Tag Archives: bipolar

B12deficiency.info 2016 Conference 17th and 18th June – Education for all, B12, methylation and thyroid.

Posted on by

I am delighted to announce our second event and Sally Pacholok will be with us again!

email-banner

The conference will attempt to address the gaps in the diagnosing and understanding of these conditions and the effects on both physical and mental health.

Please note: This is NOT a two day conference, an identical programme will run each day.

Ticket price £62.00
Includes: Presentations, lunch, refreshments, attendance certificate for CPD and free on site parking.

This conference is for all with an interest in the subjects both personally and professionally.

If you are a patient you will learn more about your condition. If you work with people in any field of mental or physical health then this conference will provide high clinical relevance and an attendance certificate for CPD.

It has been arranged by Tracey Witty of www.b12deficiency.info to promote greater awareness and understanding of B12 deficiency, methylation and thyroid disease.

PLEASE NOTE: There is no sponsorship from, nor affiliations to pharmaceutical or vitamin companies at this event (or throughout www.b12deficiency.info).

The speakers are highly knowledgeable, experienced and engaging. They will discuss the multi-systemic and polyglandular nature of the conditions, diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

Q&A time with the speakers is scheduled.

In addition to our speakers we will hear from three patients who will present their own case studies.

Last years attendees said; – Thanks for organising the excellent conference, the speakers were all very engaging and enthusiastic. I don’t think I have ever been at a conference that so many people stayed until the end, especially on a Saturday!

– I am an acupuncturist and during the conference I realised that my training in B12 deficiency was woefully inadequate. Knowing so much more about B12 and methylation has completely changed my practice!

Meet the Speakers
Sally Pacholok RN BSN
Presentation on –
The effect of B12 deficiency on all body systems. Symptoms, causes, those at risk and common misdiagnoses.

Sally was a licensed Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and worked as a paramedic prior to and during nursing school.

In 1985 aged 22, Sally diagnosed herself with vitamin B12 deficiency, after her doctors had failed to identify her condition. Over the past two decades, she has frequently found untreated B12 deficiency in the patients she cares for and has campaigned to raise awareness of this all too common debilitating neurological condition.

During her presentation Sally will be using case studies to show how b12 deficiency affects people of all ages, including babies and children. She will also be reviewing the pathophysiology, signs, symptoms, risk factors, causes, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment.

Sally’s book inspired Emmy winning film producer Elissa Leonard to produce a documentary on misdiagnosed B12 deficiency in 2011 click to watch. Elissa then went on to produce a feature film based on Sally’s life click to watch.
Anne Pemberton
Functional Medicine Practitioner MSc, PGCE (Autism), RGN.
Presentation on –
Genetic Polymorphisms in Chronic fatigue and Autism: Supporting the role of B12 and Folate and their connection to HPU (Kryptopyrroles).
Anne spent the first 25 years of her working life as a registered nurse in cardiac intensive care. Her son’s diagnosis of autism and the lack of medical help was the catalyst for Anne’s decision to retrain as a functional medicine practitioner.

Anne is now the Course Director on the MSc in Nutritional Therapy at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York. She also runs a busy international clinic, with special interest in CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and autism.

Anne uses nutrigenomics data from 23andme.com alongside appropriate functional testing, in order to establish each person’s individual health requirements. She has co-written the first UK based practitioner nutrigenomics course in the UK which is delivered twice yearly in York and London. Anne has also co-authored a book with Dr Damien Downing ‘The vitamin Cure for Digestive Disease’.
Dr. Afshan Ahmad BSc, PhD.
Presentation on –
The effect of thyroid replacement in patients with ‘normal’ thyroid chemistry and clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Development for Vaccine Research Trust, a charity established in 1982 which supports research into why a group of people present with signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism but continue to have blood tests within the reference range. She co-founded Vaccine Research International Plc and helped Dr Gordon Skinner in his thyroid clinic in Birmingham, working closely with him in his dealings with the GMC. In 2000, they published a paper on the effect of thyroid replacement in patients with ‘normal’ thyroid chemistry and clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Afshan qualified with a BSc degree in Immunology and Microbiology from London University in 1983 and joined Dr Gordon Skinner’s vaccine research group at the Medical School, University of Birmingham in 1985, she completed her PhD in Medical Microbiology in 1999.
Dr Joanne Younge
Associate Specialist Old Age Psychiatrist.
Presentation on –
Audit on B12 and folate deficiency in the elderly.

Joanne graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast, in 1996 and is an Associate Specialist Old Age Psychiatrist in an NHS Trust.

