Is 259 b12 level low?

[Flinder]

What is a good level?

[Hidden]

I was told by my GP that they consider anything above 160 good, mine was 52! But if you have b12 injections because of P.A. it will show as higher. Doesn’t necessarily mean you’re absorbing properly.

[Flinder]

Some websites suggest that 200-300/400 are borderline. So I think I m on the lower end of borderline. I think I have developed some thyroid problem and also losing more hair. That’s why I m considering to buy b12 injections from a private clinic.

[fbirder]

It's impossible to say.

What are the units and range?

If the result was 259 pg/mL (300 - 5999 pg/mL) then it is low.

If the result was 259 pmol/L (115-150 pmol/L) then it is high.

Different labs use different methods on different equipment with different sensitivities. And they quote results in different units.

Asking is 259 is high is like asking if a volume setting of 72 is high on your TV.

[Flinder]

It is 259 range 180-1000ng/L. So is it low?

[fbirder in reply to Flinder]

No. If it were low then it would be lower than 180.

[ClareP5]

If you read on B12d.org website you can have normal results and be deficient, because the test is fundamentally flawed!

[Gambit62 Administrator]

'A good level' isn't definable if you are looking for a figure that you should be aiming for. Appropriate B12 levels vary considerable (and are quantified in the normal range that is quoted when testing) However, the problem with pointing to one point in this range - or even one part of this range as being what an individual should aim for is like telling someone what size shoe to buy on the basis of national average shoe sizes.

Human's tend to use substantial stores of B12 in their liver to regulate B12 level at the appropriate point for them which means that serum B12 is probably better used to identify an absorption problem which would show up as levels falling as stores are used up.

[Flinder]

A nurse said that although my b12 is with in the NHS normal range but it is on the lower end. I do have tinnitus, thinning hair and slight sore throat. My thyroid blood test came back normal. A GP checked my ears and blood pressure he didn’t think there was any concerns. However I am still thinking whether I should buy b12 injections from a private clinic. Has anyone had similar experience before?