Vitamin B12 deificiency

[Anmol_raj12]

I'm 23 year old vegetarian female from India. I was diagnosed with vitamin b12 deficiency 6 months before but I have this issue since last 5years but no doctor could understand it. I feel like tingling all over my skin, numbness in hand and feet to. I'm taking 1500 mcg vitamin b12 a day when my vitamin b12 level is 24pg/ml. Now I have been checked up yesterday in 3 labs.my B12 level varies. The report was 1679pg/ml, 1891pg/ml, 2000pg/ml. I m very confused which report is right..since I have no improvement at all, what to do..?? Further whether should i take B12 shot or not??

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Anmol_raj12 are you saying you had three serum B12 tests taken on the same day or spread over six months?

It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 you are supplementing starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with.

I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.

A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery. Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years. There is no set timescale as we are all different.

If you can get to see a doctor please also ask him/her to check your Folate level as this and B12 help your iron to make red blood cells and to function properly.

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.

[Marybrown06]

Hi, I think you should reduce B12 now.

1500 mcg is too much after a while, you should take 25 or 50 mcg now.

I am vegetarian too, have been taking supplements for 5 months (2000 mcg/day for 3 weeks a, then 1000, then 500, etc, and now 25 or 50 mcg/day), I feel better now. I realized that I had tingling, numbness, headaches when I take too much B12

[Anmol_raj12 in reply to Marybrown06]

Now I have not been taking any supplements for a week..it will create any problem?? Or should I take 25 or 50mcg tablet??

[Marybrown06 in reply to Anmol_raj12]

Hi, You should stop for a few days to see if you feel better (do you feel better now that you have stopped?) and then probably take 10 mg or 25 mg tablets daily if your diet is not rich enough in B12

[Anmol_raj12]

Yes m feeling better now..I take milk twice..nd sometimes egg. is it enough??

[Marybrown06 in reply to Anmol_raj12]

It depends

If earlier you ate the same amount of milk and eggs and had deficiency I would say you should supplement.

If you eat more milk, cheese and eggs now than before, it may be enough, but you should check your blood level quite often to be sure (and not go under 300).

In my family (we are all vegetarian), I have been the only one to have B12D, due to pregnancies and miscarriages. So you should be cautious and supplement if you become pregnant

[Anmol_raj12]

Okk thanku