How often to get vitamins and minerals blood tests

[Mariaj123]

Hello everyone,

Just a quick question .... How often do you think we should ask for our vitamins / minerals to be tested ? I last had mine done about a year ago.

I'm due to have a tsh test done in a few weeks and I asked if my vitamins and minerals need / should be tested but the doctor said oh no that doesn't need to be tested again for a couple of years ???!!! Seems a bit long time not to retest !?

Any thoughts would be great many thanks

Maria

[Nanaedake]

There are different requirements for different vitamins. It depends on why you needed to supplement and the type of vitamin.

[bluebug]

If you are in the UK vitamin and mineral tests are done by the NHS based on clinical need. This means unless you show signs and symptoms of a vitamin or mineral deficiency then you won't be tested again if your levels are considered "normal". While undergoing treatment to improve levels you should be retested but GPs will not always do that.

For example with iron deficiency anaemia you should have your heamoglobin levels tested 6-8 weeks after starting supplements to see if the supplements are working but some GPs don't bother, they also don't bother to find out why you have a low iron level in the first place and many don't look at your ferritin levels. Then if you have to continue to have low levels of iron or end up with iron anaemia deficiency again quickly they should then ask advice from a specialist or refer you to a specialist, but most do not bother as they see iron deficiency anemia as common so ignore the fact there are emergency admissions for low iron levels. If you end up taking iron supplements long term it is normal to have blood tests every six months until the menopause or for life. However even when GPs are advised by specialists to do this they can refuse.

With vitamin D if you are severely deficient e.g. level under 25nmol/L you should have a blood test 6 months after taking high dose supplements and going onto a maintenance dose, then be sent to a specialist if you show no improvement in vitamin D levels. Regardless if you are prescribed high dose supplements by a clinician in the NHS you should have a yearly vitamin D test but as the NHS can't afford it they don't retest until you have signs and symptoms of deficiency again. It is therefore left to you to get privately tested for vitamin D every year.

Vitamin B12 levels are more complex as the serum tests just show how much Vitamin B12 is in your blood not in your cells. The test isn't also a good guide to deficiency as some people have symptoms and signs as they aren't absorbing vitamin B12. So the guidelines including NICE ones state not to repeat serum vitamin B12 tests once the patient has started supplements. However lots of GPs ignore this as they aren't aware they should be using a complete/ full blood count and going on signs and symptoms then asking a specialist for advice/referring on if they aren't sure.

[MarthaF]

I asked for ferritin, folate, vit d and b12 two years ago with my old doctor, following reading advice on thyroid uk, she was fine about it and turned out I was severely deficient in b12 and vit d, plus low in the others. She gave me high dose vit d and I sourced my own b12. When I asked for a follow up test three months later, she said we don't do them.

Year later, go to new doc at same practice asked for blood test for thyroid, got the full vit panel included which I didn't ask for so I think he must have just gone for the same panel as last time.

Nine months on from that, see another doc, feeling unwell and got the full blood test again without asking. So I guess my conclusion is that it is completely arbitrary. Not sure they are aware of their own guidelines. Or maybe worth trying another doc?