Vitamin blood results

[Hypomadness80]

Hi everyone. Hope you're all well.

I had my vitamin blood results, and I am a bit confused about my B12.

It's 48pmol / L for range of 25.1 to 165.

Since January, it only increased from 39 to 42 in April and now 48.

Is this normal for b12 to increase so slowly?

I'm taking 2 pills of B complex which contains 20mg of B12 each.

My folate has improved and is now over mid range, and my vit D decreased from 91 pmol to 73 but because I reduced it for the summer. So I will increase that again.

Do you think vit B12 injection would work better for me?

Thank you for any insight.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Hypomadness80

Presumably that is an Active B12 test? Done by a private lab, maybe Medichecks or Thriva?

Active B12 below 70 can suggest B12 deficiency so when it was so low you should have checked for signs/symptoms of B12 deficiency and if you had any then you should have asked your GP to test for B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia.

Active B12 is probably best 100+

Which B Complex are you taking?

With your result I would take a B12 supplement and a B Complex (to balance all the B vitamins), then once your Active B12 level has reached 70 I'd stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.

With your Vit D, are you also taking it's important cofactors - magnesium and Vit K2-MK7?

[Hypomadness80 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi SeasideSusie

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes It was a private blood test from LETSTGETCHECKED in Ireland which is for active b12, vit D and Folate.

I am taking B complex from Terra Nova.

I will do as you are suggesting and take an extra B12 supplement.

Is the spray by better you good?

Also yes I am taking vit d and K2. I do take magnesium but not religiously.

Thank you so much as always! X

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Hypomadness80]

Hypomadness80

I can't see a Terra Nova B Complex with 20mg B12 but the ones I've looked at contain Rhodiola Root, Ashwagandha, etc. Does yours? Perhaps you can link to the one you take.

I can't comment on the B12 spray as I don't take it, I don't like the sprays because of the amount of excipients in them, but that's my personal choice, many members use them.

It would be better if you take the magnesium regularly as it helps the body to convert D3 into it's usable form.

[Hypomadness80 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Sorry it's not 20mg of B12 but 50ug. I missed read with the B2...

I have attached the B Complex I'm taking. There's no Ashwagandha but there is Rhodiola roots.

I will have to think more to take the magnesium citrate. I usually take it at bed time but forget sometimes...

What would be the better B12 option to take?

[humanbean in reply to Hypomadness80]

Sorry it's not 20mg of B12 but 50ug.

That is a miniscule dose. Many, many people take 1000ug per day, some take more.

Personally I feel best with very, very high levels of B12 and take a B Complex as well as a 5000ug dose of methylcobalamin 4 times a week, although I accept there may be people who think I'm an idiot.

[Hypomadness80 in reply to humanbean]

Oh wow! OK I didn't realise you could take that much.

I will definitely increase my dose then!

Thank you humanbean!

[humanbean in reply to Hypomadness80]

You can get 1000ug and 5000ug doses of B12 in the form of methylcobalamin on Amazon or other supplements sites. They are easy to find. Avoid cyanocobalamin. Note that supplementing vitamin B12 can cause spots in the early stages but once your body adapts the spots go away.

I continued to get "teenage" spots until I was in my 50s. It was only when I took high dose vitamin B12 in the form of methylcobalamin that, first of all the spots got a lot worse, then they disappeared and got better than they had been in 50 years. I had eczema from the age of about 10 as well. That also got worse then got better, and it is now about 95% better than it has been since it first developed about 50 years ago. If I allow my B12 levels to drop the spots and eczema come back, which is why I keep my levels high.

The dose of folate in your B Complex is quite low too. I would suggest a minimum of 400ug per day, preferably 800ug if your level is low in range or below range.

For more info on the subject of folate this article is worth reading :

chriskresser.com/folate-vs-...

[Hypomadness80 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you so much Humanbean.

I bought this morning the B12 methylcobalamin spray from better you. It's a 1200ug dose.

I'm taking 2 pills per day of b complex so my Folate intake is 400ug.

My Folate level is now 8.2 ug.(increased from 5.1ug) range starting at 2.9ug no end range. Is that OK?

Many thanks again!

[humanbean in reply to Hypomadness80]

When there is no upper limit to a range I aim to get my folate level to about 20ug - but it is difficult to say what people should be aiming for in those circumstances.

If the range has a lower and an upper limit for folate I aim to get mine to the upper half of the range.

[humanbean in reply to Hypomadness80]

P.S. Please be aware that I have no medical training whatsoever.

[Hypomadness80 in reply to humanbean]

Of course, I understand that but guidance is always helpful 😊. I thought I was taking enough B12 as I didn't know what amount I was supposed to take and there you go you helped!

I love this forum!

I think I'll see how my Folate is doing on 400ug since it improved nicely ever since I increased to 2 pills a day.

I'd like to get my B12 and my vit D levels improved for now.

Thank you again.

[Hypomadness80 in reply to humanbean]

Just realised that the dosage specified on the B Complex was for 2 capsules...

So I am taking 200ug of folate 🙈.

Will I ever get around to it all!

[Hypomadness80 in reply to SeasideSusie]

evergreen.ie/terranova-vita...

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Hypomadness80]

Hypomadness80

It does actually have Ashwagandha, it's listed under the ginseng.

The reason I mentioned these two ingredients is that they are known to lower cortisol.

As for a B12 supplement, I'm not saying don't take the spray, it's just that I won't use it. When I took B12 I used Cytoplan sublingual

cytoplan.co.uk/vitamins/vit...

[Hypomadness80 in reply to SeasideSusie]

O

OK. Thank you so much SeasideSusie!