Could this be Pernicious Anemia?
Hello, I’m new here but have been feeling pretty awful for a long time now. it was suggested I should consider PA and wondered if anyone could advise?
I’ll try to keep it brief:
I’ve been feeling unwell for YEARS - with mainly anemia type symptoms (details below)
-crushing fatigue/weakness/unsteadiness
-impaired concentration/mental clarity
-poor appetite
-deathly pale/grey complexion
-depression/misery/very low mood (so unlike me!)
-symptoms worsen with exertion
-pain in shins/lower legs
-intermittent toe numbness but there is a spot on the side of my left toe where there is no sensation anymore.
Most of the time I look and feel so ill its like I’m about 90 years old.
My Tsh has also gone abnormally high in recent years (but is up and down like a yo-yo) ft4 and ft3 levels always normal, no thyroid antibodies and I actually find thyroid medication significantly worsens my symptoms.
I have had low iron on and off since my teens but do not have periods so not sure of the cause of persistently low iron/ferritin.
My bloods are at the bottom of this post and a more recent set in the picture.
I feel some improvement with supps but my levels plummet quickly without continual supplementation and symptoms return. I find this hard to manage. My b12 levels were 1000+ in august ‘24 and I was advised to stop supplementing but by Jan this year they had plummeted to 241 as well as lowish vit d/folate and rubbish ferritin levels…I feel shocking.
Should I be considering pernicious anemia?
How do I go about getting tested properly please?
Not sure if relevant but I also have a postive ANA (1/80-1/160 speckled), polycystic ovaries(but not typical type of PCOS) never had periods, intermittently raised TSH. HSCrp is often raised. Negative for coeliac. Rheumatologist has ruled out lupus etc.
Sorry for the barrage of info and hope you can help me! Thank you for reading!
GreenTealSeal
Bloods:
Serum vitamin B12: 386 ng/L
Normal range: 197 to 771
Serum folate: 8.0 ug/L
Normal range: 3 to 20
Serum 25-HO vit D3 level: 41
Normal range: 50 to 150
Serum ferritin: 30 ug/L
Normal range: 13 to 150
-
FBC:
Total white cell count: 6.81 10^9/L
Normal range: 4 to 11
Red blood cell (RBC)
count: 4.18 10^12/L
Normal range: 3.8 to 5.8
Haemoglobin estimation: 124 g/L
Normal range: 115 to 155
Haematocrit: 0.372 L/L
Normal range:0.37 to 0.47
Mean corpusc.
haemoglobin(MCH): 29.7 pg
Normal range: 25 to 34
Mean corpusc. Hb. conc. (MCHC): 333 g/L
Normal range:304 to 360
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 89.0 fL
Normal range: 77 to 100
Red blood cell distribut width: 12.1 %
Normal range: 11 to 15
Platelet count: 271 10^9/L
Normal range:150 to 450
Mean platelet volume: 11.2 fL
Normal range: 9.1 to 12.8