Struggling with low potassium and low b12 symptoms.

[Bodhibo]

Hi, I have low potassium and also low b12 symptoms.

I'm vegan and when I took 500mcg b12 2 or 3 times a week my b12 was 250. So I upped my dose to everyday 500mcg and 2 years later I got neuropathy symptoms. I upped my dose again to 1000mcg b12 and took a b complex and my symptoms slowly faded away and where healed after 5 months.

Now I got potassium deficiënty because of doing too much detox, and I lowerd my dose to 500mcg b12 and got my neuropathy symptoms back. My low potassium symptoms got better, but than my neuropathy got worse again. So I upped my b12 dose again to 2500 (the symptoms where really bad and frighting) and within a weak they got a bit better. Now after a month the neuropathy symptoms are stabilized but still there, but my potassium is getting really low again and I feel awfull.

I don't know what to do anymore. My doctor wont do bloodwork anymore because my serum b12 is too high after takin 2500mcg b12 for weeks, my b6 is too high and my folic acid as well. Still I have a lot of the symptoms of too low and I have read that b6 and folic acid can't get into the cell when b12 is low. But when I upp my dose of b12 and neuropathy gets better, I get lower potassium.

Can anyone tell me what can be the cause of this and how to balance things out?

[Nackapan]

You might get some better advice from The vegan Society .As your b12 deficiency is a dietary issue

Why won't your doctor do bloodwork any more ???

Being low in anything needs monitoring so you know what to supplement.

Have you tried coconut water and other things high in potassium.

Lo salt is another option.

Hope you get things back on balance to stay well.

[FlipperTD]

Scientist, not medic.

Be very, very careful with potassium suplementation. It is easy to overdo it.

Foods rich in potassium are a good source of replacement. Bananas, for one. A registered dietitian would be a good source of advice.

When you are anaemic due to a deficiency, once the deficiency is rectified [Iron, B12, folate, for example] then the bone marrow will rapidly produce extra red cells, to resolve the anaemia. At this point the potassium level is quite likely to fall, but it's transient.

Anything that causes an increase in 'bowel activity' [just to keep it polite] will cause a fall in potassium. For example, 'laxative abuse' is accompanied with a loss of potassium.

One observation: If your doctor won't do blood work, how do you know your potassium is low?

Good luck.

[Gambit62 Administrator]

How much B6 are you taking? High dose supplementation has been associated with neuropathy and if supplementation goes on for too long this has become permanent in a few cases - certainly wouldn't want to recommend taking more than 100mcg a day - some countries recommend much lower daily limits - think its less that 20mcg in the UK.Unless you have had potassium levels checked then it is difficult to really know that potassium is the cause of your symptoms as there is overlap with other conditions - probably including B6 toxicity.

As too much potassium is toxic I really wouldn't recommend taking supplements unless under medical supervision. Try to go for potassium rich foods - banana, orange and sure there are loads of others.

If you have macrocytosis then potassium levels can be affected by correctng the macrocytosis with B12 supplementation but this only applies in the period when your body is trying to make healthy new cells - so your B12 levels shouldn't be affecting potassium levels.

Not heard anything about B6 and B9 needing B12 to get into your cells. There is at least one process in your cells that requires the presence of all 3 vitamins so a deficiency in 1 will mean the process doesn't run at properly.