Rough estimation of time til b12 levels good? - Thyroid UK

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Rough estimation of time til b12 levels good?

Warriorduck profile image
7 Replies

Hey guys

Pretty much as the title says, at my last blood test my b12 was 238 ng/l (197-771) - after being on sublingual tablets at 5000mcg, how long would you think it would take to get that number to a respectable level?

Obviously I'm not expecting exact answers, just best guesses would do really, as I'm pretty sure my b12 is the reason for a lot of my symptoms

Cheers guys :)

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Warriorduck
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Marz profile image
Marz

Best to go by symptoms - as testing once you have supplemented will only produce inflated and inaccurate results. This is laid down in the Guidelines for B12 and Folate Deficiency which are rarely read by GP's :-(

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

Scroll down in the above link to read about the signs and symptoms. In fact the whole website should be able to answer any questions about B12.

Are you taking a good B complex with the B12 to keep all the B's in balance ?

Warriorduck profile image
Warriorduck in reply toMarz

Thank you, that's very helpful! Will give it a good read through :)

I was taking a cheap, relatively poor b complex previously, it was a panic buy when I started learning of the deficiencies that usually rear their heads when faced with this condition - still rather new to it all - but when I get paid I will be looking to buy a higher quality one!

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toWarriorduck

Reading is the ONLY way we learn and enable ourselves to find the correct treatment for wellness. We also need to be ahead of the GP's who know so little about vitamins and minerals ! The problems with a B complex is that you may need more of one B vitamin - but if you increase the dose you may overdose on one that needs to be kept lower .....

Warriorduck profile image
Warriorduck in reply toMarz

All this seems so daunting to me - it's a whole new world I've never bothered contemplating before! Although hopefully things should be simpler now that I'm correcting my previously appalling diet, now I guess it's just a matter of trial and error to find the culprits of symptoms (and a little bit of luck with finding a decent gp)

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toWarriorduck

I agree it is daunting. I do not know how old you are but something tells me you are still quite young ! I was 59 when I was diagnosed some 12 years ago and yes it was a lot to learn - but reading again and again until it all came together was the answer.

Food is our medicine - if it does not grow - do not eat it !! You can be well - click onto my name above and you can read my Profile - only takes a couple of minutes !

I live in Crete so take care of myself - we keep our own medical records - so that increases responsibility in my humble opinion.

You will get there - slowly slowly. Have you read the B12 link yet - that would be a start :-)

Warriorduck profile image
Warriorduck in reply toMarz

I'm 21, and male; not exactly the typical demographic :') but on reflection I think I've been suffering from this for a good few years without having a clue

I've been replacing the majority of my meals with something called Huel - a nutritionally complete, vegan-friendly powder that you mix with water to create a smoothie-like drink - it tastes really nice, makes me feel miles better and is gluten and dairy free! Plan to keep on this for a while and slowly introduce myself to better foods, as opposed to doing so whilst continuing my again appalling former diet (I am an extremely fussy eater)

I just gave the link a read, and I now think it necessary to recieve injections as I've been experiencing a good few of the neurological symptoms - severe memory loss, occasional confusion and tinnitus being the most prevalent, thank you you might have done me a huge service there! Will enquire about them to my gp

And I also gave your profile a read - may I say you truly are an inspiration! Motivation is hard to come by sometimes with this condition but with all you've done and overcome at your age, it's given me real hope for my future :)

Marz profile image
Marz in reply toWarriorduck

Sadly I doubt your GP will allow injections as you are not below range. You could print off the Signs and Symptoms on the B12 website and tick the ones you have.

Being vegan can be challenging. Take a look at Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride on You Tube to help in understanding food for a healthy gut.

VitD - Folate - Ferritin - Iron also need testing and treating if low. What dose of T4/Levo are you on ?

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