B12

[kimbo]

well just had a telephone consult with Dr SB she has as some of you have said to me that i am just in range with iron and B12 so she is going to suggest to gp that i have B12 injections on a loading dose to bring B12 right to the top of the range, along with iron supplements, she seems to think that this will ease my panic attacks etc, i also mentioned that i had a saliva test done some years ago and it showed low adrenals, anyway she has said see how this goes and then to try T4/t3 before we try armour so hopefully i may just feel a bit better soon energy and palps wise x shame the gps wont do this when you are just inside the ranges instead of having to pay for someone else to tell you x

[rosetrees]

Shame indeed. The point of blood tests (imho) is to guide the doctors as to which end of any scale you might be - low or high - so they can treat accordingly. Not for them to say your result is 21 (random scale of 20 - 95) so you're ok, but come next week when you're 19 and (magically) all your symptoms will be due to the deficiency and I'll start treating you.

Mad, ridiculous, possibly unethical and possibly negligent. Symptoms are what send you to the doctor and symptoms are what should be treated. Blood test ranges should only be treated as "absolute" in a patient that is asymptomic (again, imho).

[sorrel89]

Kimbo was were your levels? Thanks

[kimbo in reply to sorrel89]

hi b12 was 211 (187-883) so just over the bottom of the range

[sorrel89]

My son's serum B12 was 183 Ref (180-900) at the age of 15. I had to fight tooth and nail to get injections, they eventually sanctioned 4 of them. My dad has a serum B12 of 243 and the consultant will absolutely not sanction b12. I am disgusted. This is without checking homocysteine, MMA or intrinsic factor. The consultant said go to the GP to see if they can help...I am furious with their little games whilst people suffer.

Very please for you that someone has listened at some point. Is Dr SB a private doctor then?

[chihiro in reply to sorrel89]

Sounds like the low b12 runs in the family. So you your dad hasn't be properly checked for PA either? Sorry your family is going through this.

My levels aren't that low but I do feel worse by the day. My GP says I don't need injections anymore and apparently he has done this to at least two other people I know. I think someone had told me that the injections cost around 60p so why on earth they take them away when they cost pennies is beyond me!!!

[sorrel89 in reply to chihiro]

Thank you chihiro, I had this argument with the consultant psychiatrist about my Dad, she said if he warranted B12 he would have it no matter how much it cost but she felt it was not clinically relevant, he is 80. My son does not have PA but adrenal problems that have not been identified by the NHS. There is no sense in the medical profession at times... Thanks again...

[kimbo in reply to sorrel89]

Hi yes she is, she is going to write to gp about it, and hopefully they will go with it, saying that they did with the t3 x