Vitamin levels advice please

[JJ3456]

FERRITIN 31 (30 - 400)

FOLATE 2.2 (4.6 - 18.7)

VITAMIN B12 218 (190 - 900)

VITAMIN D TOTAL 40.9

(<25 SEVERE, 25 - 50 DEFICIENT, 50 - 75 SUBOPTIMAL, >75 ADEQUATE)

I am due iron infusion and have been taking vitamin D 800iu since 2014 thank you for any advice

[DotLeeds]

I have found that I need a much higher level of vitamin D supplement. I’ve been taking 2,000iu a day for 2 years now.

[JJ3456 in reply to DotLeeds]

Thanks for your advice

[DotLeeds]

I also take a vitamin B complex which gives 100%NRV of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin and folic acid. When my levothyroxine was lowered to 100 (to try to increase TSH) my body struggled to use the food I was eating and I ended up with folate deficiency anaemia.

[JJ3456 in reply to DotLeeds]

Thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to JJ3456]

Will reply in full this afternoon

Meanwhile read lots of my replies to other posts

Also SeasideSusie replies on vitamins to others

Click on our names - then on replies

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

JJ3456

So the iron is being taken care of.

Vit D - your dose is too low. You need 5000iu daily then retest in 3 months. When you have reached the level recommended by the Vit D Council, which is 100-150nmol/L, then you need to find your maintenance dose by trial and error. It may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe more in winter than summer so we have to test twice a year to keep within the recommended range.

vitamindtest.org.uk

You also need D3's important cofactors magnesium and Vit K2-mk7.

You are Folate deficient with very low B12. What is your GP doing about that?

[JJ3456 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you GP hasn't commented on the B12 he says it's in range but I will go back and ask today what he plans to do about the folate

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to JJ3456]

JJ3456

B12 is too low. Do you have any signs of B12 deficiency, check here

b12deficiency.info/signs-an...

If you have then your GP should test for B12 deficiency /pernicious anaemia.

According to the book "Could it be B12" by Sally Pacholok, it should be at least 550, and for older people, to help prevent alzheimers, then 900-1000.

There are many people with an original level in the 300s who have B12 injections so a low level can't be dismissed just because it's in range, it's symptoms that are important.

If you don't have any symptoms on that list then you could supplement with sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges along with a good B Complex to balance all the B vitamins.

As for your Folate level, don't let your GP fob you off with "It's only just below range". Ranges are for a reason, not to be ignored.

If prescribed folic acid don't start taking it until further investigation into B12 has been carried out and injections /supplements started as folic acid or Folate in B Complex will mask symptoms of B12 deficiency.