Multiple Sclerosis HOT MESS

[pumpkintoes]

Hello everyone! I am new here and not really sure what I am doing here, besides this is where Google brought me I have MS and have had it for 15 years. I manage my MS very well and keep a very close eye on all my medical issues. So when a new one pops up, I am all over it. I went to the neurologist yesterday and they talked about the possibility of my B12 being low. After testing found that it was actually at a 412. 3 years ago it was at a 755. Is it unrealistic to ask for injections? I did have gastric bypass 6 years ago, and have absorption issues with the pills.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

gastric bypass surgery is a red flag for developing B12 problems as it can result in damage to the ileum where most B12 is absorbed. An absorption problem can take years or even decades to manifest as a deficiency. The drop in levels is quite significant even allowing for the time change as your body tends to regulate levels in your blood using stores in the liver. I wouldn't expect a drop like that unless you had used up the stores in your liver.

In any case, many people with MS do respond quite well to B12 and sometimes MS can be a misdiagnosis of a B12 problem. There are some rare genetic variants that can mean people need much higher levels in order for processes in cells to run properly and may be that you fall into that category. It may well be worth discussing further with your neurologist. At the very least continue monitoring the B12 levels.

[Lorilee60]

I had gastric bypass surgery almost 11 years ago now. I was discovered deficient almost a year ago. To be honest, I am much better, but I have a ways to go yet. I have not been able to find any doctor to help me with my needs. I am self-injecting b12 because they only wanted to give me one shot a month (which is great had I not been deficient in the first place) but to get better it is not nearly enough. In hindsight, I should have kept up the monthly injections I did for the first 5 years - I wouldn't be in the situation I am in now. I can't go very long inbetween injections at all and neurological symptoms return. It is absolutely horrible in that this could have been prevented had I received decent medical advice.