You might have heard about the Schilling Test at some point in your life, but as obvious you have no idea about this test. Well, Schilling Test is basically a medical test which is carried out just to find out that how Vitamin B-12 is getting involved with your body.
If you think that this test is just an ordinary one, and it does not require to be carried out then you are all wrong because Vitamin B-12 is really necessary for your body. Because this vitamin is really necessary to form Red blood cells in the human body. As you know that red blood cells are really necessary for your body to carry oxygen around your body, and they have to keep producing continuously, and that is all possible due to Vitamin B-12.
But a time comes when your body stops producing healthy red blood cells which could result in death as well, and that occurs when your body has a deficiency of Vitamin B-12, and that condition is named as Anemia.
Why Schilling Test is required?
So here Schilling Test is being required to find out that if that vitamin is working properly in your body or not. Besides due to this Schilling Test you can also analyze that if there is a deficiency of Vitamin B-12. So for this purpose, there is a stage of the Schilling Test in which samples of urine are being analyzed.
Further there is another protein which helps for your body to absorb Vitamin B-12 from the food or medicine you take, and actually, it is that protein Intrinsic Factor that absorbs Vitamin from food to your body. This protein is produced inside your stomach, and due to the Schilling Test, you can find out if that protein is still being formed or not. And the disease which is discussed above is the result of a deficiency of this protein at the back end.
Further, it is really necessary for you to find out that what you should do before this test is being carried out.
How Schilling Test is carried out?
Usually, people get Vitamins directly with some kind of injections, to fulfil the deficiency. So even if you are having any Vitamin deficiency but still you cannot take any kind of those injections of Intramuscular 3 days prior to before Schilling Test is being carried.
Further, you can have any kind of fluid, but you have to avoid any solid food for more than 10 hours before Schilling Test is being carried out. Once you are done with the test then you are free to have any kind of medicine or food. Next comes the real method by which Schilling Test is being carried out. This whole Schilling Test is being divided into 4 different stages, and the result of each stage depends if it is necessary to carry out the next stage.
This Schilling Test is not something that is going to get over in a single day, it might take a few days. So you really need to have patience.
Stages of the Schilling Test
During the first stage Radiolabeled dye is being injected in your body mixed with Vitamin B-12 supplements. Radiolabeled dye basically includes a minute amount of radioactive material in it which is harmless for your body. And due to this Radiolabel doctors can easily keep the track if the amount of vitamin B-12 is being dissolved in your body in a proper way or not.
After 1 or 2 hours another supplement of Vitamin is being injected inside your body, and this time this does is going to help doctors to analyze the capacity of your body to absorb an amount of Vitamin B-12. After that, you can go back to your home, and you have to get back to the doctor’s clinic after 24 hours with your urine sample.
And on the basis of this sample doctor is going to declare if your body has a usual or irregular Vitamin absorption rate.
2nd Stage of Schilling Test
If the result is not satisfactory then the doctor will move to the next stage of the Schilling Test. In this stage, this time radiolabeled dye is injected with the combination of that protein intrinsic factor. And on the behalf of test results of stage 2, the doctor is going to declare if you need to move on to further stage or if you have anaemia.
In order to find the test results, you have to deliver a urine sample once again after 24 hours. After that stage 3 of the Schilling, Test is being carried out. During this stage, it is being diagnosed if there are any harmful bacteria inside your digestive system due to which there is a deficiency of Vitamin inside your body, and here the same method is being used once again. But just to keep you safe from an excess of radioactive material there will be a break of at least more than 14 days.
And during his time, you have to take antibiotics as well.
Final Stage of Schilling Test
Then comes forth and the last stage of Schilling Test. During this stage, it will be the final reason to find out the cause of deficiency of Vitamin B-12 inside your body. And the final reason would be the problem in your pancreases, and for this stage, another break of more than 72 hours is being taken, and during this time to have to take Enzymes for your pancreas, and after that course is being completed then you have to further take another dose of Radiolabeled dye.
And the same procedure goes for sampling as well. Now you need to understand how doctors are going to identify that if the Schilling Test is normal or abnormal. Well in your urine sample if there are traces of Radiolabel for at least 40% then it will be considered as normal otherwise it will be abnormal. And the result of abnormal condition could anaemia which is already discussed above, liver damage, hypothyroidism, biliary or celiac diseases, bacterial infection, or due to your pancreas. Now you have to make sure that you go through every instruction given by a doctor, and act on it accordingly.