Arsed off with doctors ignoring blood results

[Outsidetheclickclack]

…because they are “just out of range” - therefore don’t need actioning

At some point, I presume some very clever people got in a room and decided the “normal” range for every blood test conceivable. So why is it ok for a doctor to look at results outside of the range and say “don’t worry about it”, “it’s only just outside”, Presumably the clever people have already agreed what is normal and what isn’t? So why does Dr Smith get to decide it’s actually ok and doesn’t need any follow up or treatment because it’s “nearly there”

In fact, forgive the Google search @CanSeeClearlyNowTheRainHasGone but it's clear any Dr seeing ptosis should be thinking about quite a range of conditions

@Outsidetheclickclack Do you mind if I ask which unusual bone you have fractured? I am having similar issues and trying to work out why.

Low ferritin causes suffering to women (extreme fatigue, hair loss, breathlessness etc.) When a doctor sees from a blood test that a woman has low ferritin (well below lowest boundary) but tells her its fine and nothing needs to be done there are only two possible explanations, either they are not educated enough to realise ferritin levels need to be higher (in which case I would be concerned how good a doctor they could be) or they know it causes suffering but don't care, which certainly seems like wanting to cause suffering. So which is it?

GPs are so annoying with ferritin levels!

My appallingly low ferritin had me at the point where I honestly thought I was going to have to give up work. I was barely functioning and struggled through every day. But it’s fobbed off as unimportant by a whole host of medical professionals.

And yes @bonnemaman1990 I bloody will doctor bash. My useless GP, my mum’s GP who failed to diagnose both her heart failure and Parkinson’s disease leaving her to suffer for years, my sister’s GP who diagnosed her pulmonary embolism as a chest infection and my other sister’s GP who diagnosed her DVT as a calf sprain. All utterly incompetent and not worthy of any respect.

I don't know how many times I'd been to a doctor (this was in the days when you could get an appointment) to try and get some help with my inability to breathe along with other very unpleasant symptoms. She said she had a student doctor in was that okay. Yes, I said. She left the room instructing him to listen to my lungs. He duly did, but they were the lungs right above my buttocks, not the usual ones. He told her they were clear. She tried to send me on my way and eventually, after my protestation that something wasn't right, gave me a prescription for three days worth of antibiotics with the instructions not to take them

I eventually saw another GP who diagnosed bronchitis, gave me the correct medication and said if I hadn't improved by tomorrow I'd need to go to hospital. Thankfully I managed to avoid that but it was a long, slow recovery. Sadly for his patients he is retired now.

Don't get me started on my low ferritin and anaemia which doesn't need mentioning let alone treating, despite me asking about it 🙄

The “normal range” is a rough guide usually based on the physiology of a white 40yo man. The result needs to be interpreted based on the patient, the symptoms and signs, medication the patient is on, other medical conditions they may have etc.

Demanding a doctor treat you because your result is “outside the normal range” isn’t a very good argument.

However, if you are symptomatic with a low ferritin and no improvement with over the counter vitamin supplements then it’s entirely reasonable to ask for prescription iron supplements.

My mum's bloods were 'just out of range' for about 5 years until one doctor looked at the trend and realised she should be further investigated.
Diagnosed MGUS, precursor to myeloma, will be under haematologist for life 🙁

I suppose interpretation takes nuance and a holistic approach, for example if one test was out of range once and no symptoms then it could be ignored. Or a metric is out of range, zero symptoms, zero cause found, that person is just a bit unusual (as Dr has had to conclude with me).

But several of yours are out and they should be helping you to get them better! Have you tied putting your results into grok in X? That provides good interpretation of bloods. Or another AI.

Yeah all of that will be making you feel like shit. You need high strength iron tablets for six to 12 weeks (possibly longer) and the pharmacy can prescribe them without the GP, especially if you discuss your results with them. Pretty cheap too.

I too have been told I'm NOT anaemic because my Hb was just over the threshold - that's fine, but if my ferritin is low and I have all the symptoms of iron deficiency... It's bloody iron deficiency causing my symptoms!

Talk to the pharmacist. Over the counter iron or Spatone won't do. If you can tolerate it, ferrous fumerate or ferrous sulfate.

https://bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/anaemia-iron-deficiency/ the BNF is your friend here, you can look for guidance on dosing to prevent anaemia. It takes 3-4 weeks to start to feel better once you start high dose iron (you need a fresh set of red blood cells to come through) but then you should really notice the difference.

They must be both crap at their job and uncaring. That’s the only possible conclusion we can reach here.

You can get same strength supplements over the counter or online though. Depending on whether you pay for a prescription its often cheaper to buy your own.

What would be the best form of iron for a ferritin level of 17? I am using the BetterYou high level spray, but don’t think this will be enough.

I’ve seen there’s a few forms of iron and now I’m confused.

Ferrous fumerate is usually better tolerated than ferrous sulphate but you could try either
take it with vitamin c, every other day (less side effects)

Thank you. I’ll try to get some tomorrow

my folate, at the same time as ferritin test, was 2.1 (should be over 3) and I was actually prescribed folic acid for 4 months so I don’t know why when the ferritin report said consider iron replacement the dr never mentioned it and the report says satisfactory, no further action.

@Gabbycat245 where do you get it from if you get it yourself please? Thanks.

@MundaneEasterBunny any pharmacist/chemist should sell ferrous fumerate if you ask for it.

Best ones are where they won't test you at all. Oh, everybody's deficient in vitamin D, you can't get tested for it, just buy some over the counter.

Excuse me? So finding out whether my level has increased from 9 or not isn't something you'd be interested in finding out? Seeing as last time you claimed there was no such thing as high strength vitamin D and the chemist would sell me 30,000 iu when the consultant wrote to you and told you to treat it? Personally, having osteomalacia sounds to be a quite significant thing compared to the average deficiency. And the two decades of steroids were probably something to take into account.

But hey, you're going to harangue me about getting my cholesterol done, even though you don't just ignore the results, you literally lie about not having the numbers but say grimly 'they're very bad'. And then I get the numbers and they're incredibly good, ldl/hdl ration and triglycerides. The lecture about not eating so many pies and biscuits when I'm fucking coeliac and haven't had a pie in 6 years as a result wasn't entirely welcome, either, any more than the assumption that I spend all day sat on my arse instead of working. Do a bit of washing up in the morning for exercise? Love, I've done 4000 steps by the time you walk into the surgery.

In 2019 I had some very abnormal blood results but nobody told me! Due to my many health conditions and allergies I don’t absorb vitamins well
By 2024 I was very ill and no one would listen so eventually had to go private - spent nearly £1k on blood tests alone and was instantly diagnosed with severe vitamin and iron deficiencies - the NHS now accept this but refuse to re test me and due to malabsorption my results soon drop below the pitiful NHS lowest limits
I self medicate with vitamins, pay privately for infusions, have had to have private dietitian help for coeliac, lactose intolerance and adopt a FODMAP regime to see any improvements and am still struggling to get a diagnosis - currently under neurology, rheumatology, 3 different consultants for variations of urology, renal and colo rectal - all of which are connected

I have gone for iron bisglycinate as it seems more agreeable stomach wise and I have IBS so figured I would try and minimise side effects. But I think the other stuff comes in higher doses so might work faster if you can tolerate it. I take a multivitamin every morning and iron every evening, both accompanied by vitamin C to try and aid iron absorption.