Elevated b12, getting nervous

[Kesz226]

Hello!

I have been having difficulty focusing and so i wen to my pcp who ordered blood work. CBC came back with everything normal except my b12 was elevated - it was 1675 (should be high of 986)

I google this and only terrifying suggestions come up. By my pcp is not worrieD, and has referred me to a neurologist for my memory issues.

I'm only 30 and am now worried that I have liver issues or blood cancer.

Can someone please help me! What should I do? Should I be worried?

Other symptoms: lack of focus, fatigue and mild (very mild) depression (side note ive also been under immense personal stress)

Thanks!

[Hidden]

Hello there. I have had elevated B12 (+2000 in the last blood test) for at least 15 years now, and not one doctor has tested further, or been worried, although one did wag her finger at me and tell me to stop supplementing. This was of course completely the wrong advice. Of course, you should be tested further to rule out the scary stuff, but more likely than not it is a sign of the MTHFR gene mutation or a functional B12 deficiency, which means you are not using the B12 in your blood at cellular level. There are other tests that can be done (holotranscobalamin, MMA, or methylation pathways) which will confirm or infer a B12 deficiency. Then you should supplement - with cofactors such as folate, zinc, iron, copper, potassium, magnesium - until symptoms ease. Testing serum B12 while supplementing is pointless and reveals nothing.

[Kesz226 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you!! I will definitely be asking for a recheck in a month and requesting some follow up tests to ensure that my body is utilizing b12 correctly! Thank you again for your respons, it really helps put my brain at ease

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Kesz226 - a few questions

Are you being treated for B12 absorption problems with injections? - if so the most likely cause of your high levels is the injections - which will put your levels off the scale and then they will fall over time - in some cases it is quite slow.

Do you supplement B12 at all? If you are supplementing with high dose supplements? If so that may be the cause of the levels.

If the answer to both of these is no then I would suggest that you speak to your GP about looking at liver and kidney function - problems with both can lead to raised B12 levels - and the raised levels can be an early warning sign.

[Kesz226 in reply to Gambit62]

Thank. You for writing! No I have never supplemented or taken any b12 at all. I had a liver function test which was clear. My doctor said it was diet related and doesn't even want to retest which makes me nervous .... I feel bad pushing her but I just might need to

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Kesz226]

some people just do have high B12 levels - normal ranges are just averages and whilst they capture most people they don't capture everyone.

Do you have any symptoms of B12 deficiency - cellular deficiency is a potential consequence of high serum B12? B12 isn't toxic which means that one very effective way of treating in this instance is to raise levels even higher so enough does get into your cells for them to operate properly.

pernicious-anaemia-society....

Would your GP be open to retesting your B12 in a few months to see if it has changed. If it keeps rising then it would be indicative of a problem but if it is steady at around that level then it would imply that is just where you need it to be.

[Kesz226]

Thank you for your reply!! Yes they are willing to retest me which is nice. And it's nice to hear someone not saying "your GP stinks go to a specoialiat"

I was also taking antibiotics and the time of the first test which I've read can lower my b12, so that makes me nervous, bc it could possibly be higher.

As far as symptoms just fatigue and mental dog/ difficulty focus and very mild depression that comes and goes so it's not every single day ... thank you again for your input!

No physical symptoms like pain or anything

[pvanderaa]

How is your folate level? It’s a balance between folate and B12. Too low a folate level might increase your B12.

Anxiety is just another psychological symptom (of the mind) which is trying it’s best to function in a brain with neurological damage.

Treat it like any other symptom. Measure it and log it.

A logbook helps sort out cause, i.e. food, meds, drink from symptoms. There is a 3 to 48 hour delay due to the gut being involved.

Any gluten or dairy issues?

Edited: physiological to psychological

[pvanderaa]

Do you drink any if the energy drinks?