B12 Test

[smg1950]

I would like to get my B12 tested again using private Active B12 test. Last jab 2 weeks ago and take supplements. Would this be ok?

[Technoid]

"Cobalamin and holo-transcobalamin II levels are uninformative because they rise with cobalamin influx regardless of therapeutic effectiveness, the extent varying only with the timing in relation to injection."

from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Holotranscobalamin II in the above extract is what the active B12 test measures. It is very doubtful that your active B12 would be low while on regular injections, even if 2 weeks out from an injection. There is I suppose no harm in doing the test (except the expense) since its private (if public I would be concerned about the risk of treatment being withdrawn - sorry I dont remember if you're receiving public treatment).

[Dilly_blue]

I had a telephone consultation with a hospital doctor in Cambridge who runs a private anaemia clinic (I am seeing him in person in a couple of weeks) - his view was that taking anything at all that has any B vitamins in, during the month before the test may skew the results / mask a deficiency. D_b

[FlipperTD]

Scientist, not medic.

If you decide to have 'Active B12' measured, then to increase your chances of a 'good' result, then my advice would be to get it done somewhere where it's done locally, on a whole blood venous sample as opposed to a fingerprick and sent through the post. But personally, I'd save my money unless I had a very, very good reason to have it done.