Joanne is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Clinical Lecturer at Queen’s University in Northern Ireland. Her main interest is improving care for patients, either through quality improvement initiatives, using Institute for Healthcare Improvement methodology, or audit.

She co-authored ‘CBT for mild to moderate depression and anxiety’ in 2014 and an audit on improving patient safety, ‘The impact of introducing a Lithium care pathway’, was published as an example of shared learning on the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) website in 2015.

The introduction of an electronic care record, with better access to blood results, and improved insight into the potential impact of deficiencies prompted an audit into B12 and folate deficiency in the elderly patients referred to the local service. She is hopeful that the audit, presented at the conference, will have an impact on improving patient care in the future.

_______________________________________________________

To book your place click here

To read more please visit the conference page.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes, Tracey

Many B12 deficient patients would prefer ‘a dogs life’ when it comes to treatment

Posted on by

dooby-b12-text-version

Vets have a greater knowledge of B12 deficiency than the average GP.

Jasper wouldn’t be misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, CFS, MS, or bipolar (etc), in place of B12 deficiency.

He would not be given antidepressants for B12 deficiency induced depression.

He wouldn’t be considered to be a lazy hypochondriac.

He would have all of his symptoms taken into account and his improvement would be monitored.

He would not have to cry and plead for his B12 injections, or involve his MP. Shouldn’t humans be treated with the same level of respect and care?

I continue to work hard on the petition and I need some help please;-If you have written to your MP about your deficiency or the OTC petition https://www.change.org/p/ian-hudson-please-make-our-life-saving-injectable-vitamin-b12-hydroxocobalamin-available-over-the-counter?

please could you let me know their name in order that we can get all our MP’s to work together.

My MP has promised to help all she can, but there is strength in numbers so please get in touch.

For more info/research see below;-http://vetmed.tamu.edu/gilab/research/cobalamin-informationhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23535754/
J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2013 May-Jun;49(3):197-203. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5867. Epub 2013 Mar 27. Clinical and laboratory findings in border collies with presumed hereditary juvenile cobalamin deficiency.
Lutz S1, Sewell AC, Reusch CE, Kook PH.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1848001
Pediatr Res. 1991 Jan;29(1):24-31.
Inherited selective intestinal cobalamin malabsorption and cobalamin deficiency in dogs.
Fyfe JC1, Giger U, Hall CA, Jezyk PF, Klumpp SA, Levine JS, Patterson DF.Reply to my email request for information;-

Dear Tracey,

Thank you for your email question. As you know our understanding of the role of vitamin B12 in dogs is far from complete, but there are several clinical diseases in which we know deficiency may occur. During our undergraduate Course, students will be taught about vitamin B12 in several modules eg nutrition and gastroenterology, as well as on clinical rotations when they see cases in practice.

If deficiency is present recommendations for dose rates vary but usually weekly injections are given for several weeks.

I hope this is helpful

BVetMed CertVR CertSAO FRCVS
Associate Professor in Small Animal Clinical Practice

Best wishes, Tracey

B12 deficiency can strike at any age, it is not confined to women over 60

Posted on by

 

b12-child-port

Signs & symptoms in infants and children
(List supplied by Sally M Pacholok R.N & Dr Jeffrey Stuart co authors of ‘What’s wrong with my child?’) 

• Developmental delay or regression
• Apathy – Irritability
• Hypotonia (decreased muscle tone)
• Weakness
• Tremor
• Involuntary movements
• Seizures (fits)
• Ataxia (Neurological disorder affecting balance, coordination and speech)
• Anorexia and other eating disorders
• Failure to thrive
• Poor weight gain
• Poor head growth
• Poor socialisation
• Poor motor skills
• Language delay
• Speech problems
• Lower IQ – Mental retardation
• Anaemia
• Macrocytosis (large red blood cells) Note – need not be present!

 

For more information on ‘Red Flags‘ in children please visit

www.b12deficiency.info/children-and-b12/

 

b12-child-land

 

Please see our posters page to share, download and print these posters.

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

Best wishes, Tracey

Go away and die quietly, we’re busy

Posted on by

It is rare that I am lost for words – however, I expect after reading this, you might be struggling too.
The below text is a summary of a patient’s experience just last month. I am paraphrasing but the message is very clear. The quality of life of B12 deficient patients, at least to some doctors, simply doesn’t matter. Their pleading for help falls on deaf ears at this particular practice.

