HIGH b12 blood serum results,1221. - Pernicious Anaemi...

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HIGH b12 blood serum results,1221.

DD54 profile image
DD54
17 Replies

I recently had my blood work done after nine months of eating very healthy mostly organic nothing, nothing processed my results came back with hi b12 blood serum results. I think the range is approximately 200 to 911 and mine was 1224 and I'm very concerned and I'm not finding any information that is helpful. is anyone had a similar problem and I would love to have suggestions for some help with this

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DD54
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Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator

This might be of some interest/relevance

Article arguing that people high B12 levels should be investigated as well as low and also discusses functional B12 deficiency ... as not clear if you have signs of B12 deficiency or are just concerned about high B12 levels

qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/co...

pvanderaa profile image
pvanderaa

You can not be "too high" for B12. It is a water soluble vitamin and the body gets rid of the extra. I split my weekly cyano-b12 injection in half and take it twice a week at a lower dosage. I self inject so it is easy to control. My levels are well over 1500 which is the max the test actually measures.

For me, the level in my blood fluctuates with stress and thought. I also use 5000 mcg methyl-B12 sublinguals to supplement before meetings.

Are you supplementing with folic acid? I'm taking 4x 400 mcg twice a day. I've thought about changing this to 2x tables four times a day but it is harder to remember.

I also supplement with B6, biotin, TMG, D3 and a daily multivitamin.

Don't stress out over it being too high.

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514

I too have very high levels after I get half a shot once a month. Mine were 1800 last time. I know everyone on this site says it doesn't matter but for me the day of and the day after shot I feel awful. I plan my shots now when I know I can stay home till I feel better. Doctor said it doesn't matter because you pee most of the shot off. For me, I get lightheaded or dizzy and last time I had some vision trouble for a half hour. But no one thinks it from the shot. Your suppose feel better but that's not what happens in my cause so I guess it's all in my head!

shevie profile image
shevie in reply to Wienke514

Do you take folic acid? B12 will not work properly unless you have high levels of folic acid, b9.

_tracy_ profile image
_tracy_ in reply to Wienke514

Wieneke514 -- Like you, I also feel awful for 24 - 36 hours after a shot. Haven't figured out how to avoid this. Maybe the B12 is overloading my liver and my kidneys are working overtime to clear out excess B12. Or perhaps the methylation cycle is overdriven. Or something required in the methylation cycle gets depleted and it takes time for it to build up again (glutathione? BH4?). I just don't know. Believe me, I've researched this a lot and have not come up with any answers.

I too have high serum folate (mine was >24 ng/mL, range 13 - 17). High serum folate *might* mean you are deficient in B12 as it works hand in hand with B12. If there isn't enough B12 then folate levels can increase. High folate levels could also be diet (leafy greens are high in folate) or possibly produced by SIBO (bacterial overgrowth in GI tract).

I now supplement folic acid, iron, and B complex with a shot. I regularly take magnesium, vitamin C, and calcium. Keep your potassium level up as when the B12 kicks in to start making blood cells potassium is required in addition to folate and iron. You can feel sick if your potassium drops, too much of a drop can be life-threatening. The safest way to keep your potassium up is to eat lots of potassium-rich foods like bananas, coconut water, cantaloupe, avocados, jacket potatoes, do an internet search for other foods. Taking potassium supplements is risky, do this only under the care of a knowledgeable doctor. My HMO doctor never told me anything about needing to supplement, I learned it from a facebook PA support group I belong to (many in that group inject more frequently than you).

See the table on pg 1142 of this article, it shows that high folate levels are needed to minimize DNA damage (at least 21 ng/mL). The range given in test results is for normal people, not us folks getting B12 injections. So I'm now supplementing folic acid with shots even though my serum level has been high. Please note that some individuals say they do better with the activated form of folate, 5-MTHF, instead of folic acid due to genetics.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514

No, but my blood test showed my folic acid was in range so I don't think I need it?

Gambit62 profile image
Gambit62Administrator in reply to Wienke514

Ideally you should be aiming to keep your folate levels in the upper half of the normal range to ensure that you have enough folate to process all the B12 you are receiving.

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514

Thank you I'll talk to my doctor next time I go. Having stomach issues!

