Vitamin B12 deficiency

[butterflyEi]

Following a blood test I have been diagnosed as being VitB deficient and had my first injection (1 or 6) this morning. I asked the nurse what my number was and she said 16. I have tried to google this to see how low the level is but nothing makes much sense.

Anyone know what normal levels are?

Does this number make any sense to anyone?

I get tingling feet, dizzy heads and the occasional rash in my mouth all of which I hope will disappear or reduce in severity once the vitamin builds in my system.

S

[Hidden]

Hello butterflyEi.

Did you see the result in print out for this? If so normally there is the normal range at the side so you can see.

I know at present I've no Vit B deficiencies (I had a recheck awhile ago out of routine when my HB was 1 below the normal range).

I've found this online and it has to be remembered that labs can vary with the readings. I have even found on my blood print-outs since being diagnosed with PBC that occasionally they appear different readings wise but the normal ranges are at the side of what my blood result apparently is.

webmd.com/diet/vitamin-b12-...

[butterflyEi in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Peridot. No there is no print out. Have not yet seen GP since the blood tests and last time on asking she side stepped giving me a print out last year.

Thank you for the link, I am going to have a look at it now.

best wishes

[butterflyEi in reply to Hidden]

HI again Peridot,

saw a really pleasant nurse yesterday who on asking again told me what the range is for Vitamin B12 from their laboratory, apparently it is 130 to 800 so it looks like 16 is quite low. The range is not very different from the ranges from the link you gave me. Thank you.

Not sure it helps much to know but somehow it makes me feel better not to be in the dark.

best wishes

[gardner646 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Peridot, You posted a link before that was very helpful to me. I have never received a print out of blood results or of LFTs and I'm resolved to request these in future. I've been concerned about Vit B levels as my hair is rapidly thinning - and to think I used to complain about having too much! I think my next review appointment with the Consultant is the end of March - since joining this site, I now have a long list of questions to ask him! Best wishes.

[Hidden in reply to gardner646]

Hello gardner646.

The standard ones in our blood repeats with PBC seem to be the full blood count (FBC) and the liver function test (LFT) plus the GGT (one used with liver disorders, apparently to give an indication of liver inflammation). On my print out there is usually some that cover bone, some that cover kidney, some that also are liver. Usually it is the liver ones for me that are the ones that are still abnormal. I've always had normal range kidney results but on the bone profile as it is known there is usually one that tends to be slightly abnormal and I cannot recall if slightly lower or higher. Mine are said to be OK currently for one with PBC.

The Vitamin B you mentioned, they aren't done as standard. I think a doctor looking at the full blood count might request one as certain abnormal ones can indicate something else and then it can be checked again via a blood test. The common one seems to be the ferritin (iron) as anaemia can be present and normally the HB one in the FBC can be slightly out of range. I had my ferritin along with folic acid (also known now as folate) checked a couple years ago as the HB had been slightly lower by one point for several years. Was found I was slightly anaemic so had a short course of iron. For the first time since 2010 when I started itching and then was diagnosed with PBC all my FBC with the exception of just one were all normal including the HB at my last bloods done before the start of 2016. (My lymphocyte count - white blood cells - tends to be slightly lower than normal range but it has been said to be OK.)

My GP stated last year that I didn't actually need to have the kidney profile done each blood check but I wasn't happy regardless of the fact that each time I've had done with the bloods everything has been normal. I make a point of mentioning to the nurse each time and she put it on. Unfortunately for me at my last blood check she missed the GGT and I did mention it. Due to the computerisation of the bloods now where I am if it isn't input into the computer for when it gets to the lab for testing, it isn't done. The GP said this to me and said that no longer can anyone handwrite instructions on the blood vials, has to be input into the computer. (The nurse wrote on mine re the GGT.)