My grandaughter is 15yrs old. She has low mood, fatigue, muscle and joint pain and has been prescribed Propanalol for anxiety (which actually she doesn't take).
I can see that the vitamin B12 level is very low. Are ferratin and folate low as well? and will they come up when she supplements B12, or will she need to supplement these, too?
Thanks in advance.
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looselywoven
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Thyroid antibodies are negative for autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's). TSH and thyroid levels are unequivocally euthyroid (normal) and don't indicate thyroid dysfunction.
Ferritin is optimal half way through range. Supplementing iron with vitamin C might improve your granddaughter's fatigue, muscle and joint pain.
B12 is very low, 1,000 is optimal. She should supplement 5,000mcg methylcobalamin with a B Complex vitamin. Folate is good.
I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Has she been tested for celiac? She might have this, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Best to get tested before embarking on a gluten free trial as celiac test requires gluten to be present in the body.
Thanks, Josiesmum. That's an interesting website. I read the list of symptoms to my GD and she laughed - was that written by someone that knows me? she said. However, she is reluctant to be gluten free - I guess she'll come to it when she's really fed up of feeling so bad. I'm already gluten free, so at least she is having her gluten consumption reduced somewhat by what she gets served up at home.
She should really have the loading injections for B12 with a level that low - unless she is vegan? Her folate is fine and ferritin ok. I wouldn't take supplements until had a proper diagnosis, it will distort further tests making a difficult task impossible. Look at this site for info:
Her doctor should look at testing intrinsic factor - although this test is notoriously inaccurate and will give false negative results 50-60% of time - if positive then that is accurate and a diagnosis of Pernicious anaemia would be given. there are many reasons to cause B12d though, all will give same symptoms. It is important to get proper diagnosis and treatment. there is a pernicious anaemia group on here with members who will give great advice, same as here. Also a good fb group run by Pat Kornic. Read a book by Sally Pacholok Could it be B12.
You'll be amazed at symptom list for this- similar to thyroid.
Sorry, I forgot to say that testing homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA) are better tests and will help to show what B12 is doing at cellular level.
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