Advice on Tests Please

[HealthStarDust]

Dear Forum Members,

I wonder if you advise which tests are needed for PA. In recent years my ferritin has been below 30, folate deficient and B12 on the low side. I have been self supplementing with supplements and levels have raised but I do not feel any better.

So far, I have had ‘serum’ blood tests for total levels. Is there any other tests I should be aware of that could give me a better picture? My concern is that the vitamins are just swimming in the bloodstream and not actually doing anything.

Many thanks in advance 🫶🏽

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

I've just started a thread about Tests for PA and B12 deficiency.

I left some useful links in recent thread "New to all this, please help with test results".

Lots of useful info in pinned post "Various B12D/PA resources on right hand side of page if on computer.

I've written many detailed replies on this forum so might be worth you searching for some of these.

One thing I would suggest is to find the local B12 deficiency guidelines used by your ICB (Integrated Care Board) in England or Health Board in Wales/Scotland.

If you can't find them online or by searching forum threads here, best bet is to submit a FOI (Freedom of Information) request to ICB/Health Board asking which B12 deficiency guidelines they are using and for a link to or copy of them.

Compare the local guidelines with NICE CKS (Clinical Knowledge Summary) for B12 deficiency

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

I'm not medically trained.

[HealthStarDust in reply to Sleepybunny]

Thank for this.

With regards to the following:

Various B12D/PA resources on right hand side of page if on computer.

I did check the pinned posts. I found that there was such an array of them and none specifically jumped out that for tests.

[Technoid in reply to HealthStarDust]

The very top pinned post should have everything you need, its named:

"Various B12D/PA resources"

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

The first section is on "Diagnosing and testing PA/B12D "

Jade compiled it to save us posting and reposting the same info. If it is unclear or we could format or highlight the required information in it better, do let us know.

[HealthStarDust in reply to Technoid]

Ah! Thank you so much. I think for the likes of me a pinned post just on diagnostics and a title specifcally reflecting that would have been easier to identify rather than a pinned posts with various sources as that’s just to vague. As I was scrolling much like I would a book with chapter titles, various sources would not have been my obvious guess as to where the testing information would be. I hope that makes sense.

Thank you so very much for your help.

[Mixteca]

Your ferritin is very low. I urge you to get a full iron panel done to get a full clinical picture as it looks like deficiency to me. Mine was 30 when I had an iron infusion recently. Do post your blood test results for feedback.

[HealthStarDust in reply to Mixteca]

Thank you for your response. My ferritin is over 30 through supplements. At first I was self supplementing before my GP started prescribing. Although, it’s not an ongoing prescription as GP wants to raise to 70. I did have an iron panel a couple of months ago via private finger prick test and the folks over at Thyroid UK have already guided me through that and I believe on all measures I am no longer deficient.

Was your iron infusion via GP test results at 30 then? Mine was below 30 twice in one year and as labs said it was fine GP thinks it’s fine.

[Mixteca in reply to HealthStarDust]

No, I paid privately for the infusion. Long story... my transferrin saturation % was 18, which was a significant iron deficiency. I consulted an iron expert as GPs have no expertise in biochemistry.

[HealthStarDust in reply to Mixteca]

Thank you for sharing.