New here! B12 HELP

[mc88]

Hi

Hoping someone can help!

hyperthyroidism - 75mg thyroxine

B12 deficiency - 10 weekly injections for past 16 months

Haemochromatosis – no blood letting

I asked my GP if I could have the B12 injections every 10 weeks as I start to feel the B12 hangover by week 8.

GP advised this shouldn’t be the case as the medication is designed to keep steady levels.

Also advised my B12 levels should be between 1000 and 2000 due to having the injections. But my levels are 307.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Thanks

M

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi mc88 has your Folate level ever been tested?

[mc88 in reply to clivealive]

Hi

I am not sure, would this be tested along with my thyroid and b12 bloods?

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to mc88]

I doubt it though it may have been tested along with the B12 - or not at all. You may have to request it be done.

It is important that your Folate level is monitored as this is essential to process the B12.

There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.

Symptoms of a folate deficiency can include:

symptoms related to anaemia

reduced sense of taste

diarrhoea

numbness and tingling in the feet and hands

muscle weakness

depression

Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body and your B12 levels appear to be at the lower end of the range.

I am not a medically trained person but I've had P.A. (a form of B12 deficiency) for more than 45 years.

I wish you well

[mc88 in reply to clivealive]

Thanks for your reply, way back at point of diagnosis I had intrinsic factor tested but I am sure that is all.

I am going back to GP in a few weeks so will ask to have folate tested

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to mc88]

Well done.

Sadly the Intrinsic Factor Antibody (IFA) test is unreliable in that it gives false negatives in people with PA half the time. So a negative result doesn't mean that you don't have PA. However, a positive result is a sure-fire, 95% certain indicator of PA.

The same with the serum B12 test - it only measures what is swirling around in your bloodstream not what is actually getting into the cells.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency tend to develop slowly and may not be recognised immediately. As the condition worsens, common symptoms include:

Weakness and fatigue

Light-headedness and dizziness

Palpitations and rapid heartbeat

Shortness of breath

A sore tongue that has a red, beefy appearance

Nausea or poor appetite

Weight loss

Diarrhoea

Yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes

If low levels of B12 remain for a long time, the condition also can lead to irreversible damage to nerve cells, which can cause the following symptoms:

Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet

Difficulty walking

Muscle weakness

Irritability

Memory loss

Dementia

Depression

Psychosis

Are your symptoms similar to the above?

However your thyroid problems may put you at risk of developing a Vitamin B12 deficiency and it's probable that your doctor will know that.

Take care now

[Gambit62 Administrator]

B12 levels aren't particularly useful after B12 injections as normal range doesn't really apply - what is important is symptoms - though its difficult to unravel when there are other conditions that have similar symptoms such as hypothyroidism.

Some people will be fine with levels of 300 even after injections but others won't be fine with levels in the normal range.

How long after your loading shot was the blood test taken. 300 is generally on the low side for someone who is on B12 shots?

If you have a B12 absorption problem then your levels are astronomic just after and then gradually drop over time so not sure what your GP might mean by 'keep levels steady' its not a treatment that will do that. He may be referring to the levo ... though the normal range isn't that good a guide if you are on levo.

If you have the results for thyroid then suggest that you post them on the TUK forum

healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

[mc88]

Update!!

Had bloods repeated last week and got results today. Also should have said I’m 29

Vitamin B12 ng/L - 535

Serum folate ug/L - 3.4

Serum ferritin ug/L - 57

Transferrin Satn 19%

Thanks in advance

Megan