B12 Deficiency
Posted , 3 users are following.
I went to the doctors for years complaining about being exhausted all the time. Despite many blood tests which they say didn't show anything my doctors blamed it on my lifestyle - busy mum, 3 children, etc etc At age 39 I collapsed and was admitted to hospital with terrible abdominal pains and hourly collapses. I spent a week in hospital and was then discharged with 'we think you are depressed, here's some anti- depressants. I disagreed but they insisted I had depression. I saw a private consultant not long after who immediately diagnosed a severe B12 and foliate deficiency. They were dangerously low to the point of non-existent. No self help would have helped as malabsorption was the cause, which means I can't get B12 from natural sources. Sadly, the deficiency also kicked off early menopause. I also now have osteo-arthritis. I'm pretty appalled that doctors are still failing to pick up this deficiency which has long term and irreversible consequences. I'm also disappointed that they blame it on lifestyle and treat you like you are neurotic or just making it up. My advice to anyone suffering from unexplained tiredness is to go back and ask specifically for B12 levels to be checked. Your body is supposed to store 3 years worth while your liver is supposed to store 3 months worth hence 12 weekly injections I'm dependent on. Don't take the first answer and if needed, pay for a private app, is worth the few hundred pound .
1 like, 2 replies
clivealive 18jacqueline
Posted
Yet annother sad story about the lack of Knowledge within the medical profession about Vitamin B12/Folate deficiency and my heart goes out to you.
I am not a medically trained person but have had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years and I'm still "clivealive" and over 75. I lived for four decades in complete ignorance of what it was all about as I never knew anyone else who had it and none of the succession of nurses who gave me the injections or doctors I msaw for various other reasons ever aske me how I was coping. Then six years ago I joined the Pernicious Anaemia Society and this Forum and discovered that I was "not alone"
I wish you well for the future.
Gerb 18jacqueline
Posted
I agree with Clivealive. I'm now 82 and it took me many years to 'educate' my GP about Pernicious Anaemia. One of our new trainee doctors picked up the cause of my tiredness many years ago but the older, more established GPs seemed to have difficulty in recognising it. The practice nurse who gave me my injections every three months recognised that I needed more frequent injections. However, it took me quite a long time to convince my GP. I now have the injections at two monthly intervals and it has helped tremendously. The Pernicious Anaemia Society website it very good, do visit it. I do hope you soon feel a lot better.