Are you sitting comfortably?  Here we go –

We had a meeting about treating your ‘normal’ serum B12 level of 334 with B12 injections but have decided that even though you tested positive to parietal cell antibodies years ago, that you are;

HEAVILY SYMPTOMATIC and can demonstrate that your;

7 cardiac arrests, 
One major heart attack, 
Pulmonary embolism, 
Over TEN lengthy stays in psychiatric hospital with added ECT treatment, 
A lifetime of complete exhaustion, 
Diagnoses of PND, CFS, fibromyalgia, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and, wait for it, – ‘Treatment resistant depression’ could all be directly related to B12 deficiency –

WE CANNOT POSSIBLY TREAT YOU WITH A HARMLESS, LIFE GIVING VITAMIN B12 INJECTION THAT YOU DESPERATELY NEED. 

We have decided that although we prescribe many chemical ’off license’ drugs to hundreds of people, including you, at this practice (and mainly to those patients with poor mental health), without batting an eyelid, that we cannot prescribe B12 injections to you because it would be considered to be ’OFF LICENSE’ and we might get slapped wrists.

We as a practice, are all sticking together in this so you have NOWHERE to go even though you have shown us there could be great risk to your health without B12.

We have completely ignored the NEQAS report you gave to us; 

http://www.ukneqas-haematinics.org.uk/content/News.asp?id=46
False normal B12 results and the risk of neurological damage (Please click for details)
“In the event of any discordance between clinical findings of B12 deficiency and a normal B12 laboratory result, then treatment should not be delayed. Clinical findings might include possible pernicious anaemia or neuropathy including subacute combined degeneration of the cord. We recommend storing serum for further analysis including MMA, or holotranscobalamin and intrinsic factor antibody analysis, and treating the patient immediately with parenteral B12 treatment.”

We have ignored the all the journals backing up your research.

We have also ignored the NHS website stating that many B12 deficient patients have within range results due to the inaccuracy of the serum B12 test;

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-vitamin-B12-and-folate-deficiency/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx
‘A particular drawback of testing vitamin B12 levels is that the current widely-used blood test only measures the total amount of vitamin B12 in your blood. This means it measures forms of vitamin B12 that are “active” and can be used by your body, as well as the “inactive” forms, which can’t. If a significant amount of the vitamin B12 in your blood is “inactive”, a blood test may show that you have normal B12 levels, even though your body cannot use much of it. There are some types of blood test that may help determine if the vitamin B12 in your blood can be used by your body, but these are not yet widely available.’

Instead of giving you HARMLESS, LIFE GIVING, B12 injections, we would rather you continue to take the countless, expensive and harmful drugs which we are completely happy to prescribe for you, despite your protestations that they don’t work. 

We are also completely happy with the labels we have given you, despite them being common misdiagnoses of vitamin B12 deficiency. 

We are rigid, we cannot muster any compassion or understanding and won’t do our own research, we simply can’t be bothered. We don’t care that you merely exist, have been chronically ill for decades and live less than half a life.

We do hope you understand our position? 

Now, can you run along and stop wasting our time? We are very busy and very important GP’s. We have lives to save, don’t cha know?
_____________________________________________________________________

Well what the hell do you do with that??

This patient is someone I know. I went to one shocking appointment with them.

I am completely astounded that this patient has the capacity to continue with life despite the trauma, pain and neglect they continue to endure.
This patient deserves care, compassion, understanding and B12, and quite frankly, an enormous medal!

During the appointment I attended, we challenged the GP when it was stated that, for this patient, B12 injections would be ‘Off License’.  There was no budging this unfeeling, uncaring, unknowing, cardboard cut out.

Can anyone enlighten me as to why or how b12 injections can be considered ‘off license’ for a heavily symptomatic B12 deficient patient?

Can anyone from the medical profession explain why exactly, patients have to jump through hoops to achieve a diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency? The current rationale almost completely ignores symptoms and decides everything on a blood test which is proven to be inaccurate.

Why is it that other conditions have no diagnostic blood test and yet the GP and specialist are completely confident in diagnosing based upon symptoms alone?

How can any clinician feel comfortable diagnosing ‘lab test free’ conditions such as Fibromyalgia, bipolar, schizophrenia, CFS, ME, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s etc, without fully and I mean FULLY, ruling out vitamin and mineral deficiencies? It just doesn’t make any sense.

There is something gravely wrong here and this horrendous, cockeyed situation has to come to an end soon, surely?

Although some of us have GP’s who treat us well for B12 deficiency, the shocking case detailed here is not isolated and is a tale to be continued……..

