Hi lovely people! I'm B12 & Vit D deficient & been self-injecting daily for 3 months. My Dr wouldn't do the full Thyroid tests so I got some done from medichecks a month ago - they say all fine but thought I'd double-check from the real experts just to put my mind at rest after thinking for a month about asking
I'm off to the Dr on Monday cos she wants to test for calcium so can then test for PTH, no doubt to avoid diagnosing my absorption issues properly. I'm going to push my luck and ask for homocysteine (and MMA?), calcium, phosphate, ferritin, folate, CBC inc potassium & magnesium & Vit D tests also.
They do look good. How do you feel? I may be tempted to get the FT3 higher. My body seems to prefer it right at top of range but we are all different.
I tend to get the medichecks test that includes ferritin, folate and vitamin D, CR-P alongside all the thyroid ones.
The MMA and HCY are unlikely to be done by your doctor, I’d be amazed if they knew what they were. Medichecks will do them or you could go via St Thomas’s.
Hi Bluedragon thanks for your reply! How do I feel? OK once I've done my daily injection of B12 but when that runs out in the evenings you really don't want to be anywhere near me lol I'm OK if I don't have to think much or interact with people, it overloads the brain too much & have trouble stringing sentences together but I try not to worry about that too much cos that just makes it worse...! Managed to get out for an hour walk yesterday, hoping to do that more than once a week but that's all I seem to be able to do at the moment.
I've started to get tingling/pins & needles mostly on my left side but that's the side I put pressure on when I lay down, plus am on Vit D protocol due to my deficiency & taking B2 which I was having the phosphate version of but now have the solgar one which isn't phosphate so wondering if it's that as believe I have absorption issues - got my 23andme test arriving today so hopefully in a month or two I'll know more on that front.
Had my ferritin, folate & Vit D done, and CRP is there, must've been in the CBC my Dr ordered:
Ferritin
145ug/L [24-336] - 9 Oct 17
118ug/L [24-336] - 24 Oct 17
Ferritin went down I believe due to daily SI B12 which I started on 30 Sep 17 & uses up iron hence I started supplementing iron with some 14mg supermarket cheap ones but only did that for a few weeks cos read too much iron not good & my iron/TIBC level was 29.6umol/L [10-30] on 24 Oct 17.
Folate
My folate was 5ng/mL [4-20] on 11 Aug 17 then 16ng/mL [4-20] on 9 Oct 17 after I started supplementing 5mg/day originally folic acid but that made me feel ill & get brown blotchy patches on my lips so now on methylfolate which makes me feel great and am finding my 'sweet spot' is 2x5mg/day, one runs out by mid-afternoon.
Vit D
This was 35nmol/L [40-250] on 9 Oct 17 and I started following the vitamin d protocol site, supplementing 10,000IU daily then up to 20,000IU but trying out 5,000IU daily as of today to see if that's the issue with the tingling but suspect it's the B2/phosphate thing.
CRP
This must've been in my CBC as it was <1.0mg/L [0-7.5] on 26 July 17 which I have a note saying 'good' so must've read somewhere online that it's ok.
Hi, thanks for these. I wouldn’t supplement iron, perhaps enjoy more iron rich foods. Look at upping your fruit and veg intake and ensure good fats also.
Are you taking K2 alongside the D3? I assume the D3 is in gel or liquid form? You should be ok taking 10,000 iu for a while but 5,000 is good. Get it checked in say 6 weeks to see where u are with it?
Magnesium is important.
Don’t take cheap supplements, they will have less of active ingredients and more excipients/binders and artificial stuff. Good you’re taking folate rather than folic acid. Are you taking a good B complex too?
I would start by looking at the digestive system. Why aren’t you absorbing?
Hiya, yeah I'm going to lay off the iron - listening to my body more and body say iron NO
I went gluten-free again once I started self-injecting three months ago - I'd gone gluten-free about 12 years ago & lost a lot of weight, down from 17.5 to 12.5 stone, but then went back on gluten & back up to 18stone, now 17 after the gluten free. I didn't know last time it was gluten that had issues with my mental health too - been big all my life & shown signs of lethargy since birth, my mother's been ill & misdiagnosed all her life & thinking I've perhaps god hereditary PA.
I now only eat salads at lunch & mostly veg in the eve, cut my meat down from twice daily to once or twice a week - I used to eat beef chilli almost every day not realising it was my body craving B12 lol.
I'm taking LifeExtension Super K with Advanced K2 complex in the eve which has 1,500mcg K1, 1,000mcg K2-MK4, and 100mcg K2-MK7 but I'm hoping to source a gelatine-free one when this runs out.
I'm taking the Doctor's Best Vit D3 5,000IU softgels after I've had a small handful of almonds in the morning (soaked overnight!), and I'm taking Doctor's Best Magnesium 100mg 4x per day - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bed.
I'm taking Thorne Basic B Complex one in the morning, one in the evening.
Also tried out Thorne Adrenal Cortex but don't think that's doing much to be honest, and Doctors' Best Betaine with Pepsin, again not sure they're doing much - the 2 tablespoons of cyder vinegar in a glass of water seem to work better (and cheaper!) but I don't know what's going on inside lol. Also have a probiotic every morning, that was a cheap one though. Oh, and a B3 Niacin if I need to - was taking them every day but after reading up I only need it if start overmethylating. Also taking a Thorne Zinc but not sure that's doing much, and trying to cut my supplements down to what's absolutely necessary cos it's costing a fortune!!!
