Active B12 blood test result - advice please

[thyroidquest]

Hi, could any of you clever people advise me? My active B12 test from blue horizon had the following result:

69pmol/L with a range of 25.1-165pmol/L, Does this sound ok? Thanks

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hin thyroidquest ,

Going just on the figures (which is what most GPs seem to be doing these days) this may be your answer

"Below 150pmol/L (200pg/ml). This level is most commonly used to signify vitamin B12 deficiency".

I am not a medically trained person and only "gleaned" the above from the following website having simply Googled" "active b12 test results". There are a few more to choose from.

google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j...

I wish you well for the future

[thyroidquest in reply to clivealive]

Thanks so much I hadn't seen that article. It looks like I might be a bit low. It's an interesting read. Best wishes ☺

[engels in reply to clivealive]

The numbers you have quoted are for the standard blood serum B12 test not the active B12 test.

[thyroidquest in reply to engels]

Hi Engels, ah yes, I see what you mean. Thanks!!

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Just curious as to whether you have been supplementing with b12 as I have read that this can affect the result of the Active B12 test.

active-b12.com/frequently-a... See 4th question.

[thyroidquest in reply to Sleepybunny]

Thanks when I had the test I wasn't, afterwards  I started taking Solgar sublingual, so I shall keep that up for a while to see if my symptoms reduce.. best wishes ☺

[Gambit62 Administrator]

There are problems with going on the numbers alone for both serum B12 and active B12 - little bit less significant with active B12 as it is looking at specific forms of b12 but a B12 deficiency isn't about the amount of B12 in your blood it's about how much is available to the cells that use it, so it is only an indicator.

On the numbers the results look okay but that doesn't mean B12 couldn't be a problem.

[thyroidquest in reply to Gambit62]

Thanks Gambit62, I will supplement for a while and see whether it helps

[engels]

Active B12 test ranges:

Below 25 pmol/L - deficient

25-70 pmol/L - indeterminate, follow up with MMA test

above 70 pmol/L - not deficient

viapath.co.uk/our-tests/act...

But, as Gambit62 says, they are just numbers. Symptoms are more important.

[thyroidquest]

Thanks again, so that would mean my results fall into the indeterminate category... I will look at the MMA test

[Jo5454]

Hi, I saw your post and was going to write the same ranges as engels has, as I've recently had an Active B12 test with St Thomas hospital ( Viapath). I found them to be really good as for £30 for the Active B12 (unless you're nearby and can attend for £18) as if it's between 25-70 it automatically goes for the MMA test for free-thus a cheap way of having MMA checked! 

They do offer an MMA test for £96, which I guess is useful if Active B12 is just above that range and someone wishes MMA to be checked, as I guess these ranges are not set in stone and MMA could still be high? Don't know if anyone on here has checked in this way after receiving an Active B12 result just below or above range and found this to be the case?

I agree it's the symptoms that 'should' count, and we keep reading about people whose results appear to be okay, that still improve once they supplement B 12 which proves it. My dr refused to accept my serum result of 261ng was a problem or linked to my symptoms and that they are all down to ME ( at this stage I have to keep an open mind and don't know whats going to improve, but it surely can't help being deficient in such an important vitamin!) so I went down the Active b12 route which was 27, and MMA 708, range being 0-280. Seeing as it was through an NHS hospital I guess that helped in me getting some treatment, I may never have fallen under 130 which is my areas range and really wouldn't have fancied feeling much more ill! 

I guess if it were me I might be considering gambling being in range for the £30 test, but then I haven't looked elsewhere to see the cost of the MMA, but think it generally is a more expensive test...I also avoided foods that day with high b12 like liver etc, but don't know if that has an effect or not? I would conside which tests you want to try before supplementing though...

Wishing you well...

[Secondchance in reply to Jo5454]

Did you need a GP referral for this? I might consider it for my daughter who has high B12 and high TSH, normal T4 to try to work out what is going on. I doubt GP would refer with high B12 though 😞

[Jo5454 in reply to Secondchance]

Yes, I did need a GP referral. I'd mentioned B12 many times but was getting nowhere! In the end I wrote him a letter, which after another 2 months, he gave me the go ahead. I did offer to pay, but he kindly did it for free in the end! What level is your daughters B12? Hope you soon get to the bottom of things, it's awful having to try to figure it all yourself isn't it...take care

[thyroidquest in reply to Jo5454]

Hi, many thanks for your detailed post. I did the blue horizon test because they didn't require a gp referral (and I thought I'd be unlikely to get one). But this test does sound good and excellent value in the long run. ..best wishes ☺

[Secondchance]

Her level is very high 8-900 so above range without any supplements. Sorry can't remember exact figure but have it somewhere. I got her tested as I was deficient. Surprised by result which has been high twice that it got tested.

Waiting endocrinology appointment re high TSH.

Thanks 😊

[thyroidquest in reply to Secondchance]

I hope your daughter feels better soon..🙏