_tracy_ profile image
_tracy_ in reply to Wienke514

You might have SIBO, a bacterial overgrowth in your GI system. It's believed it could be behind IBS and Crohn's, causing gut pain. It might even be what's triggering a bad feeling after B12 injections.

Lately I've been having terrible stomach pains, so I asked my GI doc about getting treatment. I am now 2 days into a 10 day program with a special antibiotic. After that's done I'll start on a probiotic. I aim to keep my gut happy by changing my diet for a month or two once I start the probiotics. Some believe it's best to stay on your current diet during the antibiotics to encourage the little beasties to come out. When I start probiotics I'll switch my diet to discourage them from coming back. I'm now researching diets.

I am hopeful that this solves my bad reaction to B12. I self-injected this morning and so far have none of that awful feeling. I did inject less than usual, but so far haven't felt much of a twinge of that bad feeling.

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514 in reply to _tracy_

Hope you found your answer. I tried the antibonics and proboscis and that didn't seem to help me much. The doctor keeps saying I have IBS since I've had all the tests done for the pain, gasiness and diaherra and they all came back fine. He put me on a anxiety pill and I just found an over the counter pill called IBguard and I'm doing much better. I live in the U.S. So not sure where you live or if you can find it. I find it in drugstores. It has peppermint in it and it seems to calm the stomach and so far stopped the diarrhea. I've been feeling his way for over two years so no wonder I have anxiety. I Just found out in May that I have A-fib so that's a new concern I have. This getting older hasn't been so great!

_tracy_ profile image
_tracy_ in reply to Wienke514

I also live in the US. Peppermint is supposed to be good for the stomach. IBguard isn't listed on Walgreens web site (west coast pharmacy chain) so I'm not sure where I'll find it. May have better luck finding peppermint oil at a health foods store.

My doctor prescribed a drug called bentyl (dicyclomine) but side effects make my palpitations significantly worse. It also makes my anhidrosis symptoms (I don't sweat) worse. It does help with the abdominal pain though.

I think I may have dysautonomia/POTS which may contribute to my feeling poorly. Not sure why it gets worse after a shot but perhaps due to additional fatigue when B12 starts making new blood cells. My neurologist did a simple test (measured my heart rate and blood pressure sitting, and again after standing) but said I didn't have it. But I clearly have the symptoms.

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514 in reply to _tracy_

I get IBguard at CVS. It's a little expensive but at this point I don't care. It helps that's all I care about. I was surprised when they found the A-fib with me because I was thinking it was the heart palpitations from the Pernicious Anemia. Went to doctor and they did a EKG and sent me to the hospital where I spent 4 nights. After stress test it showed the heart was good but had A-fib. So was put on 9 more new pills for it. Now, I take 22 pills a day. Not happy about it and my have to do with so much stomach problems. But with the IBguard I'm doing so much better. Hope if you can find it, it will help you!

_tracy_ profile image
_tracy_ in reply to Wienke514

Thanks! I located some at a CVS in another city in the metro area where I live. I'm visiting a friend tomorrow and she'll pick it up for me. It isn't yet available in my city, so if it works I'll order it from CVS online. I hope it works, I dislike taking bentyl for its side effects.

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514 in reply to _tracy_

Glad you found it and hope it works for you. It says you can take 6 tablets but I only take 2 because of it's price. The 2 tablets seems to work for me and I take so many other pills now. Let me know if it works for you please. Take care!

Galixie profile image
Galixie

Did you consume a lot of spirulina? That contains a B12 analogue that the serum B12 test cannot differentiate from actual B12. It can make your serum B12 level artificially high. Unfortunately it is not a form of B12 that the body can activate, so a vegan who consumes a lot of spirulina can actually become B12 deficient but still have a normal or even high serum B12 reading.

Wienke514 profile image
Wienke514

Don't even know what spiraling is so I guess I don't consume a lot. I have to stray away from green leafy because I'm on a blood thinner for A-fib.

nutriaspire profile image
nutriaspire

age of 65 ,having high vitamin B12, blood pressure was always 190/120/even taking telma h 2 time ,and passing havey uine ,

pls suggest right suggestions

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