As for why not absorbing, I think perhaps it is the gluten issue, although last time I went gluten-free I came to the conclusion it's a yeast issue so I'm trying to do mostly veg and leaning towards the Keto style - not that extreme but just removing sweet potatos, parsnips, etc. for a while - just the heavy stuff that's harder for the body to process.
Hoping my energy will come back at some point, I miss swimming & cycling & getting outside - just taking it day-by-day at the moment trying to get the right levels of stuff so it sorts the mental issues out cos they're half the problem, didn't realise how much a simple vitamin like B12 could cause so much issues!
I did the thyroid tests cos I thought that the gluten eating might have affected that but it seems by the results not. My doc obviously has it in her head that it's parathyroid issues, or at least that's the next thing on her list but that's also an effect of PA, but cos my intrinsic factor was 'ok' they say I don't have PA. So I've just bought the two main B12 & PA books & going to donate them to her on Monday.
Such fun... still, at least I didn't wait for the NHS to make me more ill
You seem to be doing a lot of good things there, well done you. Try and eat organic - if money is an issue - google the dirty dozen and at least get those as they are the products believed to absorb all the nasty stuff the most.
Apple cider vinegar - organic and with the mother - fantastic! Start the day with some in a glass of warm water. Potentially add in some lemon juice and pinch of cinnamon if want.
I started with taking HCL, then moved to Dr's Best digestive enzymes before moving to Viridian's Digestive Aid. As a student herbalist/naturopath I now make up my own herbal bitter mix - but you can also get these online.
If you're not adverse to herbal ideas - try something simple like nettle tea - drink loads of it and gloopy as you can stand it. You'll be able to pick your own soon when it starts growing - you just want the young tops (soup too). At the moment, nettle tea bags - use between 2 -4 for a therapeutic result. They contain amazing levels of vits and minerals and taste is ok.
Unlike my current exam mix I made for myself....urgh.....but is doing trick for my studying....
>You seem to be doing a lot of good things there, well done you.
Thanks, that'll be the months of research & spreadsheets. Ended up with Subacute Combined Degeneration of the spinal cord back in September & couldn't stand up or think straight or remember anything for more than a few seconds but thanks to communities like this I've managed to get a daily routine that at least keeps the issues at bay for a few hours a day - long road ahead yet though!!
>Try and eat organic - if money is an issue - google the dirty dozen and at least get those as they are the products believed to absorb all the nasty stuff the most.
Wow thanks, that's a great link! Yeah I also read about aluminium which is in my deodorants so not using those any more. Managing to get organic pumpkin seeds at least but sadly can't get organic greens at the moment until I get some more projects in / business up and running but looking forward to it as soon as I do! Also using way too much plastic bowls which I'm sure isn't good. Decided to invest in the 23andme gene thingy even though there were some people saying the results aren't always 'right' - but the majority seem OK with it and it'll help me determine the MTHFR mutations so I can better direct my diet.
>Apple cider vinegar - organic and with the mother - fantastic!
Well at the moment it's just Aspell organic from Tesco but I want to get the Braggs one from Amazon. Always been a big cider fan (although not drunk alchohol for a month or two now - don't seem to need it now the B12 is swimming around!) and actually like the cyder vinegar, drink it before every meal.
> Start the day with some in a glass of warm water. Potentially add in some lemon juice and pinch of cinnamon if want.
I do a mug of 1/2 boiled warm water with 1/2 lemon & half cold water.
> I started with taking HCL, then moved to Dr's Best digestive enzymes before moving to Viridian's Digestive Aid. As a student herbalist/naturopath I now make up my own herbal bitter mix - but you can also get these online.
Cool, will have a look at that. Am enjoying learning about all this stuff, just takes up so much time - we definitely need more herbalist/naturopaths - world seems so opposite at the moment!
> If you're not adverse to herbal ideas - try something simple like nettle tea - drink loads of it and gloopy as you can stand it. You'll be able to pick your own soon when it starts growing - you just want the young tops (soup too). At the moment, nettle tea bags - use between 2 -4 for a therapeutic result. They contain amazing levels of vits and minerals and taste is ok.
I was on nettle tea before and bought some more but I always end up taking a couple of mouthfuls then forgetting it's there. I'm still way too addicted to coffee, got my aeropress & got some Grumpy Mule Organic Espresso beans on the way, they rock. I know I need to cut it out but but but...
> Unlike my current exam mix I made for myself....urgh.....but is doing trick for my studying....
Sounds like a lot of work! I was never good at exams, maybe the memory issues were B12 too - it's been such an eye-opener... but I wish I'd found out sooner, got diagnosed with large red blood cells back in 2015 which they blamed on the cider & didn't see it was late stage B12 deficiency. Having the B12 in me is amazing though - I don't get the cravings I used to & see how it's affected my whole life. Still, at least I know now!
Thanks for the tips & links - that dirty dozen list is very useful!
• in reply to
...do you have one digestive enzyme per day or one with each meal?
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