? B12 Deficiency.

[Charash]

I have been having pins and needles in my hands/feet for a couple of weeks. Over the past couple months I have also been extremely tired and short of breath, as if I have to sigh or yawn to take a full breath in, I also feel faint and dizzy at times. However my GP said my bloods were normal and my B12 level was 300 (did not fast before) . I had been taking B12 oral supplements for 2 weeks before the test. Any ideas? Could it be false reading? I’m 21 years old.

[fbirder]

Fasting will have no effect on the B12 result.

Taking supplements will increase the B12 value if they’re absorbed. The fact that your B12 is close to the average suggests that they are getting absorbed. I’d recommend you keep taking the tablets and see if they help.

[Polaris]

Hello Charash

Unfortunately, supplementing with B12 tablets will have skewed your serum test results, and made it harder to get B12 injections, which is the recommended treatment in all the guidelines for the classic neurological symptoms of PA/B12def. you've described, to prevent permanent damage - 300 is not a particularly high result considering you have been supplementing .

If the cause of B12 def. is dietary, oral supplementation and a nutritious diet will usually suffice but, if you have an autoimmune condition, H/Pylori, or problems with digestion (coeliac, Crohns, gastritis, gastric surgery etc.), the condition is more complex as B12 from food is not likely to be absorbed, depletes over time and oral supplements are not usually absorbed either.

You could try writing to your GP with latest BMJ research document summary (full document behind a paywall) below which states that there is no reliable test and explain that, as you'd already been supplementing, blood levels will have inevitably increased but is no indication of whether B12 is effectively absorbed into tissues:

bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5226

Bottom of page 4 ' under, 'How is Response to treatment assessed' :

"Cobalamin and holotranscobalamin levels are not helpful because they increase with vitamin B12 influx regardless of the effectiveness of treatment, and retesting is not usually required."

.............

There are more links on the r/h side of the forum - particularly the Dutch results - which explain more about testing, B12 misconceptions and the importance of early and adequate treatment - it might be a good idea to join the PAS if you need more support to get the right treatment.

Many of us on the forum successfully self inject if you eventually decide this is the only course.

Good luck Charash

[Charash in reply to Polaris]

Thank you for your reply.

[BlueBoyMico]

I can't find my other posts on here to update them, but in short I came to this forum at the start of the year almost having been on proton pump inhibitors for over 2 decades and the exact symptoms you described plus a few other little bits. In essence I met the same resistance that a lot of people have with a GP that belonged in 200 B.C. I systematically eased off the PPI's whilst bumping up my iron and B's with supplements. I got ill lol Way too much B12 and widespread buzzing, weakness etc and ended up in A&E here in the UK. No diagnosis whatsoever. Sent home. Turns out I had gastritis, a bloated stomach lining not used to the 'normal' amounts of HCL in my stomach. I dealt with the reflux with over the counter antacids etc but eventually had to go back onto a very small, tweaked at home, dosage of Lansoprazole around 5-10mg daily. Back on my feet but the same symptoms to start with. I met with a new GP, a brilliant German man, and long story-short, the years of being a really active police firearms officer in the thick of it and years of motorcycle racing and the associated crashed and injuries with both pursuits in life.... I have cervical stenosis of C5 C6 and C7. MRI confirmed this and boy is that spinal cord kinked, I'm waiting for a surgery date now to replace the discs etc but all I guess I wanted to say to the OP and others is that symptoms of B12 deficiency, even if you're on any meds that will deplete B12 and appear to point to B12 and associated deficiency/anaemia please ask your GP to consider ANY other situations that may present similar symptoms. If you're EVER had neck trauma or back injuries, try to push them that way, they do seem more open to an MRI than the prospect of B12 shots for some reason.

The dizziness MAY be, in my case, a vascular reduction in blood flow also due to the spinal cord area compression and the shortness of breath, well C4 further up the spine can potentially add this type of symptom although I'm told mine looks ok, so I put it currently down to basic lack of exercise and gaining a bit of weight, not being very active at home most days.

After the operation, which I pray to every single God that ever existed lol I'll see what happens with regards to the dizziness etc. I'm hoping it sorts most/all of the tingling, numbness, weakness in left arm and hand and that heavy feeling when walking.