I was diagnosed with PA & Celiac Disease last October after being sick for more than 6 years. 4 of which I could barely put one foot in front of the other let alone remember why I was trying in the 1st place.
Every doctor I saw immediately prescribed antidepressants, (which I refused to take) stating that my IDA wouldn't cause the symptoms I described, and NEVER testing me for anything else.
It was hell.
Thankfully, I now have a team of doctors who listen.
My question is, will the B12 in my multivitamin make it seem as though I'm getting enough b12 along with my injections? Without intrinsic factor isn't it rendered useless? Should I stop taking the multi & find a different one?
I'm on injections but they're still testing me. I went from weekly to monthly, then bk to weekly, now they've got me trying every other week to see how I do.
My Dr has mentioned that there "seems to be more of an absorption problem" whatever that means. Cellular level??
I don't know, I just don't want the useless B12 in my Vitamin to make it appear as though I'm getting enough if I'm not.
🤔 Does that make sense?
This site has helped me tremendously! Thank you all so much!! 💓
😘
Written by
esteloca
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Is, as you say, you have PA then the multivitamins will do you no good at all. That’s because PA causes an absorption problem - your body cannot absorb the B12 in your gut, either from food or pills.
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If your pills contains a sensible amount of vitamins (about 100% of the recommended daily amount) then they contain one two-hundredth the amount of B12 in your injections. And it’s not going to be absorbed. Any effect it might have will be insignificant.
When you say they’re still testing you - what are they testing? Because testing blood levels is pointless. What they, and you, should be doing is to see what frequency of injections keeps your symptoms at bay. After all, that’s the important thing.
Thank you. They're still testing me because even with frequent injections my b12 is not coming up "as expected".
They're testing B12 levels and markers for B12 deficiency along with everything else. (Folate, iron, vitamin d, hemoglobin, platelets (which are always high, thyroid etc)
I have frequent iron infusions, have for 2 yrs & still can't keep iron up either.
I've been on 50,000 iu of Vitamin D/week for almost 2 yrs and it's only come up to 30...
I have a history of Ida anemia w both large and small rbc's along with teardrop shaped rbc's. Sigh I don't know what all is wrong w me.
It just seems like I have some other absorption problem or a prob w the way my body functions period but nobody can figure out what the heck it is.
My gastro said "you definitely have something else going on". My hematologist and gp made similar comments and when I asked what, my hematologist sd "well, that's what we're trying to figure out".
I know that PA & Celiac Disease both cause/are absorption problems but I'm on a strict gluten free diet & upper/lower gi shows my gut has healed...
All that said, I do feel alot better than I did before my diagnosis, maybe I was just too sick for too long.
Sorry for the long and confusing reply, I'm just pretty confused in general lol.
Thanks again for taking the time to read and reply to my post!! 💓😘
If you’re having regular injections, yet your serum B12 is remaining low (say, less than 1000 pmol/L) then it’s not an absorption problem. You absorb 100% of what’s injected.
If I were the doc I would start investigating elimination problems. Because it sounds like you’re putting a lot of B12 into your body and it’s not staying there.
However, it can take a long time for a B12 deficiency to recover. Some symptoms may never go. So I’d stick with the frequent jabs and see how your symptoms progress over several months.
Hello I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through all of this. I completely understand i too have celiac as well and since I had my baby 14 mo ago i have become refractory. I too take many iron infusions daily b12 and folate. My last b12 only got up to 1000 even with sometimes 2 x daily injections and i had a big shot a few hours before the test. I also have low D and clinical scurvy. It is very frustrating... I am unable to absorb so I am on weekly vitamin infusions prescribed by my endocrinologist. I do not take any vitamin supplements orally only some pancreatic enzymes that are certified GF. I get a mixture of infuvite, vit c, and a bunch of other stuff to help get me up on my feet. I do notice a huge interplay of the iron and the b12. When i have an infusion i have to up my b12 injections to twice daily or the neuro symptoms are so severe i cant get up. I hope this helps please let me know if u find anything that works. I have been on a very strict paleo no processed foods diet for 7 years even packed my own food to the hospital. Hang in there hope you feel better soon
Thank you so much. It helps to know I'm not alone in this especially when it seems like everyone's heard of Celiac disease and all the deficiencies we suffer from but no one has a clue what we actually go through. I even saw a registered dietician who read a pamphlet to me because she wasn't "very familiar with it". I told her thanks but I know how to read. Still can't believe I sat through that appointment lol. (No one in my area specializes in CD)
I AM SO SORRY you've become refractory. It must be terrifying/maddening/exhausting but then again we celiacs are a strong bunch.
Keep your head up (easier sd than done, I know!) and if you ever want or need to vent, I'm here. You're welcome to shoot me a msg anytime. I know it's all incredibly hard!!!!
Thanks again for sharing your story with me peepsdog. 💖💙💖💙💖
my original vit d test was 20 and after 16 months of taking 5000 iu of D plus A and K daily it was only raised to 39. and i was a mess physically and emotionally. i starred taking magnesium and it shot up to 70.
magnesium is considered the calming nutrient. helps with anxiety, muscle cramping, sleep issues and is needed to make thyroid hormones. however b12 helps with all those things also.
since you are b12, and iron deficient i feel compelled to ask if you have been tested for h pylori. i had it and never had heartburn which is the most common reason they test for it. after testing positive i discussed this with family members and both my mom and one of my two brothers have had it. my other brother has never been tested.
h pylori definitely messes up iron and b12 absorption.
Thank you so much for asking & for sharing your story!!
Yes, I tested negative for it.
That's really interesting, I JUST bought a huge bottle of magnesium citrate and started taking it after reading Mark Hyman's book The Sugar Solution. I had no idea it could possibly help bring my D up. Hope it works!!!
It is mag citrate you're talking about right?
Thanks again!! I really appreciate all the help! 💙💖💙💖💙
i think any kind of magnesium will help. i personally started with a bottle that contained 110 mg per pill (cant remember the kind of magnesium) and i took 2 a day and epsom salt and deep sea salt baths. after some research i started using a bottle of mag glycinate 450. it has 225 mg per pill. i originally took 2 per day for possibly 2 months but reduced to one per day when i noticed i no longer felt improvement from fatigue after taking a bath with salts in it. i scaled back because i felt the lack of effect from taking a bath told me i wasnt absorbing it during bath anymore due to being repleat, after appox 10 months.
in my opinion only, if you sit in a bath for an hour with 2 or even 3 cups of salts (way more than i would have thought was needed) and you dont feel better, calmer, less achy, more energized, then you are repleat.
i continue to take one 225 mg pill daily because im never going back. i also continue to take a bath with salts once a month to check. i was doing these baths at least 4X a week if not more originally, but i hurt so bad at the time it was necessary. i think taking D without magnesium had depleted me.
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