B12 injections, informaation needed

[robbie4ever]

Hi I'm Robbie

I am a women.

One year ago I was diagnosed with Autoimmune Atrophic Metaplastic Gastritis. I believe that is spelled correctly. I currently receive 1000 units B12 injections monthly plus 1000 B12 supplements daily. My question is...Should I have labs done to monitor my levels of B12? Does anyone out there have this same diagnosis? If so, how is it being treated?

[Gambit62 Administrator]

where are you based - UK or somewhere else - treatment regimes differ - yours doesn't sound like a typical regime for the UK

do you know which type of B12 you are being treated with?

monitoring of B12 levels after you start loading doses isn't necessary and the serum B12 test results are pretty meaningless after you start loading doses and are on maintenance doses.

B12 isn't like insulin and you can't really overdose on it.

[Some people do respond to high levels of serum in their blood by trying to shut down the mechanism that allows B12 to pass into cells but this isn't picked up by the B12 serum test - aside from it coming back high which it is likely to do anyway as a lot of b12 has been injected into you. Most effective treatment if you do have this reaction is keeping B12 levels really high so enough does manage to get into cells.]

Best way to monitor whether you have enough B12 after you start injections is symptoms.

Have you seen improvement in your symptoms?

[clivealive Forum Support]

You may need to get your Folate level checked robbie4ever as this and B12 helps your iron to make red blood cells amongst other functions

[patsyhowe]

Hi. I was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia in my 20s - I am now 73yrs old. 3 years ago I was diagnosed with Autimmune Atrophic Metaplastic Gastritis, which is closely associated with PA. In my experience the 1000 units of B12 are enough to keep levels stable. As for the gastritis, I paid to see a Gastoenterologist (in the UK) to find out how to treat and live with it and how it would progress. He told me he could not help as no research is being done, either into PA or Autoimmune Atrophic Metaplastic Gastritis. However, I have found out as much as I can about the stomach, the gut, and what keeps it healthy and I have found the things listed below invaluable. Also, I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid recently and subsequently found out that this can really affect the stomach. I now take 50mgs of Levothyroxine so this could have helped my symptoms too:

- sub-lingual amino acid powder;

- sub-lingual multi-vitamin powder;

- sub-lingual CoQ10 powder;

- Amitriptyline 10mg (I keep this on hand and take one at night if stomach is painful).

Sub-lingual powders by-pass the stomach so are absorbed into the system quicker and better.

It would be great to hear from anyone else with anything else that helps.

[patsyhowe]

Hi. Forgot to say that I also take Folic Acid 800mcg - very important.