If you too are fighting complete ignorance please find support here;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174928999276739

If you think you may be deficient please use this page;
http://www.b12deficiency.info/what-to-do-next/

If you want to help us to cut out the middle men who don’t, or won’t care – please sign and share and shout about this petition to help us treat ourselves –

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

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

See below for more information on the common use of ’unlicensed medicines’.  A particular worry is that Metformin is being used for the treatment of urticaria as well as PCOS. I wonder if these prescribers are checking their patient’s B12 levels since this drug drags them down by stopping B12 absorption from food? I bet they’re not.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Polycystic-ovarian-syndrome/Pages/Treatment.aspx

Metformin isn’t licensed for treating PCOS in the UK, but because many women with PCOS have insulin resistance, it can be used “off-label” to encourage fertility and control the symptoms of PCOS.

http://www.ipswichandeastsuffolkccg.nhs.uk/Portals/1/Content/Members%20Area/Clinical%20Area/Medicine%20managment/Drugs%20and%20Therapeutics%20Advisory%20Group/Share%20care%20agreements/Valprorate.pdf

Preparations available and licensed indications
Valproate is available in the UK as sodium valproate (Epilim), licensed for epilepsy and semisodium valproate (Depakote), licensed for the acute treatment of mania.
Even though, neither formulation of valproate is licensed for use as a mood stabiliser, there is a significant body of evidence supporting its use.

B12-life-web

B12 and Thyroid conference 2015 – an enormous success, incredible feedback and a game changer!

Posted on by

I want to say a huge thank you to the fantastic four; Sally Pacholok, Lorraine Cleaver, Umahro Cadogan, and Dr Malcolm Kendrick – who all have more than one thing in common;

A passion for educating and exposing truth, unflappable tenacity and humour!

Sally Pacholok, as we with B12 deficiency know, is an inspiring educator who diagnosed her own condition and is completely dedicated to raising awareness of this condition. The vast amount of information Sally imparts in just 2 hours, is incredible.

Her time in the UK was spent working almost solidly and even during her sparse free time managed to help patients in a profound way. Anyone reading this who would like Sally to speak at an event then please get in touch, you won’t look back!

Lorraine Cleaver told us of her shocking experience of thyroid disease, her planned suicide and her road back to health after appalling treatment due to ignorance. She also recounted Jill’s story, which echoed her own experience as Jill remained undiagnosed with B12 deficiency and Graves disease for years. Jill was subjected to ECT (Electroconvulsive therapy) in place of what her body required. This presentation was profoundly moving.

Umahro Cadogan became so ill in his teens that he too had to become his own doctor. He has made it his life’s work to educate himself and others on nutrition and nutrigenomics. His presentation on methylation, a hugely complex subject, was expertly delivered making it accessible to all.

Dr Malcolm Kendrick talked about the shocking state of accepted medical data. He is the kind of GP we all want, sensible, caring, humorous. He sorts the wheat from the chaff and is determined to shine the light on the dark corners of medicine. I have followed his blog for years and if you don’t already, then sign up!

IMG_9888

Pic. Dr Jeffrey Stuart, Sally Pacholok, Umahro Cadogan and me.

Just a couple of hours after the conference emails started to arrive from delegates and I was stunned and delighted, here is the first;

“ Thanks for organising the excellent conference today. I was delighted to attend and learnt a lot and met some lovely people. The speakers were all very engaging and enthusiastic.

I don’t think I have ever been at a conference that so many people stayed until the end, especially on a Saturday! That is testament to the line-up you organised. Well done. I hope it makes a difference.“

 Dr J Younge –

Well, judging by my inbox there has already been a huge shift – the day really can be labelled ‘A Game Changer’!

Dr J Younge sums it up perfectly, the delegates were completely engaged right up until the end.

For those of you who attended you will know that there was an impressive (and surprising) number of health professionals across all disciplines who attended and who thankfully took the time to write;

“Congratulations on organising a really interesting day.

The speakers were excellent and inspiring and gave us plenty to think about!”

Dr S Williams

For those of you who couldn’t attend – I promise there will be more events in the future. (I have never done this before, but I really enjoyed it!)

It worked because of the quality and mix of the speakers, and because of the connection between all of the subjects. Those who came are now determined to make a change.

It was a fantastic day and I have learnt a lot about how to make it even better next time.

Heartfelt thanks to Dr Jeffrey Stuart and of course to Damian Witty.

Thanks to all who supported me in organising this event – you are priceless!

Tracey x

www.b12deficiency.info is my passion, highlighting the effect on mental health, fertility, pregnancy and children is a must.

 

If you want to help us to access Hydroxobalamin OTC please sign and share this petition.

Lets continue to work together, we will make a difference, please contact me if you would like to learn more.

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