B12 Optimum Levels

[Clarkie477]

Hello everyone. I have a question. If your body takes years to become B12 deficient why is it that, if you have your levels topped up to optimum levels vía injection, you have to have an injection every three months or less? Surely your levels would be good for at least a year? Sorry for the awkward question but it was asked of me and I didn’t have an answer.

[fbirder]

Nobody knows. Not completely.

One reason will be the interruption of enterohepatic (gut-liver) recirculation.

One reason that B12 levels stay up in normal people is because some B12 in the liver (about 1.4 mcg per day) is pushed out, in the bile, into the duodenum. In there it is picked up by Intrinsic Factor and carried through to the jejunum. Here is it reabsorbed back into the blood.

If you have an absorption problem then all that B12 squirted out in the bile is lost as it is not reabsorbed so you're losing more B12 than normal people.

Another reason is that not all of a 1000 mcg injection actually stays in the body. The exact amount depends on the type of B12 and varies from one person to another.

[Clarkie477 in reply to fbirder]

Thank you. Makes sense now.

[Clarkie477 in reply to fbirder]

Right, I am picking on you because you are the fountain of knowledge

I have had consistently high levels of Ferritin and above average Transferrin Saturation. Is it possible this has happened because of my B12 deficiency and that neither were being used because I had no B12 to use it up?

[Hidden in reply to Clarkie477]

Funny you saying that re the ferritin because I’ve had climbing levels and then I started b12 oral spray and b complex supplements and then I had to have my iron levels checked and for the first time ever there was a considerable drop in my ferritin so you may have hit on a surprising thing between the two,well a nice surprising thing for me lol,at least it’s going in the right direction.

I’m looking forward to retesting my blood again via medichecks ive not did anything else since my last mma test for pernicious anemia because I want to conquer one issue at a time mainly optimising my vitamins levels and check if I’m absorbing as I hope then I can reassess next stages ,and maybe even avoid the dreaded injections as I’m a huge coward,it all got overwhelming for me but I’m definately feeling and coping better and I’m only about two months into supplementing.good luck x

[Clarkie477 in reply to Hidden]

My Ferritin was at 244 ug/L and Transferrin at 43% which is way above average especially for women. I think the threshold for women is 45% Again though, my GPs didn’t look into this and I was told to ignore it. I will get it re tested in the next few weeks and see if it’s come down. Good luck with the supplements and the injections are virtually painless for me. x

[Hidden in reply to Clarkie477]

I was 499 climbing and no one was taking the slightest bit of notice because I’d tested negative for haemochromotosis then after being advised to optimise my vitamin levels for thyroid and b12 and get retested by the kind souls on the forums I’m starting to see great changes in everything,I’m still not where I want to be but it’s one battle at a time for me as I get myself overwhelmed if I’m fighting on too many fronts. I’ve even sent abroad for the auto injector which I got but I still can’t even look at the needle packs I’m terrible so that can be set aside for another time it just increased my stress levels lol.im hoping that the supplements will have helped increase everything when I retest next month good on you being brave enough to have the injections and great deduction I hope your proven right xx