Low vitamin D and Low red blood cells

[misschris]

Hi All,

I took the advice from here and asked for my vitamin d to be checked, doc also tested my b12, full blood count and rheumatoid arthritis for painful body which is so debilitating.

My results came back, although he never gave me the results he told me my vitamin d was very low and has started me on vitamin D3 capsules 20,000IU a day for 15 days and then followed by maintenance therapy.

My full blood count came back with low red cells which he is doing further tests for the cause of anemia, he didn't mention my b12 although it was on the low end of the range 316 last time it was checked but never asked if it had changed, rheumatoid arthritis came back fine. I should of really asked for him to write results and reference ranges but I was in his room for at least 25 minutes and felt grateful that he was taking notice, I will be having more blood tests done tmrw one of the tests are ferritin but don't know what other two tests are for.

I have been taking T3 now since Feb and have actually felt worse but I don't know if that is to do with all what's going on with me and once am sorted I might find am doing brilliant....hopefully.

Chris

[Clutter]

MissChris,

Ask your receptionist or GP to printout the results and ranges for you tomorrow. Your receptionist should be able to give you tomorrow's test results and ranges in a few days.

It would be good to see what B12 is now as 316 was low quite some time ago. Make sure you take vitamin D 4 hours away from T3.

labtestsonline.org/understa... explains low red blood cell count.

[misschris in reply to Clutter]

Clutter

My GP charge £10 for a printout. I will see if the receptionist will write them down for me, I am interested in the results of B12 myself because it was low, plus my folic acid was low, is folic acid the same as folate?

I read the link on red blood cell count, I am linking the low B12 to that but because it's in the range these doctors won't budge and yet it's clear that I may need a bit of help with it.

Bloods will be done in morning, just have to wait for results now.

[Clutter in reply to misschris]

MissChris,

Providing test results is not supposed to be a revenue stream for the practice. It's fair enough to charge 50p/£1 a sheet which is charged by commercial copiers but it's not on to charge more and you could complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

I refused to pay £10 for 3 or 4 sheets and made an appointment to view my results online at the practice. A stupid waste of admin time because it meant a staff member would have to oversee my use. GP agreed and printed off the results for me.

Folic acid is used to treat low folate.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc are the experts about B12 and folate. You may want to contact them for advice.

[misschris in reply to Clutter]

Hi Clutter

Years ago I paid £10 to see my medical notes which was supervised by member of staff. I'd rather pay £10 to see all my medical notes rather than for a few bits of scribble.

Ah so folic acid is folate and that was low as well as B12, so my way of thinking this low red blood count could be to do with having low b12 and folate, he is checking my Ferritin which I believe is iron, so if that comes back low would that mean they will treat me for low ferritin and disregard low b12 and folate?

I totally agree that they shouldn't be making a profit and wouldn't mind paying £1/50p for a printout but certainly not £10.

[Clutter in reply to misschris]

MissChris,

If the RBC is low your GP should test B12 and folic acid as well as ferritin.

[misschris in reply to Clutter]

He did check the b12 but never mentioned them today that's why I need to find out the results. He hasn't checked the folic acid. Why don't these GP'S know this, should be apart of their aftercare with people who have no thyroid or thyroid disease.

[misschris in reply to Clutter]

Clutter I will look at that link to get me some info, thanks for that Clutter 😊

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to misschris]

misschris For accuracy, I would suggest that you ask to see the results on the screen and write them all down yourself, together with the reference ranges. Don't trust the receptionist to write everything down with complete accuracy.

GP surgeries aren't supposed to make a profit from printing test results, I think £1 to cover paper and ink is enough. For £10 you are entitled to a copy of everything held electronically at the surgery. I'd be tempted to do that just to pee them off.......... Just saying

[misschris in reply to SeasideSusie]

SeasideSusie

I'd rather pay £10 for everything but not just for blood tests, in fact I think G'Ps should give them automatically to the patient when they are discussing their results with them.

[humanbean in reply to misschris]

For info on the fees that are allowed to be charged :

nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2635.aspx?...

[misschris in reply to humanbean]

Will look at that link thanks humanbean

[bluebug in reply to misschris]

If you really want to p*ss them off - if you pay £50 you get to see all your records both paper base and electronic that the GP has on our from birth.

If you do that don't be surprised to find stuff that your current GP plus previous GPs have ignored e.g. you have always have had iron problems.

[misschris in reply to bluebug]

bluebug

I could get piss.. on £50 and forget all my troubles and feel good for few hours, money well worth spent haha 😋

I need to look at medical notes am sure there will be notes on me that implys i need sectioning 😂😂

[Inana in reply to misschris]

Ask them to email it to you if they are charging you for paper. Otherwise they are scamming you if they charge you for results. You paid for the tests, and you paid for the consultation. So why charge you for your results? Ridiculous!

[Clutter in reply to Inana]

Inana,

NHS consultations and tests are free at the point of use. Test results requested within 40 days are free of charge. The £50 charged for a patient's entire GP medical history pays for the cost of staff photocopying the manual records and printing the electronic records.

[Inana in reply to Clutter]

Aaah, I see, for the entire patient's history, it is understandable. I was referring to the £10 for her recent tests.

[Clutter in reply to Inana]

Inana,

I think it's a rip off and refused to pay £10 practice manager demanded for 4 or 5 sheets of results and made an appointment to view my results online. GP agreed it was a bigger waste of staff time to 'chaperone' me and set it up and printed off the results for me.

[Inana in reply to Clutter]

It is a rip off!!!

[misschris in reply to Inana]

Inana I have enquired about this to the receptionist who seems to agree with me but she has to go by what she is governed by and she said I have to write a letter to the doctor to requests tests results and explain who they are for and why they want them and if a fee will be charged, she said they usually charge £10 to print off your results, it's so long winded just to get your results, the last doc I saw I asked if he would write down my last test results with reference ranges, when I took the piece of paper it wasn't till I got home that I realised he only put ref range on two of the results grrr!

Should just be printed off, I am just waiting to finish a health concern with the doc and then am looking for new GP.

[Marz]

Could it be that you are not feeling good on the T3 as your levels of B12 - Folate - VitD etc are so LOW. It is often posted here that everything needs to be OPTIMAL before introducing Thyroid hormones - if you want success that is. So fingers crossed when you have sorted your levels you will feel good on the T3. It all takes time

[misschris in reply to Marz]

Marz

I wish I could take this forum in with me, just to let them know that they are clueless on what they should be testing for, they just give you the meds and send you on your merry little way hoping that they don't have to see you again.

My doc wouldn't even know to check cortisol b12 folate ferritin before prescribing T3 and for most of us we don't know either, it's only when you discover Thyroid UK and it's fabulous members that we realise just how much we don't know and how much the G'Ps don't know. I'd be lost without the members on this site.

[Marz in reply to misschris]

It has taken me years to learn - and still there is so much to read and absorb.

We will be there with you in spirit - so Docs beware

Someone has just posted about VitD with a link to an article - I have posted replies with loads of links I have collected over the years

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[misschris in reply to Marz]

Thank you Marz I will add that to my other links that I need to read 👀