How long does it take anemia to resolve after supplementation?

[lownskater52]

Hello,

How long does it take for anemia to resolve itself after beginning supplementation. I was diagnosed with low b12 1 week ago and have been aggresively supplementing ever since. I've had four b12 shots (1000mcg cyanocobalamin) along with daily methyl/adeno sublingual supplementation.

My homocysteine issue has been resolved right away (down from 29.1 to 6.5 with less than 11 being normal) but my anemia has only very slightly improved to the point it could be a rounding error. How long does anemia take?

Any insight is appreciated. With love.

[lownskater52]

I've done some more research and see it might be a case of a combination of vitamin b6 and b12 deficiency. Though my homocysteine levels have collapsed since supplementation of b12, my anemia hasn't resolved fully and has only improved marginally. B6 def has a lot of similar issues as b12 def in regards to anemia and neuro issues. I plan on getting my b6 levels checked out here shortly followed by supplementation if low...

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi lownskater52 I'm guessing that you are in the United States as you mention having cyanocobamalin injections.

Have you been diagnosed as having Pernicious Anaemia?

Do you know what your Folate level is?

It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 you are having starts repairing the damage done to your nervous system and your brain starts getting multiple messages from part of the body it had "forgotten about" or lost contact with.

I sometimes liken it to a badly tuned radio on which you have turned the volume up high trying to catch the programme you want when all of a sudden the signal comes in loud and clear and the blast nearly deafens you.

A lot will depend on the severity and longevity of your B12 deficiency as to how long before there is no further improvement or recovery. Some symptoms will "disappear" quite quickly whereas others may take months or even years.

There is no set timescale as we are all different.

Personally I take a few Brewet's Yeast tablets a day. The B-complex vitamins in brewer's yeast include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), and H or B7 (biotin). ... Brewer's yeast does not contain vitamin B12, an essential vitamin found in meat and dairy products.

I am not a medically trained person so cannot comment on test results but I've had Pernicious Anaemia (one of many causes of B12 deficiency) for more than 46 years.

I wish you well.

[lownskater52 in reply to clivealive]

Hey there again clivealive,

Yes I'm in the US. Florida in particular. No PA diagnosis yet but seriously b12 deficient due to 7nyears of a vegan diet. My folate levels are great. My most recent blood test from 5/1 shows my folate at 20 and I'm not even supplementing folate.

I think I'm going to start taking an all around b vitamin complex too like you mentioned. Prior to that im going to get my b6 levels checked as a lot of symptoms overlap with b12 def.

[clivealive Forum Support in reply to lownskater52]

Ah yes - being Vegan will cause a B12 deficiency.

Only yesterday I was appealing to a "start up" provider of Vegan meals to put on their packaging a warning that Vegans may need to supplement with Vitamin B12. and their response was "Thank you very much for the wishes and the information, very helpful and we will certainly be taking that on board.

Much appreciated"

Take care now.

[TACCT]

Hi lownskater52 Anemia might take several weeks before you see an improvement. This is because production of red blood cells is a slow process. These are produced in bone marrow and once matured (average time is like seven days) released in blood stream. Once in bloodstream RBCs have a life of approx. 120 days after which they die and release iron. This iron is then re-used in the formation of new RBCs and cycle continues.

Two important vitamins which play key role in the maturity process is B12 and B9 (Folate). Additionally there should be enough Ferritin (iron) available to produce normal sized RBCs.

[lownskater52 in reply to TACCT]

Thank you TACCT. Looks like I'll need to be patient with the anemia part. Homocysteine disappeared in days but apparently this is something I'll need to check back in on in a month or so.

[fbirder]

Although the life cycle of a red blood cell is normally about three months, the body responds to the influx of much-needed B12 with a burst of red cell formation. It produces a lot of slightly immature red cells to replace the over-large ones caused by the B12 deficiency.

So it should take about three to four weeks before you start seeing some real signs of improvement in the anaemia. And another four to six weeks before it's totally fixed.

But many of the symptoms of a B12 deficiency aren't caused by the anaemia. So it can take a lot longer than that for symptoms to go away.

[lownskater52 in reply to fbirder]

Thanks fbirder. That all makes sense. I'll get another test in a month to make sure some improvement has been made.