MMA 0.17

[CW12]

I was waiting for MMA and homocysteine results before my dr issued loading doses not given. It came back today 0.17. Does this mean that neurological symptoms should be going away? I feel I need more b12... currently 2x a month. I hope the dr does not change their mind. Thank you . 230 in August no loading doses yet.

[CW12]

fbirder .. you May have something insightful for me to enlighten my open minded hemotologist with 😊

[fbirder in reply to CW12]

Like Gambit62 says, a lot of the damage caused by a B12 deficiency can take a long time to heal. Levels of MMA and hCys will start dropping as soon as the deficiency is rectified.

And I'm certain there are other processes involving B12 that are not indicated by MMA and hCys levels.

[CW12 in reply to fbirder]

I guess my question would be if they move me to a 2x a week regimen will I see more nerve healing. I still have weakness in arm and leg . Wondering if that is a good course of action

[fbirder in reply to CW12]

Impossible to say.

There are too many variables.

However, it might help and it cannot harm.

[CW12 in reply to fbirder]

I agree , thank you

[Gambit62 Administrator]

if the myelin sheath that insulates your nerve cells has been damaged during B12 deficiency then it can take a very long time to heal - timescales potentially in years.

MMA and homocysteine are used as markers for functional B12 deficiency - they are by products of two processes that go in your cells that need B12 so if something has gone on that means that B12 isn't getting into your cells properly you would expect them to come back high.

There are some that don't think that MMA and homocysteine are always raised but there may be a need to keep higher B12 levels of B12 in blood even if these products aren't raised (there are a large number of processes that go on in the cells and different people may have different efficiencies for other processes and these could run okay whilst others don't.

I did have an article bookmarked from an american journal where a haematologist talked about his experiences of treating B12 absorption problems and mentioned that MMA and homocysteine may not be telling the whole story.

[Pellonius]

If you had MMA 0,17 before injections you dont have B12 deficiency, acording to science! But there are other prefereces, like subjectiv feeling.

[CW12 in reply to Pellonius]

MMA was .17 after 4 mo of treatment

[palmier]

MMA 0.17 is within range but still above the mean, at least according to this article: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I don't know if that means anything, but I'm playing with the idea that if you've lived with elevated levels of MMA due to untreated b12 deficiency, perhaps it helps healing to keep it extra low, at least below the mean.

Because elevated MMA isn't just an indicator, it also has the potential to cause symptoms.

[harapara1]

If you eat corn flakes or oat ,your homocysteine will be normal,because they are fortified with folic acid.

I read a very good medical article, I paid 25 $ to be able to read it in Up To Date ,a trustworthing medical site.The writers advice to try injection in patients with normal b12, homocysteine and MMA,and unexplained symptoms.

A normal protocol for patients with neurological symptoms is an injection on alternative days,until the symptoms disappear.

Without neurological symptoms,an injection on alternative days for two weeks and then one monthly.