B12 borderline

[Speedway51]

I had my b12 checked because I am tired all the time have acid reflux, pins and needles in my fingers and headaches, my levels came back at 147 and told me this was boarderline so my gp told me to take b12 vitamins which I have been doing for 7 weeks but I feel no better. What should your b12 levels be?

[Nackapan]

You havent given the measurement. On your blood result it will have range in brackets on the right. Everyone can operate at a different level.

If a serum b12 pg/mL the range

on my form is 180-914

If no I.peovement ask what other bloodz were done.

Iron.

Vit d

Folate

Thyroid

It sounds low.

Did you have intrinsic factor done?

As tablets have made no difference you may need Injections .

Speak to your G.p

[Luac]

A level of 150 isnt borderline, it is deficient. Are you in the us or uk? If in UK, they also can't tell whether the b12 they measured is active or inactive.

You've tried the tablets and they clearly don't work. We know they are 100% useless for the vast majority of b12 deficient people.

I'd get your gp to start the injections. If you have neurological symptoms (pins and needles for example), then you should have an injection every two days until symptoms stop improving - that could take a while - and then every two months according to nhs/uk guidelines.

[Speedway51 in reply to Luac]

Hi I am in the uk, they don’t seem to think my b12 is low enough for injections I am having another blood test this week to check it again and I am going to insist they give me injections

[Luac in reply to Speedway51]

You dont need another test and you shouldnt be getting one. Anything below 200 is deficient and you have associated symptoms. Ask them to look up the nhs and NICE guidelines for b12 deficiency and read them out to you. The injections can make a massive difference to your health and prevent very serious health issues down the line.

The uk test does not show if the b12 in your blood is active or inactive ie functioning or not. Ask about that. Even a healthy reading could mask deficiency due to not knowing if its active.

B12 levels do not need to be tested again according to the nhs for precisely that reason. Unless the cause is a h. pylori infection or diet related (vegan diet for example) or a few other reasons, you should get injections straight away and have them for life. The good news is they are non toxic and can work amazingly well.

Dont let covid19 prevent you getting treatment either, search the forum about that.

[olicana1949 in reply to Luac]

Two questions, how quickly do symptoms disappear after the singl 3 (or 2) monthly injections, and how in UK can you get active B12 levels checked and what is an acceptable range.

[Luac in reply to olicana1949]

Under 200 is deemed deficient, there isnt really an upper limit as it has no known toxicity. I believe the schilling test is able to give an accurate account of active b12 in your blood but i believe it is non existent in the nhs although someone on another forum said they had it done. I dont know if it can be done privately.

Symptoms and their return are different for everybody. It can take a while to build up stores of b12 in order for it to function well and then doses are needed less.

I bought my own b12 and syringes etc and self inject frequently. I did every 2 days for five months then gradually went down to 6 weeks but got complacent and missed a dose and i was back to square 1 - the stores were depleted and I had to restart every two days again. My gp knows i do this. I got great advice and encouragement in this forum.

[Speedway51 in reply to Luac]

My GP said I need another blood test to see if the tablets have worked but I said I know they haven’t as I feel no different, I’m so fed up of feeling tired all the time

[Luac in reply to Speedway51]

It is precisely because the tests can't tell whether the b12 is active or not that it is a symptom based treatment and not a levels based treatment.

The schilling test can check for that, but it is nigh on impossible to get that test in the uk.

Im sure if you discuss that and are able to show them the nhs guidelines which state clearly that there is little use in rechecking levels and its not neccesary to do so they will hopefully listen. My practise changed their procedures after i brought the then recent changes to the guidelines.

I had that fatigue - it is horrendous. The injections have taken that away.

[olicana1949]

I’m recently diagnosed as B12 deficient in U.K. (and have a history of acid reflux) and having had the first round of injections (6 over 2 weeks) am due for single injection 3 month booster next week. I was told GP that acceptable levels were in range 200-1200, I was 207 and put on the 6 injections. But GP also did blood test for stomach “intrinsic factor” which proved OK, but if it’s not good then no amount of pills will help. I am replying from experience but others have also recommended same. Push, push, push you GP with this knowledge and don’t let them delay your proper treatment any longer.

[Luac in reply to olicana1949]

Hi Olicana, the pernicious anaemia test is not very reliable. If it is positive then that is a correct diagnosis, but if it is negative, that could be incorrect. It is worth getting tests done again and again - i dont know if a break between is useful. You cant say you dont have pernicious anaemia, just that the result is inconclusive.