As usual, I want to say that I acknowledge there are some clinicians who treat B12 patients correctly, this sorry tale below only refers to those who don’t.

See below another shocker of a letter sent to a B12 deficient patient whose doctor is perhaps hard of hearing and it seems, in need of a little reassurance from a Consultant Haematologist. Lets be honest, he just wanted someone else to reinforce his own ignorant stance.

Here you can see that the GP has noted that his patient ‘developed symptoms which occur pre -injection and are relieved post-injection and is receiving the B12 injections every four weeks.’

Clearly I am no rocket scientist, however this statement is clear as day to me.

Put simply;

Patient is in pain and suffering, B12 injection is given, pain and suffering goes away –

With any other condition than B12 deficiency it might actually be that a GP listens to the patient, adds two & two together and thinks for themselves. (Actually it’s a similar story for thyroid patients too).

What should happen is this –

The GP makes the connection that the treatment given at a 4 weekly interval is just not cutting the mustard and so should think; let’s try every 3 weeks – or better still, I’ll ask the patient to tell me at what point the pain and discomfort return post injection and try and nip it in the bud for them by giving the injection way before the pain becomes unbearable.  Simple eh?

The reality is that those long years of medical training regarding listening to the patient and powers of deduction appear to go out of the window with B12 deficiency and two and two for many doctors, cannot be added up at all. They feel they have to call in the ‘big guns’ instead of making a decision all by themselves.

It makes no sense to a B12 deficient patient that such a letter even exists, it’s ridiculous and a complete and utter waste of time for all concerned, including the secretary and the postman.

The reason this letter does exist is because NICE Guidelines direct the GP to refer to haematologists;

http://cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-b12-and-folate-deficiency#!scenariorecommendation:4

For people with neurological involvement:

Seek urgent specialist advice from a haematologist.
Ideally, management should be guided by a specialist, but if specialist advice is not immediately available, consider the following:
Initially administer hydroxocobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly on alternate days until there is no further improvement, then administer hydroxocobalamin 1 mg intramuscularly every 2 months.

In my opinion, It would be far more useful to add (fully educated) neurologists and psychiatrists to this section of the guidelines since B12 deficiency isn’t a blood condition. Many patients never experience the enlarged red blood cells (macrocytosis) which lead to this mistaken idea that a haematologist would be best placed to treat a neurological condition.

So the consultant haematologist gives us the answer in the first paragraph but then concludes something entirely ridiculous in the rest of the letter – all that time at university and still not able to understand something so simple, it’s a travesty.

The haematologist doesn’t understand B12 deficiency at all, doesn’t understand that serum B12 blood values when on treatment mean nothing. They will almost always be what a doctor considers ‘normal’ even 4 -6 months post injection or even oral supplementation. This serum value does not indicate what is happening at a cellular level.

Both doctors completely forget the patient’s suffering and ignore what the patient reports.

The haematologist, clearly without any correct training on B12 deficiency regurgitates the same old rubbish peddled by so many clinicians;

‘no value in increasing the frequency of injections’ – Even though they solve the problem!

‘these are recommended to be given only every three months’ – Check again – this patient suffers from neurological symptoms so should be treated on ‘alternate days until there is no further improvement’ and then the maintenance dose is 2 monthly. (still not nearly enough for many)

‘she is being significantly overdosed’ – Completely impossible.

‘highly unlikely that this is related to B12 deficiency or B12 administration’ – I refer this dumbo to the first paragraph where the enormous clue lies.

The haematologist suggests, in their infinite wisdom, that the patient be referred ‘to a medical clinic for investigation’ – doesn’t this beggar belief??!

The cost involved in these unnecessary referrals just because there is a gaping hole in the curriculum for all health professionals is phenomenal, but it’s not the haematologists money being thrown down the drain is it? They still get paid for not being able to read, research or comprehend simple information and for taking the time to commit this rubbish to paper.  Outrageous.

B12 Reminders –

B12 is required by the body every day

B12 is a water soluble vitamin

B12 is not addictive

B12 cannot be overdosed

B12 is not a placebo

B12 is essential to life

 http://stichtingb12tekort.nl/wetenschap/stichting-b12-tekort-artikelen/english/treatment-with-high-dose-vitamin-b12-been-shown-to-be-safe-for-more-than-50-years/

If you want a crash course in B12 deficiency click here;  http://www.www.b12deficiency.info/what-to-do-next/

If you think all clinicians need to be educated on vitamin and mineral deficiencies click here;

https://www.change.org/p/dr-margaret-chan-who-niall-dickson-gmc-make-the-study-of-nutritional-deficiencies-comprehensive-and-compulsory-for-our-doctors-in-10-years-of-training-our-doctors-may-never-study-key-information

If you think our treatment would be better placed in our own hands please sign this too!

https://www.change.org/p/ian-hudson-please-make-our-life-saving-injectable-vitamin-b12-hydroxocobalamin-available-over-the-counter?

Raising awareness; http://www.www.b12deficiency.info/how-you-can-help/