MMA and homocysteine testing - have I already messed it up by supplementing?

[Sick-and-Tired]

Hello there,

As a bit of background, I'm 30 years old and I've been suffering from a range of symptoms including fatigue, headaches and tingling for over a decade.

With no interest from any GPs I ordered tests from Blue Horizon a couple of years ago which showed I have hashimotos (although the doctors still weren't that interested!). I also tested my active B12, which came back as 97 pmol/L (25.1-165) and my serum b12 as 325. After that I assumed it was most likely a thyroid issue and so pursued that with my doctors.

Since March of last year I've been on Levothyroxine, and my TSH is now at 1. However, I felt no better.

I have been pushing for more tests over the years, although I have so many different things going on that it's sometimes hard to know what to prioritise!

I have been tested twice for intrinsic factor antibodies which have come back as negative, but I have tested positive for parietal cell antibodies. Unfortunately on the blood test results it says in bold letters that this can't be used to diagnose PA, so the doctor says the test is meaningless.

I pushed her on it a few months ago and she said that if I was really worried about b12 I should just supplement. I have to admit I was feeling really low and hopeless at the time, and having thought that I'd had all the tests I could and the doctor wasn't interested I went ahead and started supplementing with a full b complex pill and a transdermal b12 oil.

However, I've just found out about MMA and homocysteine testing. Have I totally ruined any results I would get from this by supplementing? I'm so angry and frustrated at myself for starting to supplement... Although I feel like so much of my life is just slipping past me, I just want to feel better!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[fbirder]

If you have a deficiency then MMA and hCys May be high.

If your supplements have raised your B12 so that you’re no longer deficient then MMA and hCys will be low. But if those supplements have fixed your deficiency then that is good news.

The doc is right about the GPC anibody test.

[Sick-and-Tired in reply to fbirder]

Ok, great, thank you!

I know the parietal cell antibodies don't mean I necessarily have PA, but I sort of assumed it must mean something (possible absorption issues or a suggestion of autoimmune gastritis or something) so it's good to know I'm wrong! I wonder why they even bothered testing them? There's very little written about them online.

Thanks for your help! 🙂

[fbirder in reply to Sick-and-Tired]

The GPC antibodies used to be the go-to test. Then they found that about 5% of people have the antibodies, rising to 10% in elderly women. Most doctors obviously learned about GPC antibodies and still think they are the definitive test.