Diagnosis B12d

The current guidelines for treatment of Pernicious Anaemia (the old name for all B12 deficiency, coined in 1849) are changing rapidly.  We've been submitting evidence to the editorial board of British National Formulary (BNF) since 2006, and it may be this evidence that is changing the guidelines, there are a lot of coincidences in timing.

Hello

I was in contact with Hugh last year, as I was B12 deficient and macrocytic anaemic, but did not have classic PA, am not a vegan, and rarely drink alcohol, and was trying to understand what could be causing the deficiency.  Hugh asked me to keep in touch and let him know what happened.  I’m writing as I have some answers, and thought it might be use to other sufferers who do not have classic PA.

Many people ask us this.  We can help in lots of ways, but giving a diagnosis by email is dangerous, and you really need to talk to your GP.

We can offer advice, reassurance, information for your GP, and a place for your GP to refer you.  It is free to everyone, so if you have been helped or want to help others, please consider making a donation so we can keep up our work.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency are generally non-specific, that is, they could be caused by a number of different things.  It's only when you have a number of different symptoms, occurring at the same time, that it makes sense to look for a common cause such as B12 deficiency.

And of course your GP (General Practitioner, Family Practitioner, Primary Care Doctor) is always where you should start.  You may know your symptoms better than anyone, but your GP knows what to do about them - as long as you are prepared to discuss them openly and honestly.

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of interest in being able to measure the Active B12 level in the blood in order to diagnose B12 deficiency.

Guys & St Thomas' hospital now offer a test so that you can have this measured easily and reliably, and they have asked us to tell you about it.