False B12 levels and biotin

[mislauren]

My Dr. took me totally off my maintenance injections because my b12 was 1567. My iron levels were so high that he decided not to do the iron transfusion. My folate was also considerably high. He handed me a copy of my blood work and right under the b12 result it said taking high levels of biotin will alter your blood work for anemias.

WOWZA! My daughter gave me biotin to take and it is 10,000 mcg. I didn't mention it to my Dr.

Now off of it and having blood work repeated. So glad I discovered this. I was having symptoms and now I know I am not crazy!

Lauren

[Nackapan]

Why were b12 levels done while on injections? Surely you need those reinstated.

I discussed over supplementing on an earlier post

Yours a big overdose!!!

[mislauren in reply to Nackapan]

Blood work was ordered by the gastro not my hemo. I should have paid attention but yet again I put my trust and faith in the doctors who have brought me so far in the past 3 years. I can hear my inner voice saying don't be stupid and be complacent .

[Gambit62 Administrator]

how long after your last injection was the B12 test result. Serum B12 levels don't really mean anything after loading shots unless they come back low in which case they mean you need more frequent jabs. BCSH guidelines do not recommend testing post loading shots and serum B12 shouldn't be used as a way of managing a B12 absorption problem as the shots themselves mean that the circumstances in which the 'normal range' was established, no longer apply. Not sure that biotin is used in the serum B12 test so quite possible that it isn't what has caused the high result.

labtestsonline.org/news/fda...

[mislauren in reply to Gambit62]

Within a few days. Something def went haywire. I guess my lab does use it? Not sure why they made a point to make that statement.

Good gravy this is all too much for me to process!!

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to mislauren]

if you are in the US then I suspect it is a standard lab statement.

After a B12 shot your serum B12 will be off the scale and then it will fall as the excess B12 is removed from your blood - how quickly varies a lot from person to person - for cyanocobalamin it averages at a month but there is a huge amount of variation in that - particularly after B12 loading shots which can make that vary a lot.

A test a few days after a shot is definitely useless as a way of managing B12 absorption problems. It can be difficult to find a doctor who knows much about treating B12 absorption problems but if your doctor is proposing to take you off maintenance doses based on the above they definitely don't. You really do need to go by symptoms as the most efficient way of knowing what the frequency of maintenance doses needs to be.

[Reemfali]

Hi I’m really sorry. I know this has nothing to do with your question ?

But it’s my first time using this forum

I need help

I’ve been taking b12 for days and suddenly I feel numbness on the left side of my face and even my gums

Is this normal !

[Hidden in reply to Reemfali]

Hi , it's best you create your own post so people can see and respond.

[fbirder]

High levels of biotin in the blood can falsely increase test results for B12 and folate. But it causes falsely low results for ferritin. It's really difficult for a lab to tell if the blood contains high levels of biotin, so they will add that disclaimer as standard.

But that's irrelevant to your B12 results and the stopping of injections. I often equate a B12 deficiency with a car with an oil leak - you have to regularly top up the oil in the engine for it to work properly.

Your doctor has done the equivalent of topping up the oil, checking the level with the dipstick and deciding that the engine needs no further top-ups, ever.