concentration. He is otherwise healthy but is unable to engage in normal activities even one's he would find enjoyable if he had the energy and concentration. He was been diagnosed with ASD and later ADD but these do not explain the extreme torpor. Someone on the thyroid forum suggested we look into the possibility of PI. I am super keen to find out everything I can and either dismiss it from our search for a solution or seek treatment.His blood tests from 1 year ago and from Feb 22 are below.

[Jillymo]

It might be worth putting his results on here.

If your son's results are below normal then he is deficient. If he eats a good diet then it is worth getting his Dr to check out his levels together with iron, folate and vitD.

Many have been diagnosed wrongly so keep an open mind - myself included. My consentration, mood and stamina has improved since B12 injections. He is your son and you want him to enjoy life as a young man should.

I am sure others will advise.

[Mindseye in reply to Jillymo]

Thanks so much. I thought I had posted the results, but I hadn't.

Good to hear your symptoms improved since your B12 injections.

[Mindseye in reply to Jillymo]

I'm not great at navigating around the forum but I think I've finally managed to post his blood test results. I'm not sure what to do if he is considered "sub clinical" and they won't consider B12 injections. I need to research the effects of too much B12 in the system as well.

[clivealive Forum Support]

Could you type the results of the blood tests together with the ranges used?

Vitamin B12 is not always included in a routine test.

Is you son a "picky eater"? Does he eat meat, fish, cheese, eggs etc as these "animal" foods are the natural sources of B12.

[Mindseye in reply to clivealive]

Hi, I think I have just posted my sons blood tests on the forum, I'm not great at navigating the site.

He eats a good diet including meat, cheese and eggs as he's living at home. I understand from the forum, that some folk don't absorb enough B12 from food.

[Delilahmy]

hi Mindseye …. A good film to watch and also a true story would be Sally Pacholock b12

youtu.be/OvMxJ6GRBNQ(Not working as expected?)

Which will show some of the difficulty in diagnosis and also the symptoms that are overlooked. It may give you an idea of questions to ask ….. levels within range do not necessarily mean you are not deficient and should be treated following Nice guidelines which are every other day injections until symptoms subside…. Good luck ….. it may not be the answer but it’s another question to follow….. we’re all looking for the needle in the haystack … leave no stone unturned. Optimise vitamin levels …. Get them checked if not done already and hunt this site like your life depends on it…. There are so many helpful knowledgeable people here it’s been a godsend to me …. good luck

[Mindseye in reply to Delilahmy]

Thank you so much for this.

I have just watched the film and now have so much more to follow up on.

You are not wrong about the needle in the haystack! The forum has been a huge help so far. First hand knowledge and experience is invaluable and this is too important to ignore. Equally, if this isn't the answer, we need to know that too.

[Lyntwo]

In the USA;

My experience, the diagnostic range of the tests is set too high. I was always in the low end of normal. Only once did I dip below and was administered B12 injections which snapped me out of my torpor. But then the wonders of American Financial Capitalism seeking ever greater efficiency saw my prescription for injections converted to pills.

Years later, after bouts of apparent anemia, but iron levels just above the low end, brain fog, inability to assess daily problems and with increasing neuropathy the MD who was assigned to treat me decided she would go with symptoms and treat what the symptoms indicated pernicious anemia, as again, the test results were always just above the cut off of the ranges used. After the first day of loading shots my brain fog cleared, my mental acuity restored. The series of loading shots over the weeks greatly lessened my neuropathy and did restore much of my stamina.

I continued with injections, which again fell under scrutiny by the medical provider and my prescription for injectable B12 was not renewed.

I did self inject with B12 purchased by myself without prescription but then I stopped after being so ordered by my clinic who again switched me to tablets. Currently I shall have to again assess the situation as my tests demonstrate high levels of B12 but my neuropathy is starting to worsen.

Treatment protocols in America do not favor the provision of B12 injections but instead. tablets.

I have found the information provided by the Pernicious Anemia Society crucial to guiding me in obtaining the remediation of my symptoms and restoration of my health.

Most MDs I have dealt with think that you obtain B12 from vegetables within your diet so it becomes pretty tricky to obtain what you need without triggering defensive or authoritarian reactions. There is behind the scenes quite a debate about the more liberal provision of B12 injections and modification of the diagnostic ranges of the tests.

Much of this goes back to medical association politics of the 1940's and to today's desire of Big Pharma to not allow exploration of treatment modalities that use products that they do not vastly profit from.

Now add upon this the adulteration of the American diet by the removal of saturated fat, the substitution of sugar and then the use of cheaper and sweeter High Fructose Corn Syrup with the aggressively promoted use of "vegetable oils", soybean, canola, in almost every food or in the preparation of every food sold in the USA your poor body is overwhelmed.

I am so old that I remember when food did not mostly taste like candy as it does today.

Good Luck.

[Mindseye in reply to Lyntwo]

thank you so much for your comprehensive reply to my post. So good that your symptoms were relieved so quickly after receiving the B12 injections but depressing that the prescription was stopped.

All this information is valuable in finding a solution for my son. I think we have to start by going back to his GP.

[Lyntwo]

You are welcome and the best of luck to you..