Hi all,
I am currently waiting for an appointment to check my b12 levels due to a number of symptoms I have. I had recently started taking b12 supplements-does anyone know if I need to stop taking these before my test and if so, for how long. When being tested for low iron a while back I seem to remember being told to stop taking iron supplements and it could artificially inflate your result even if your body still had low levels and I wasnt sure if this was the same. Thanks,
Hi gemp54 taking B12 supplements will skew the test result and you will need to stop taking any for three months.
Should your doctor decide to go ahead with the test you must tell him what and when you have taken the B12.
You could also ask to have your Folate and Vitamin D levels checked if he decides to do bloods.
I am not a medically trained person and wish you well.
Thanks for your response. Wow, 3 months is a long time. I was really hoping to get an answer before then but I dont want it to come back with an incorrect result. I'll make sure I stop taking them and inform the doctor. That's a good idea about the other ones to check too. Thanks
Your problem is though that if you are having neurological symptoms possibly due to a suspected B12 deficiency you need to be treated - it's a bit of a catch 22 situation.
You really do need to talk to your doctor about your symptoms.
The British Society for Haematology guidelines say on the Diagnosis of B12 and Folate Deficiency "In the presence of discordance between the test result and strong clinical features of deficiency, treatment should not be delayed to avoid neurological impairment".
If you have PA then you will not be absorbing the B12 and your levels aren't affected.
If you take the supplements and your B12 tests high then you are absorbing it and you should be able to use those supplements to fix any deficiency.
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