Functional b12 deficiency

[Alfabeta]

Hi All

Having been refused injections due to my surgery closing during the pandemic I was put on twice daily 50ml b12 tablets. My b12 level has been checked after 18 weeks without an injection and found to be 956 which is above the recommended high level of 800.

I think this proves that I am able to absorb b12 without injections - correct?

I have returning parathesia (tingling over face hands feet etc) which suggests the b12 in my system is not working.

It has been suggested on here that just because one can absorb b12 doesn’t mean that the body can utilise it. Correct?

If so, why is b12 from an injection useable but not from a tablet?

Any explanation would be helpful.

Thanks -

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Alfabeta - i think you posted the same question a couple of days ago.

healthunlocked.com/pasoc/po...

the response hasn't changed - the result is impossible to interpret one way or the other in the timescales from an injection that you have given.

The return of your symptoms would imply that you are not getting any benefit from the tablets but need injections and need to maintain higher B12 levels than the normal range.

Injections can, for some people, fundamentally change the level at which they need their serum B12 to sit in order to function. For some of this it means levels that are well above the measurable range on the serum B12 test.

Unfortunately the impact of injections isn't well understood - certainly not by GPs and they do have a tendency to carry on thinking that serum B12 test can still be used in the same way as it can in patients who have not had injections.

Functional B12deficiency may be detected by looking at some metabolites that build up if your cells don't have enough B12 getting through to them - these are MMA and homocysteine - but these are from only 2 of the many processes that go on in your cells and use B12 so it is possible that even if these are okay then there may be something else going on in your cells.

I don't know how you can actually get through to your GP but the bottom line is that you need an injection if your neurological symptoms have come back.

[Alfabeta in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you. I’ll try and convince them but, generally, reading on here, there seems to be a conspiracy to get as many people off injections as possible.

[Ivo21 in reply to Alfabeta]

They have prescribe me Cyancobalamin 50mg instead of injection, I told the GP that my body does not absorbs B12 tablets, but they just say it is a government policy while CV19....in fact I have stopped the tablets after one week as they were awful and I felt really bad, then I read that these tablets are really dangerous and actually stopped by some NHS in England, so I am thinking of taking legal action now....otherwise these GP's will gateway like that and put our lives in danger.

[Ivo21 in reply to Alfabeta]

It is all political now days, doctors do follow what politicians say, instead of been real doctors.

[Ivo21]

We need more people with PA to sign up a petition to the Government asking for B12 injections to be administrate on 8 weeks interval, although this is still long time between the injections.