I think your doctor asked for active b12 because that's the one that counts the way I understand it is serum b12 test will tell you all the b12 in your blood but you have inactive b12 which doesn't do anything and your active b12 that's the real one that matters and the one that counts not sure thought it was in the book written by martyn Hooper pernicious anemia the forgotten disease. I gave the book to my Gp to read so can't look it up for sure but go to the Web Site or try b12d.org it may clarify it a bit more.
Thank for your reply, yes you are right the active one is the one that matters, I was convinced my active one would be low as my serum one was low but the active one has come back high so I was a bit puzzled by it.
3 options in my mind:
1) You're not B12 deficient.
2) The supplement you were taking is still in your system, despite the 2 month gap.
3) Your problem with absorption is further down the line, i.e. transport defect or methylation cycle defect.
There is such a thing as haptocorrin (also called transcobalamin I) deficiency - B12 bound to haptocorrin is the inactive portion. This has been put forward as a reason why some people test low for serum B12 but have no symptoms of deficiency, because actually they still have plenty of the active stuff to do the job. There's an article about this here:
Thanks for the link but I would be lying if I said I understand it, it is a bit beyond me.
Yes my symptoms were better on the sublinguals for a while until I developed numbness on one side of the face and I thought I was having a stroke so G.P. sent me to the TIA clinic and I had a CT scan an all thankfully was O.K.
My daughter checked on the web and came upon a site that said too much supplementation can cause facial numbness lovetoknowvitamins.co.uk so that's when I stopped using it and decided to have the Active B12 test. Since I have stopped the sublinguaI I still had have the cheek numbness but nowhere near as bad.
Do you have an FBC and other blood results including thyroid? I think you need to go back to basics and look at the whole picture. Just had a quick look back on your questions and remember now that you had had low folate which rose when you took the b12. Have you had folate tested since you stopped taking B12? The FBC might also give clues - MCV, MCH, MCHC etc.
HbA1c levl - IFCC standardised - (NIC) 30 mmol/mol Normal No action
May 2013 now taking 100mcg levo
July 2013 TSH 0.25 range 0.35 - 4.70 T4 12 range 7.8 - 21.00
Sept 2013 saw endo increased levo to 125 mcg for 4 weeks then up to 150mcg but after 4 weeks on 150mcg started getting severe palpitations and internal shaking so cut back to 125mcg.
2 weeks later bloods taken on 3rd Dec. 2013 so result based on above dosage
TSH - 0.05 range 0.35 - 4.70 T4 13 range 7.8 - 21.00
T3 4.4 range 3.8 - 6.0
Endo said to take 100mcg one day 125mcg next.
Maybe these results may show some light on things.
Thanks for all your help again, very much appreciated.
Sorry I should have said the G.P. gave me the bog standard one with calcium, that is when I found this site and was told it would do nothing to raise the vit D as it only had 800 iu
I bought sublingual and started using 6000iu daily and with the sun we had in the summer by Sept. it has risen to 93 since then I have been on a maintenance dose of
Yes I will, I am now wondering if it the folate rather than B12 causing some of the symptoms, sorry to bother you again but do the other results look O.K to you?
• in reply to
Meant to say that, just my observation, but low TSH coupled with low T4 and T3 is often seen where there are nutritional deficiencies, so I think you are on the right track with correcting these things.
Many thanks, I am thinking of seeing someone privately in the New Year to look at everything.
Merry Christmas and A Happy and Healthy New Year.
browny
Hi Brownie, when you started feeling unwell in Feb 2013 fo you know what brand of levo-thyroxine you were taking? And had you just started a new batch?
I am taking Actavis, I have had a different brand before when I was first diagnosed nearly 3 years ago but I cannot remember which is was. When I started feel unwell earlier in the year I found I had low Vit D folate and B12 so started supplementing.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.